How to Use Buyer Intent Data to Grow Industrial Sales to the Other 99%

Using Buyer Intent Data to Reach The Other 99%

Don't worry - this isn't a political post. In this case 99% means the volume of searchers whom you're missing.

Here's the simple (and conservative) calculation that gets us there (note - this is for industrial manufacturers, not SaaS or other products):

1. If you've done a great job of SEO and are ranked 1-3 in non-branded organic search results, AND you've optimized title, URL and meta description to merit a click, you probably have a CTR (check yours in Google Search Console) of about 20% - that means 80% are not
2. If you've really optimized your site for conversions, using well placed, simple forms and even chat and pop-ups, you probably convert at a 5% rate visitor to lead - that means 1 out of the 20
3. Net that means 1 out of 100 that search the term for which you've worked so hard to rank actually become a lead. Sure, you may capture anonymous data for 19, but there's not much you can do with that aside from observing surges from target account IP addresses and hoping that your ABM is working

Kind of discouraging, isn't it? Especially when you consider how many search terms you have to pursue given multiple personas, stages in the buying journey, impact of team buying, etc. Even when you really nail it (e.g. a top three listing) you're still only going to harvest 1% of the leads.

Bummer......  

Snap out of it!

OK. Pitty party over. You signed up to deliver results, not just post twice a week.

But here's the good news. The inexorable evolution of marketing technology has an answer. It's called buyer intent data.

G2Crowd calls buyer intent data the ultimate marketing conversion tool. They're wrong - it's the ultimate revenue growth conversion tool; as powerful for sales as it is for marketing. Here's how it works.

The power of buyer intent data is to introduce you to the other 99% (or a substantial portion of them.)

What if you knew the contact details of anyone that fit your target profile (title, size of company, region of the world) who took actions online after an activity like:

• searching for one of your target search terms
• downloading a competitor's content
• following, commenting, liking or sharing an influencer or important social media profile
• reading specific industry news

In other words, the power of digital body language and marketing automation which can make you incredibly effective in nurturing and selling known leads (the 1%) is now potentially available for the whole rest of the total addressable lead universe via buyer intent data.

Instead of the statistically fruitless challenge of randomly uncovering someone with interest from the 3% of a potential market considering any given product or service at any given time, now your sales team will work with triggered leads who have demonstrated some purchase intent.

Those who have taken action beyond your digital properties - action that directly demonstrates their interest in your product/service.

And that translates into an 82% acceleration in sales cycle and 50% close rate in lead to sale conversion.

Seriously! Read enough? Then get started here.

Wondering how you'd use it? Then read on.

Scratching the surface - simple use cases for buyer intent data

What could you do with that data? Check out these compelling use cases - and then imagine how you could build on them with your team and tools.

1. Account Based Marketing (ABM)
2. Building custom audiences
3. Reducing churn / fostering loyalty
4. Boosting search
5. Insight into competitive prospects who should also be in your target audience
6. Sales intelligence

Let's take a quick look at each one.

Supplement ABM

It's a cool concept but devilishly hard to execute. Intent signals help you build a real view of who on the buying team is engaged, and how. What would you do with that info?

Custom audiences

Have you begun to tap the power of Facebook Ads and Messenger for B2B sales? No? So that's problem #1. But beyond that, sometimes the connection to other interests is just a bit tenuous. And the tracking pixel is obviously limited to those who have been on your site. But imagine a new audience weekly, built on purchase intent data, that includes everyone who's taking action that indicates they might be looking and you didn't already know!

Stop the bleeding

Whether you manage subscription renewals or long-term loyalty and reorders from existing customers like in capital equipment sales, there's always a point at which your "customers" are considering default. It hurts, but it hurts even more once it happens and you didn't know. How many could you stop? And you know what they say about the cost of acquiring a new account vs. keeping an existing one.

Boosting search

You work so hard to boost those rankings and drive those organic visits as part of your marketing efforts. And if you're doing well....you're capturing 1%. This one doesn't need much more explanation - know who else is searching!

Competitive prospects

If you knew who was taking action after downloading competitors' data sheets, whitepapers, etc.....wow! Sales teams could have a field day with that insight.

Deal insights

You know that deal you lost recently to a competitor even though you were sure you had it all locked up? How would you have sold differently if third party intent data had indicated how your champion and her colleagues were actively researching further options? 

