In the dynamic world of B2B marketing and sales, understanding buyer intent is paramount. It allows businesses to focus their resources on the opportunities most likely to close, tailor messaging for maximum impact, and identify potential buying-group members who may not yet be on their radar.
When it comes to intent data, a higher volume of signals can make all the difference. Notably, there exists a huge range of monthly signal-capture capabilities among intent data providers; some providers capture fewer than 20 million signals per month, while others — like Intentsify — capture more than a trillion signals. And the more signals a business can access, the clearer the picture they can form of an account’s true interest, needs and readiness to buy. That’s a 50,000x gap!
A Real-World Example
To understand the implications, consider an example: In a given week, a target account might generate 100 buying signals around a specific solution. A robust intent data provider with numerous, differentiated intent sources could capture a large percentage of these signals, say 90. This provides a strong indication of the account’s interests and readiness. A provider at the lower end of the signal-volume range might only capture just 3 signals.
Obviously, this limited view could lead to an underestimation of the account’s actual intent. However, the bigger impact of signal volume regards the ways in which it skews your understanding of accounts’ behavioral trends over time.
If the same account generates fewer signals the following month, a provider with higher volume will show a more accurate representation of this decrease. For instance, if in the following week, the same account generates 50 signals (a 50% drop), a provider capturing 40 of those (a 55.5% drop) will reflect the trend accurately. In contrast, the provider with lesser breadth of signal coverage may capture 6 signals that week (a 66.6% increase from the previous month’s 3 signals); that would present a misleading picture of the account’s interest, making accurate intelligence impossible and preventing sound decision-making for use cases throughout the buyer journey.
Key Benefits of Higher Intent Signal Volume
- Improved Accuracy and Noise Filtering: While the sheer number of signals is important, the ability to filter out noise and false positives is equally critical. Providers with a larger volume of diverse signals can employ more sophisticated analytics and identity resolution techniques to accurately interpret buying behavior and predict where a buyer is in their journey.
- Enhanced Buying-Group and Persona Analysis: Identifying the individuals driving purchase decisions within an account is a common challenge. A higher volume of signals, especially when combined with advanced identity resolution capabilities, allows for better prediction of likely buying group members and analysis of intent by persona.
- Broader Topic/Keyword and Geographic Coverage: A large volume of signals often correlates with wider coverage across keywords and geographies. This is particularly important for businesses targeting niche markets or expanding into international territories. Advances in AI and machine learning are also enabling providers to capture and interpret signals across an increasing number of languages.
- More Comprehensive Buying-Cycle Analysis: A high volume and variety of signals allow for a more detailed understanding of an account’s journey through the buying cycle. This enables marketing and sales teams to tailor their messaging and outreach to the specific stage the buyer is in.
The Evolving Landscape of Intent Signals
While the market for B2B intent data providers is evolving, with increasing competition based on analytics capabilities, the volume of signals remains a fundamental differentiator. Providers are expanding their signal capture capabilities through various methods, including bidstream data, publisher co-ops, media-campaign engagement, social medial activity, and more. Accessing a greater volume of these signals provides a more complete and accurate view of buyer intent, empowering marketing and sales teams to prioritize effectively, personalize outreach, and ultimately drive revenue growth.
Beyond Signal Volume: Other Considerations
It’s worth noting that while signal volume is crucial, it’s not the only factor to consider when choosing an intent data provider. Identity-resolution capabilities, topic and keyword coverage, data security and compliance, and increasingly, insight generation and action recommendations are also incredibly important. However, a strong foundation of high-volume, diverse intent signals is undeniably a critical component of a successful intent data strategy in today’s competitive landscape.
In short, a higher volume of intent signals provides a more complete, accurate, and reliable understanding of buyer behavior. This enhanced visibility allows marketing and sales teams to make better-informed decisions, optimize their efforts, and ultimately achieve greater success in reaching and converting their ideal customers.
