Account-Level Intent vs. Persona-Level Intent: Navigating the Future of B2B Marketing

B2B marketers have long known that major purchases involve multiple stakeholders and complex buying committees. What's changed? Our ability to actually find, track, and engage these elusive decision-makers. As technology evolves, two powerful approaches have emerged to crack this code: account-level intent and persona-level intent. While both strategies aim to identify potential customers, they differ fundamentally in how they illuminate the buying process. Understanding the distinction between tracking intent at the account level versus the persona level, also known as the buying-group level, could be the key to transforming your B2B marketing effectiveness. Let's explore how these approaches are reshaping how we identify and engage with B2B buying committees that have always existed, but were previously hidden from view.

Understanding Account-Level Intent

Account-level intent focuses on identifying and targeting entire companies or organizations that show signs of interest in products or services similar to those you offer. This approach typically involves:

1. Identifying target accounts based on ideal customer profiles
2. Monitoring these accounts for signals of intent and research behaviors across various digital channels
3. Prioritizing accounts showing the highest levels of intent
4. Tailoring marketing and sales efforts to these high-priority accounts

The primary advantage of account-level intent is its ability to align marketing and sales efforts around specific, high-value target accounts. By focusing resources on companies that are already showing interest, businesses can potentially increase their conversion rates and ROI.

However, account-level intent has limitations. It often fails to capture the nuanced dynamics within buying committees and may miss out on opportunities where key decision-makers are actively researching, but the overall account-level intent appears low. 

Enter Buying-Group Intent 

Buying-group intent takes the concept of intent data a step further by focusing on the specific individuals involved in the purchasing decision rather than just the account as a whole. This approach recognizes that B2B buying decisions are rarely made by a single person, with recent studies suggesting that the average B2B buying committee includes 11 individuals, and sometimes up to 20.

Key features of buying-group intent include:

1. Monitoring research interests of specific personas within target accounts
2. Providing granular, persona-level intent data 
3. Identifying and analyzing previously unknown personas showing relevant buying signals
4. Enabling highly targeted and personalized marketing efforts

The primary advantage of buying-group intent is its ability to provide a more comprehensive and accurate picture of the buying process within target accounts. By focusing on individual personas, marketers can tailor their approaches to address the specific needs and interests of key decision-makers.

Comparing the Two Approaches

• Granularity of Data
  • Account-Level Intent: Provides a broader, account-level view of intent signals.
  • Buying-Group Intent: Offers more granular, persona-level insights into research behavior and interests.
• Targeting Accuracy
  • Account-Level Intent: May lead to targeting efforts that are too broad or miss key decision-makers.
  • Buying-Group Intent: Enables highly targeted marketing efforts focused on specific personas within the buying committee.
• Personalization Capabilities
  • Account-Level Intent: Allows for account-level personalization but may lack individual-level insights.
  • Buying-Group Intent: Enables highly personalized messaging tailored to the interests and needs of specific personas.
• Coverage of Buying Committee
  • Account-Level Intent: May overlook important stakeholders if their individual research doesn't significantly impact account-level intent scores.
  • Buying-Group Intent: Provides a more comprehensive view of the entire buying committee, including previously unknown stakeholders.
• Alignment with Modern B2B Buying Processes
  • Account-Level Intent: May struggle to capture the complexity of modern B2B buying processes involving multiple stakeholders.
  • Buying-Group Intent: Aligns closely with the reality of B2B decision-making, recognizing the importance of multiple influencers and decision-makers.

Which Approach is Right for Your Business?

While both account-level intent and buying-group intent have their merits, the increasing complexity of B2B buying processes suggests that buying-group intent may be better suited to address modern marketing challenges. Here's why:

1. Comprehensive Coverage: Buying-group intent provides a more complete picture of the decision-making process within target accounts, reducing the risk of missing key stakeholders.
2. Improved Personalization: With persona-level insights, marketers can craft highly targeted messages that resonate with individual decision-makers, potentially increasing engagement and conversion rates.
3. Efficient Resource Allocation: By focusing on the most relevant personas showing active interest, businesses can allocate their marketing and sales resources more effectively.
4. Alignment with Buyer Preferences: As B2B buyers increasingly prefer self-guided experiences, buying-group intent allows marketers to support this journey with timely, relevant content and interactions.
5. Adaptability to Complex Buying Processes: The ability to identify and analyze previously unknown personas provides flexibility in addressing the often unpredictable nature of B2B buying committees.

Implementing Buying-Group Intent 

To effectively leverage buying-group intent, consider the following steps:

1. Invest in robust intent data solutions that provide persona-level insights.
2. Develop detailed buyer personas that go beyond job titles to include specific pain points, interests, and decision-making roles.
3. Create tailored content and messaging strategies for different personas within the buying group.
4. Align sales and marketing efforts around buying group insights to ensure consistent, personalized engagement throughout the buyer's journey.
5. Continuously analyze and refine your approach based on the evolving dynamics of buying groups within your target accounts.

Conclusion 

While account-based intent has been a valuable tool for B2B marketers, the increasing complexity of buying processes demands a more nuanced approach. Buying-group intent offers the granularity and personalization capabilities needed to navigate the modern B2B landscape effectively.

By focusing on the specific personas involved in the decision-making process, businesses can create more targeted, effective campaigns that resonate with the right people at the right time. This level of precision not only improves marketing efficiency but also accelerates the sales process and drives revenue growth.

As we move forward, those who embrace and master the use of buying-group intent data will find themselves at a significant advantage, able to navigate the complexities of modern B2B buying with unprecedented clarity and effectiveness. While the transition from account-level to persona-level intent strategies may require investment and adaptation, the potential rewards in terms of improved engagement, conversion rates, and overall marketing ROI make it a compelling evolution for forward-thinking B2B marketers.

Intentsify is the first MarTech company to provide a robust, Buying Group Intent solution designed to analyze and act on buying-group dynamics. Download our new guide, “How To Leverage Buying Group Intent For Revenue Growth” to learn more.