Imagine discovering a pool of prospects just about to click the buy button on a product or service similar to yours. That would be quite a goldmine of new business — especially if you had the ability to drop your marketing content directly in front of them at the perfect moment.

A typical sales funnel takes your prospect through a journey of nurturing and prepping for a purchase. But using intent data, you can identify prospects already in a buying mindset, skip the early-stage content, and inject them directly into the bottom of your sales funnel.

What is Intent Data?

To understand how intent-based marketing could work for your business, you need some background on the data behind it. Intent data clues us in to what purchases a target prospect is likely to make in the near future.

You may not realize it, but you’re already familiar with this concept. Have you ever searched Google for, say, a pair of Nike running shoes — and then noticed Nike ads popping up all over the websites you visit? That’s intent-based marketing in action, and it’s based on two types of data:

• Internal data is pulled from activity your company captures. It may come from your website, paid and earned campaigns, and marketing automation activities.
• External data is collected through IP addresses, cookies, registrations, and publisher data.

Intent data clues you in to what purchases a target may make in the near future, so you can put yourself in front of prospects already primed for conversion. As a result, you can shorten your sales cycle and focus on the bottom of your funnel by taking a few steps.

Segment Your Messaging

Intent data allows you to analyze the signals people share about their buying plans and tailor your messaging to reflect the value they’re seeking. For example, an uptick in interest from your target in one or more of your product or service categories could indicate that it’s time to send sales-focused content to that potential buyer.

Based on intent data, you can more accurately time the delivery of your banner ads, sales emails, PPC campaigns, and other sales-oriented content. This product- or service- specific content is more likely to trigger a sale because this prospect appears to be further along the buyer’s journey.

Consider Decay Rate

Intent data provides real-time insight into the near-future behavior of your target prospects, but it decays quickly. When the data suggests your target is actively searching for your services, implement your intent-based marketing activities with a sense of urgency knowing the behavior could change at any moment. If you delay, your prospect is likely to make a purchase elsewhere.

Mine the Data with SimplyDIRECT

Effective intent-based marketing requires actionable intelligence about your target marketing and their buying behavior. SimplyDIRECT identifies your best prospects and gathers intelligence about their need for your product or service using real-time surveys, so you can engage in the late stages of the buyer’s journey and maximize conversion.

Learn more about leveraging intent data with SimplyDIRECT in this report.