The more you collect from an environment (think: plants, fossils, scat), the more you know about it. The same goes for intent data! The more you collect, the better you and your sales team know the target account. You’ll want to forage for all kinds of data to make sure you’re getting the full picture and targeting that account in the best way possible.
PG.02
In this field guide, you’ll find information on all types of intent data:
What intent data is, and why it’s crucial for full-funnel marketing and sales
How you can find and collect it out in the wild
Use cases for making it actionable
Tips from the Terminus data foraging experts
How to apply it to your Total Addressable Market (TAM)
They'll look like this! Click here to see more.
Ew!!!
AKA ideal customers. The account you really want to add to your customer list.
1. Yeah!! You did it!
1.
PG.03
TABLE OF CONTENTS
01. Intent Data Profile
02. Psychographic Intent
03. Technographic Intent
04. Hiring Intent
05. Research Intent
06. Bidstream Intent
07. Engagement Intent
08. Relationship Intent
09. Product Reviews Intent
10. Using Intent Data to Prioritize TAM and TRM
Breakdowns of each type of intent data - where you can find it, what you can do with it.
Start here - this is the overview for all things Intent Data - what it is, why it matters, etc.
PG.04
They’ll look like this!
Intent Data Profile
Definition
Data that tells you which target accounts are ready to have a conversation or make a purchase. It refers to the behavioral signals that indicate increased interest from your target accounts (or net new accounts)
Who uses it
Made Up Of
Collection Points
Marketing
Helps bring focus within your TAM to help you prioritize accounts that have the highest probability to close
Sales
Informs which accounts are ready to buy; shortens sales cycles
Product
Informs product roadmaps based on common needs of TAM
First Party Intent Data
Information that you capture about your targets through your own website, personal interactions, or online properties
Websites and blogs that your brand owns
Third Party Intent Data
Information that you capture about your targets on sites other than your own
Online review sites
Publisher co-ops
Bidstream
1. TAM: Total Addressable Market - AKA, every company that you could possibly sell to
2. This also applies to current customers and their readiness for upsell opportunities
3. Millions of companies can show intent for your offerings...but make sure they are aligned to your TAM/ICP before you decide to focus on them.
2.
3.
PG.05
2 Ways Intent Data Is Gathered:
Observed
Data you gather straight from the account you’re targeting. That means it’s super accurate and doesn’t require extra interpretation.
Inferred
Data that has been interpreted based on the account’s online behavior. It’s a little less accurate, but can help you detect early signal.
Intent Data not only tells you which of your target accounts are ready to buy, it also helps inform you of new accounts you’ll want to target based on a slew of factors that play into their propensity to buy from you at any given moment. This makes your sales team more efficient, with shorter sales cycles, fewer resources used, and–ultimately–the ability to provide a more personalized and helpful solution to your new customers.
The more data you have, the fuller the picture for the account you’re targeting. That’s why it’s important to collect all sorts of intent data, from all sorts of sources.
PG.06
Psychographic
Name
Where To Find
Company messaging across all publicly available web properties
Psychographic data is fast-moving data, which means you should set up programmatic alerts to let your teams know when new data comes in so they can act on it ASAP. This data is also great to help you dynamically build out your TAM so it doesn’t get static.
Signal
Psychographic Intent
In Terminus?
What This Data Tells You
• Psychographic profile • Relevance Score • Intent of company based on keyword trending NLP of their messages in market
Use Cases
• Identify new accounts • Prioritize accounts • Alert reps on when to reach out • Inform reps on what message will resonate
Power Tip
1. While psychographic data is totally new to B2B, it’s nothing new. And you already know how it works! It’s what B2C brands like Spotify and Instagram have been using for years to help personalize your experience with their products. For B2B, Psychographics describe the wants and interests of a company from their own written perspective around the products they offer, customers they target, their go-to-market approach, and their overall strategy.
2. Natural language processing - a computer’s ability to analyze nuanced messaging for common topics and keywords.
PG.07
Technographic
Technology Investments
Technographic intent is very helpful in initial TAM selection. Run competitive takeaway programs starting 6 months ahead of renewal (you can figure out renewal dates based on install date and knowledge of your competitors’ typical contract length).
