You already know that feeling whenever you’re attempting to determine who’s truly purchasing versus who’s simply window searching? Yeah, that’s the entire recreation in B2B advertising and marketing nowadays.
Intent information helps B2B groups determine which firms are actively researching a subject, exploring options, or transferring towards a purchase order choice.
When paired with exact concentrating on, it allows smarter demand era, extra environment friendly account-based advertising and marketing (ABM), higher lead prioritization, and extra productive gross sales conversations.
However not all intent information platforms are constructed the identical.
Some are optimized for surfacing broad, third-party analysis habits on the account stage. Others concentrate on first-party engagement indicators, like web site exercise and asset downloads. A smaller group connects intent to deeper qualification indicators that assist groups perceive not simply what somebody is researching, however why, how urgently, and the place they’re within the shopping for journey.
What Is B2B Intent Information (and Why It Truly Issues)?
At its core, B2B intent information is behavioral intelligence. It captures indicators that point out when an organization, shopping for group, or particular person is actively fascinated by a subject, product class, or answer.
This information usually falls into three classes:
First-Social gathering Intent Information
This comes out of your owned properties and channels:
- Web site visits and web page views
- Kind fills and content material downloads
- Webinar registrations and attendance
- Product interactions and trial utilization
- E-mail engagement
First-party intent information is extremely useful as a result of it’s straight related to your model and your digital ecosystem.
Second-Social gathering Intent Information
That is intent information shared between companions. For instance, a writer, media companion, or occasion companion could share engagement information along with your group.
Third-Social gathering Intent Information
That is intent information aggregated throughout a big community of internet sites and sources. It identifies patterns in content material consumption and analysis exercise throughout the market, usually earlier than prospects ever work together along with your model.
Why Purchaser-Stage Intent Information Issues Extra Than Ever
Right here’s the place issues get fascinating—and a little bit uncomfortable.
A significant shift is occurring in how consumers analysis options. Search habits is altering, lowering conventional “clicks” and altering the visibility of intent indicators.
Two traits are particularly disruptive:
AI Overviews Are Altering Search Discovery
When engines like google present direct solutions within the outcomes, customers could get what they want with out clicking right into a web site. Which means fewer classes, fewer web page views, and fewer alternatives to seize early-stage intent by way of conventional analytics.
Zero-Click on Advertising Reduces Trackable Engagement
Coined by Amanda Natividad, zero-click advertising and marketing is content material that delivers full worth proper the place individuals already are—with out asking them to click on wherever else.
- AI-generated summaries
- Social feeds
- Group boards
- Overview platforms
- Darkish social sharing
- E-newsletter consumption with out web site visits
On this setting, the intent indicators entrepreneurs used to depend on can develop into delayed, incomplete, or invisible.
That’s why buyer-level intent information turns into more and more essential.
What about Account-Stage Intent?
Account-level intent is helpful for prioritization, however it might probably nonetheless depart groups guessing about who’s driving the analysis and what their particular wants are. Purchaser-level intent information supplies deeper readability, together with the function and context of the person behind the habits. It helps groups perceive the “why” behind exercise, not simply the truth that it occurred.
Main Intent Information Platforms in B2B
As conventional indicators erode, the platforms that may ship direct, buyer-level engagement information develop into much more useful for concentrating on, qualification, and pipeline acceleration.
Beneath, we’ve damaged down seven platforms that assist B2B groups do precisely that. Every one gives one thing a little bit totally different, so let’s dig in and see the place they shine.
1. Bombora
What They Do
Bombora constructed its popularity on third-party intent information pulled from a large cooperative community of B2B publishers. Consider it as a neighborhood look ahead to content material consumption—when an organization begins binging articles on “cloud safety compliance,” Bombora notices.
What Makes It Helpful
Their Firm Surge® scores flag when accounts are exhibiting unusually excessive curiosity in particular subjects. You’re not simply seeing that somebody downloaded one thing; you’re seeing that curiosity is spiking proper now throughout a company.
How It Helps You Goal
You’ll be able to filter by intent subjects, firm measurement, business, and surge depth. So as a substitute of blasting everybody within the healthcare vertical, you’re zeroing in on mid-size healthcare firms which are immediately researching HIPAA-compliant information platforms.
ABM Match
Bombora integrates with most ABM platforms, CRMs, and advertising and marketing automation instruments. It’s usually the primary sign in a multi-step workflow—”Hey, this account is warming up. Time to regulate our playbook.”
Why It Issues
Bombora’s power is breadth. They catch indicators early, usually earlier than consumers have interaction straight with you. For groups constructing account lists or refining messaging, it’s a strong place to begin.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, 6sense, Demandbase, and most main advert platforms.
2. 6sense
What They Do
6sense combines intent information, predictive AI, and orchestration into one platform. It’s not nearly figuring out accounts—it’s about rating them, understanding the place they’re within the shopping for journey, and automating what occurs subsequent.
What Makes It Helpful
Their predictive scoring fashions take a look at firmographics, engagement historical past, and intent indicators to inform you who’s most probably to purchase. Then they aid you act on it throughout advertisements, electronic mail, and gross sales workflows.
How It Helps You Goal
Filters go deep: intent rating, predictive propensity, account stage, historic habits. You’ll be able to construct hyper-specific audiences for SDR outreach, nurture sequences, or LinkedIn campaigns.
