Information on software products, comparisons, use cases, reviews and much more is easily available online these days. It is almost a given that any B2B buyer, before making a purchase, will visit several websites, including the software provider’s, competitors’ and numerous third-party platforms. In fact, as of 2020, B2B buyers spend 50% of their time researching with independent third parties, according to the Gartner End-User Survey (full report available to Gartner clients only).

Using third-party B2B buyer intent data in ABM

One way to get the most out of third-party B2B buyer intent data is to use it to inform account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns. ABM is a targeting strategy where sales and marketing teams come together to identify a few high-value accounts to focus on. Once those accounts are identified, all content, product information, communication and outreach campaigns are customized and personalized for each account.

Combining third-party B2B buyer intent data with ABM can help software providers effectively identify and understand buyers who are actively researching their or their competitors’ products. They can predict buyer behavior that otherwise would not be visible. They can also better qualify leads and nurture buyers who are further along in the purchase process. 

All of this knowledge is a powerful sales and marketing tool and provides a competitive advantage for companies that harness it. 

When exploring how to use third-party B2B buyer intent data in ABM, here are three best practices to keep in mind.
 

1. Research multiple sources of third-party B2B buyer intent

Different sources of buyer intent data offer different kinds of information and enable integrations with different kinds of tools. For instance, one source could be monitoring monthly consumption events for users who are scanning content online, while another could be capturing daily buyer intent signals via exchanges on online advertising. One could provide direct integrations with sales and marketing platforms such as Salesforce, LinkedIn and Marketo, while another could require an ABM platform to channel the data (full report available to Gartner clients only).

2. Use intent data to drive content decisions 

Providing content to support buyer research at various stages of the buying cycle is crucial to successful nurture and conversion. With the help of third-party B2B buyer intent data, marketers can understand content consumption patterns that buyers show on third-party websites. Marketers can then use these insights to effectively personalize content and messaging for each prospective buyer. 

For instance, if a buyer has not opened campaign emails in a while but has been researching competitors on third-party platforms, then running a campaign with re-engagement content might be a good idea. Similarly, for buyers in the exploration and evaluation stages of the buying process, teams can adjust the content and the campaign messaging to better reach and engage that audience. 
 

3. Prepare ahead for privacy and regulatory concerns

Capturing and using third-party B2B buyer intent data faces headwinds from privacy advocates and government regulators as awareness and concerns around online data collection grow. 

Although website cookies have been the go-to method to track online behavior for the past two decades, rising concerns with cookies are nudging a change in standard industry practices. For instance, smart cookie-blocking technology like Apple’s Intelligent Tracking Prevention (ITP) and Firefox’s Enhanced Tracking Protection (ETP) now block third-party cookies by default. 

Regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) also changed the way marketers deploy third-party tracking cookies and collect contact information. They now require overt acceptance of tracking cookies, making it more difficult to track buyers around the internet. 

In such a climate, it is crucial to stay informed on the latest privacy and regulatory developments. It is also important to think ahead and ensure that all third-party B2B buyer intent data used is obtained and processed with caution.

Once this evaluation is done, prepare for organizational alignment. It is critical to understand which stakeholders must be informed of the plan and what approvals might be required. With all this in place, software providers can optimize their marketing strategies to identify prospective buyers with high purchase intent, retain customers and reduce churn. 

Discover all that buyer intent data shows, and how to leverage it to enhance sales and marketing with our white paper, “Achieve More With Buyer Intent.”
 

Rupal Bhandari

Rupal Bhandari covers sales and account management markets. She received her master’s degree from the University of Delhi, India, and has created content for some of the world’s leading technology products and companies. Connect with Rupal on LinkedIn.