Technographic Intent
• Types of software used by an account • Types of hardware used by an account • Vendors of software/hardware an account currently uses
• Target companies that are currently using tech that is complementary to yours • Target companies coming up for renewal on a competitor solution • Predict what technology a company will add in the future based on the people they recently hired
1. Not native to the Terminus platform, but usable through a CRM integration.
PG.08
Hiring
Hiring and Job Postings
Be ready to react quickly when you notice that a target account is hiring and investing in the roles you sell to.
Hiring Intent Data
• Open positions listed by a company • Previous job positions listed by a company
• Determine what a company is focused on and investing in based on the people they hire Predict what technology a company will add in the future based on the people they recently hired (think: international expansion, globalization, AI & ML, infrastructure, productivity, culture, etc.) • Personalize outreach based on how long the decision makers and key sponsors have been at the company
1. Put on your detective hat: The roles that a company is hiring for can actually tell you a lot about the pain points they’re solving for. Hiring data is a great layer to add to your ICP criteria.
PG.09
Research
Content consumption habits and trends
This is crucial data for targeting your top-of-funnel accounts. Remember: top of funnel shouldn’t be batch and blast! It should be equally as informed by data as the rest of your funnel.
Research Intent
• Types of content employees at the target account are consuming • Trending topics employees at the target account are interested in • Names of competitors or alternatives a target account is considering
• Create your content calendar based on topics your ICP cares about • Identify accounts that are showing interest in a competitor and create depositioning messaging campaigns • Identify accounts that are showing intent but not yet aware of your brand and run a campaign to drive them to your site
Research intent can be like a firehose of data, so it’s important to pick a source like Bombora to help you cull through it. Bombora puts statistical relevance and historical trending on top of the data to ensure you’re acting on the good stuff only.
Potential Pitfalls
1. We partnered with Bombora to bring you this key data.
PG.10
Advertising inventory (bidstream exhaust from a DSP)
Bidstream data is a little too risky for us to recommend you collecting and using. Instead, use Research Data from the Bombora Co-Op. Not only is it collected with far more context (and specifically through the B2B web), but it’s also collected in compliance with GDPR standards, so you can use with no fear of fines.
Bidstream Intent Data
• Device type • IP address • URL of the page the visitor was on when advertisers were bidding to serve ads to them • Keywords found on the page the visitor was served ads on
Bidstream data is plagued with potential pitfalls. Not only is there the possibility of gathering out-of-context behaviors and serving bad ads (i.e., you’re looking for a new laptop, and get served an ad for Granny Smith apples. “Sure, you searched for “Apple™”, but not those apple”), but even more, there’s ongoing litigation about whether bidstream data is even legal. So, if gathered incorrectly, you’re looking at some hefty GDPR fines.
1. DSP = Demand-side Platform - these are usually used for ad retargeting purposes
PG.11
Engagement
First party interactions directly with your brand (anonymous or known)
Look for companies showing intent in one of the other categories of intent data, but not showing engagement intent yet. Start advertising to them to bring them into your funnel.
Engagement Intent
• Interaction rate between your brand and a target account
• Identify and prioritize accounts based on level (or absence) of engagement • Run cross-sell plays against existing customers showing interest for additional products • Send alerts and drive program orchestration when an increase of interest is detected • Detect funnel stage before they even become an opportunity • Determine which of your products or services the account is interested in • Detect spike in interest • Discover the account’s buying team
Don’t assume that just because an account is on your site today that they’re worthy of your sales team’s time.
2. Use statistical modeling like Terminus Engagement Spike to detect the increase of interest and act on that.
1. Higher interaction rates typically mean the account is moving deeper into your sales funnel
PG.12
Relationship
Interaction with your employees
The richest source of data is captured via interactions over your corporate email (G Suite, Outlook). Be prepared to explain the benefits and security controls of this powerful option to your IT team.
Relationship Intent
• Number of 2-way interactions between your brand and the target account Think: meetings, calls, chats • The frequency, recency, and velocity of those interactions
• Get a pulse on the strength of the relationship with an account • Determine which open opportunities are at risk due to weak relationships, and act before it’s too late • Better predict your pipeline’s propensity to close
PG.13
G2 Intent
Your G2 Review Site
This is a data-driven reason to always have your G2 review site up to date. You should be refreshing it (new messaging to reflect your website and brand, new product screenshots and videos, etc.) at least once per quarter.
