The first generation of intent data engines are not fit for purpose. Identifying real purchase intent means filtering out most buyers and focusing on the tiny percentage who are in market to buy
Matt Egan, Chief Content Officer, Demand AI
Successful B2B marketing isn’t a volume game. It’s not about reaching the most companies or buyers. Marketing that works relies on understanding which buy team members are ready to buy and engaging them with information they need.
This should be good news for organizations that sell intent data. In fact, that particular corner of our industry is disintegrating.
In the past 18 months we’ve seen senior leadership disruption across the space. Market value for the major players is cratering.
Intent data feeds don’t work as advertised and marketers have noticed.
Noise and exhaust fumes
The intent data we were sold was never more than noise. Built on company-level signals such as job adverts, funding announcements, and engagement with online content, intent-data engines don’t identify buying signals. At best they filter data exhaust fumes to give a vague steer as to which organizations might be in market.
This first generation of intent data engines can’t be sufficiently improved because they are founded up this flawed data. Iteration isn’t enough, even with AI.
The very term ‘intent’ has become poisoned.
That’s a problem because – remember – understanding which specific people are ready to buy is key. And that understanding is eminently possible in a digital world, in a way that is helpful to marketers and to buyers.
Less is more
We need to accept that identifying true intent means filtering out most buyers and focusing on the tiny percentage who are in market to buy. It’s not a volume game, but small numbers make marketers and vendors nervous.
In a previous life I led the content teams for what was then a major, international B2B publisher. We had a global audience of buyers engaging daily with our content. I had a team of experts ready to create a layer of niche, low-funnel content that allowed us to distinguish the casually interested user from those in market to buy. We had the means to create the perfect intent-data engine.
Trouble was, no-one had the stomach to admit that at any one time only a small proportion of our audience was in market for our customers’ products. Customers were more comfortable buying company-level intent in the thousands than understanding the small number of individual buyers who were genuinely interested in a purchase.
Real intent data
Real purchase intent can be recognised in engagement with content and conversations focused on solving problems and buying products. Understanding which insights a buyer is extracting from content is real, deep intent – measured at the level of the individual.
At Demand AI we use our AI platform to generate deep engagement with buyers, sharing content relevant to those individuals. We know what insights buyers need because they tell us through their use of our conversational AI interface.
It’s why I choose to work for Demand AI: as a content creator I want to know that my work is relevant to the audience. As a marketer I want our customers to build meaningful relationships with relevant buyers for their products.
That’s true intent that works.
Leave a Reply