All Buyer Intent Data isn't Created Equal!

Here's the rub. Whether you've looked at buyer intent data for your marketing initiatives in the past or this is your first introduction, it's important to understand what you get and how intent data is collected.

Data providers are understandably loathe to share the details of how they compile information. But in simple terms, most services watch targets (news, search terms, competitive sites) for surges of activity from a known IP address. In other words, if traffic from a certain IP address (which happens to match the Minneapolis office of XYZ corp for instance) starts to show an increase in incidence of activity around targeted topics, people, sites and competitors, then they infer there's some intent.

That's a reasonable conclusion.

But is it relevant? Is it actionable for your sales and marketing teams? You can only determine that by the actual role of the folks taking action. That's where most buyer intent data breaks down. The services take the infered intent from the surge, and cross reference known contacts from other data sources (just as you could do using LinkedIn Sales Navigator) with certain titles and job positions which you've asked them to target. Then they provide a list of hypotheticals - sourced contacts who MAY HAPPEN to be the ones with that intent at that location of that company.

Sure, there's a reasonable suspicion, but the data is tenuous at best - does that list of five people with interesting job titles happen to be the five out of 700 in the building that were searching? Interpreting buyer intent is fraught. The odds say.....well you know.

Our Sales Fracking™ Data is different. We give you the actual person - their first and last name, title, company, email, phone and what action(s) they've taken that triggered the intent engine. 

Instead of a finger in the wind, best-guess gussied up as a lead, we give you a real lead which can be put into a variety of nurturing, engagement, paid ad or sales workflows.

Already boiling over with ideas about how you could use this? It's exciting for sure. Let's get started.

Rather dig deeper into how intent data might help your marketing and sales teams turn intent signals for prospective buyers into marketing campaigns and qualified leads?

Understand How Our Partner IntentData.io Provides Uniquely Powerful Data for Manufacturing Marketing and Industrial Sales

In the competitive world of industrial sales, understanding and leveraging valuable buyer intent data has become a game-changer. Our intent data partner, Intentdata.io, emerges as a pivotal tool, offering manufacturers a unique competitive edge in their sales efforts and marketing strategies.

Integrating Third-Party Data with Company’s First-Party Data

One of the remarkable features of IntentData.io is its ability to blend third-party data with a company's first-party data. This integration offers a comprehensive view of potential buyers, allowing sales reps to target their approach more effectively. By collecting intent data that reveals buyer intent signals, manufacturers can tailor their marketing strategies and sales efforts more precisely, ensuring a strong and consistent pipeline.

Targeted Marketing Campaigns Through Accurate Data

Manufacturers using IntentData.io gain access to accurate data, essential for crafting targeted marketing campaigns. This platform provides insights into buyer behaviors and preferences, enabling companies to develop content marketing strategies that resonate with their audience. Accurate data not only improves the relevance of marketing content but also enhances the efficiency of lead generation processes.

Empowering Sales Reps with Actionable Insights

Sales reps benefit immensely from the actionable insights provided by IntentData.io. With access to detailed buyer intent signals, they can prioritize leads based on the likelihood of conversion, optimizing their sales strategies. This targeted approach ensures that sales efforts are concentrated on the most promising prospects, thereby improving overall sales efficiency.

Gaining a Competitive Edge with Comprehensive Buyer Intent Data

IntentData.io’s comprehensive approach to collecting contact level™ buyer intent data gives manufacturers a distinct competitive edge. By understanding the nuances of buyer behavior and preferences, companies can refine their sales strategies to meet the evolving demands of the market. This data-driven approach not only enhances sales performance but also positions the company as a proactive player in the industry.

Building a Strong Foundation for Future Growth

The integration of third-party data and a company's own first party data lays a strong foundation for sustainable growth. Manufacturers can continuously adapt their marketing and sales strategies based on real-time data, ensuring that they stay ahead of market trends and customer expectations.

Transforming Sales and Marketing with Intentdata.io

The right intent data can provide a powerful solution for manufacturers seeking to enhance their marketing and sales endeavors. By harnessing the power of valuable buyer intent data, third-party data, and accurate data collection, manufacturers can develop targeted marketing campaigns and sales strategies that not only generate leads but also convert them into loyal customers.

The integration of IntentData.io into a company's sales and marketing framework promises not only immediate benefits but also a long-term competitive advantage in the ever-evolving industrial landscape.