• Star rating given • Mood of reviews written • Which companies are researching your product(s) • Which companies are researching the category your product(s) are in
• Gather information on customer satisfaction with your support and sales teams • Identify accounts that are researching you and your competitors • Identify accounts that are trying to understand your category
1. Access to this kind of intent requires a subscription to G2, creating a product profile, monitoring reviews, and paid access to the research signals. It’s more than worth it.
2. This usually suggests that they’re further along in the buying cycle, which is a great time to target
Now that you know the ins and outs of all the different types of Intent Data you may discover when foraging for a new account, but...is there a way to use this data without a target account in mind? Of course! Let’s talk about how intent data can be used to identify, prioritize, and progress your total addressable market.
PG.14
First, a way to categorize all of the accounts out there into ones you should be targeting:
Total Addressable Market (TAM): All companies you could possibly pursue over a long time period (usually 5-10 years). It is often used to describe a large market opportunity but lacks prioritization or actionability. Total Relevant Market (TRM): All companies you should pursue TODAY because they’re your best-fit target accounts and highest priority opportunities right now. Importantly, your TRM will grow over time as you win more customers and scale your business. Intent Accounts: The companies that have shown intent toward purchasing your product(s). You’ve started to pursue with your outbound marketing and sales efforts, but they’re not quite in your pipeline yet. In-Pipeline Accounts: The companies that have started to interact and show intent to purchase your product(s). They’re in your CRM, and your sales team has started interacting with them. Ok, now you’ve got the lay of the land when it comes to categorizing all of the accounts out in the wild. Here’s a quick diagram of which types of the intent data you just learned about will help you identify, prioritize, and progress an account through these different categories toward being an In-Pipeline account.
PG.15
Using Intent to Prioritize & Progress your TAM
If TAM is a thick forest filled with lots of trees and brush, In-pipeline accounts are the idyllic clearing where only the most beautiful, tall trees stand. Collect different types of data in different areas of the TAM forest to clear your path to the In-pipeline accounts. Let’s start out here in the TAM forest level.
Firmographic
1. Nice! You found some Firmographic data. These are your basics like industry, company size, and location.
technographic
2. Yes! This technographic data will be perfect. Now you know what kind of technology and softwares the accounts use, and you can identify which companies are poised for needing your product(s) or services.
Total Addressable Market (TAM)
Click Here to Get Started!
Move On
PG.16
Great! You’ve collected enough data to advance to the TRM forest level. Here, the trees are still thick, but you’ve weeded through some of the brush and are starting to get a better view of the clearing. Let’s collect some more intent data to make a path to the next level of the forest.
psychographic
1. Sweet! You found some psychographic data! This stuff will let you know the interests of a company based on their messaging, go-to-market strategy, products they offer, etc.
2. Woo hoo! This engagement data is great stuff. Now you can tell which accounts are showing intent to purchase based on how often they're engaging with your brand's ads, content, and web properties.
Relevant Accounts (TRM)
g2
3. Awesome! This G2 data will be super helpful in knowing which accounts are researching your product(s).
PG.17
Amazing! Now you’re able to see the Intent Account forest level. Now the trees have thinned out significantly, and you can start to see which ones have the qualities that make them perfect for survival. Let’s keep collecting data... we’re almost to the clearing.
relationship
1. Nice! This relationship data can help you see how often an account is having 1:1 interactions with people at your company. If they're interacting, they're very likely ready for your pipeline!
Intent Accounts
engagement
3. Yes! More engagement data! This is perfect to see how often an account is interacting with your brand. The higher the frequency, the more likely it is that they're ready to be in your pipeline.
research (Bombora)
2. Yes! This research data from Bombora is going to help you identify which accounts are ready to purchase based on their online habits. Now you know which accounts can move into your pipeline!
hiring
4. Oh, perfect! This hiring data will help you know what an account is prioritizing. This will be great to help personalize your outreach and get this account into your pipeline.
4.
PG.18
You made it to the clearing! It took lots of different data to get here, but now that you’re here you can see that only the best trees are left. It’s a little slice of woodland paradise.
In Pipeline Accounts
PG.19
Intent Is A Key Piece of Identifying and Winning Your Target Accounts
Fit + Intent + Engagement
You can’t explore a new account without those three crucial tools in your camp. And, remember, intent data is like a multi-tool–it should have lots of different bells and whistles to ensure that you’re prepared to explore this target account in the best, most prepared way possible. Be prepared with a platform that will collect all of that valuable intent data in one place.
Terminus can help
We couldn’t help ourselves.
In...tent...get it?