ABM Match
6sense is an ABM platform. It synchronizes intent with performs throughout each channel—personalised advertisements, electronic mail sequences, gross sales alerts. It’s constructed for coordinated, multi-touch account engagement.
Why It Issues
6sense doesn’t simply inform you who’s in-market. It tells you how possible they’re to transform and what to do about it. For groups targeted on pipeline affect and conversion, that’s gold.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, Microsoft Dynamics, Marketo, Eloqua, HubSpot, LinkedIn, Bombora, G2, and programmatic advert platforms.
3. NetLine
What They Do
NetLine supplies buyer-level intent tied on to content material engagement and demand era. As a substitute of company-level indicators, you get insights into which people are consuming what—and why it issues.
What Makes It Helpful
Their HQL (Extremely Certified Leads) mannequin goes past “somebody downloaded your eBook.” It captures qualification context: job function, firm match, shopping for timeline, and behavioral indicators that point out precise curiosity.
How It Helps You Goal
NetLine’s filters are in depth: demographic, firmographic, behavioral, content material kind, and engagement depth. You’re not simply concentrating on accounts; you’re concentrating on the proper individuals inside these accounts.
ABM Match
NetLine’s buyer-level information fuels ABM by figuring out which roles are participating and when. You’ll be able to tailor performs for particular personas and accounts based mostly on real-time content material indicators.
Why It Issues
Most intent suppliers cease at “Firm X is .” NetLine tells you who at Firm X is , what they’re researching, and when they’re more likely to transfer. That stage of granularity adjustments the way you have interaction.
Performs Good With
CRM methods, Salesforce, Marketo, Demandbase, advertising and marketing automation platforms, and ABM instruments for lead routing, scoring, and activation.
4. Demandbase
What They Do
Demandbase is a full ABM platform that mixes intent, promoting, personalization, and account orchestration. It’s much less of some extent answer and extra of an end-to-end system for working account-based methods.
What Makes It Helpful
Intent scoring, web site personalization, DSP integrations, and attribution modeling—multi functional place. You don’t must sew collectively 5 instruments to run a coordinated ABM program.
How It Helps You Goal
Strong filters for account attributes, intent subjects, engagement scores, and firmographics. Construct audiences for show, social, and nurture campaigns straight contained in the platform.
ABM Match
Demandbase is ABM. It’s designed for working performs throughout channels, personalizing content material experiences, and measuring account-level impression.
Why It Issues
The actual worth is execution. Demandbase doesn’t simply present you intent—it helps you act on it with advertisements, personalization, and measurement. For groups that wish to shut the loop from sign to conversion, that is the platform.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, Marketo, HubSpot, Eloqua, DSPs, advert platforms, and third-party intent suppliers.
5. ZoomInfo
What They Do
ZoomInfo is a B2B intelligence platform constructed on deep contact and firm information. Their intent choices (by way of add-ons) sign when accounts are actively researching options.
What Makes It Helpful
You get intent indicators plus the information it’s worthwhile to act: verified contacts, direct dials, org charts, technographics, and firmographics. It’s a one-stop store for outbound.
How It Helps You Goal
Filter by intent subjects, firmographics, technographics, engagement historical past, and purchaser habits. Construct exact account and phone lists for SDR outreach or persona-based campaigns.
ABM Match
ZoomInfo enriches ABM applications with clear information and intent indicators. You’re not simply concentrating on accounts—you’re concentrating on the proper contacts at these accounts with personalised cadences.
Why It Issues
Intent with out information is half the image. ZoomInfo offers you each: indicators that somebody’s lively and the main points to achieve them.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, Salesloft, Outreach, and Bombora (relying on bundle).
6. DemandScience
What They Do
DemandScience is a B2B information, intent, and activation platform that mixes purchaser intelligence with execution throughout digital channels. Affords a broader account-based expertise (ABX) platform spanning intent identification, concentrating on, engagement, and measurement.
What Makes It Helpful
Closes the hole between intent perception and activation, blends intent indicators, id decision, and enrichment with Terminus’s account-centric engagement and promoting capabilities. Interprets indicators straight into executable audiences and campaigns.
How It Helps You Goal
Filter by intent subjects, firmographics, technographics, purchaser attributes, and engagement habits. Terminus acquisition permits customers to dynamically regulate concentrating on based mostly on real-time intent and engagement indicators throughout the funnel.
ABM Match
Terminus’s ABM and ABX capabilities are actually core to DemandScience, enabling coordinated, multi-channel account engagement, together with account-based promoting, orchestration throughout advertising and marketing and gross sales, and unified reporting tied to account development.
Why It Issues
Delivers end-to-end intent-to-activation workflows, serving to groups determine in-market accounts and act on these insights at scale, that means fewer handoffs between information, concentrating on, and execution.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, advertising and marketing automation platforms, DSPs, promoting platforms, and ABM workflows from Terminus.
7. Cognism
What They Do
Cognism supplies world, GDPR-compliant contact intelligence enriched with intent indicators. It’s constructed for groups that want clear, compliant information—particularly in Europe.
What Makes It Helpful
Intent indicators tied to verified contacts, firmographics, and technographics. Plus, information hygiene options that maintain your CRM clear and compliant.
How It Helps You Goal
Create segmented audiences utilizing intent, firmographics, technographics, and phone attributes. Helps each inbound enrichment and outbound prospecting.
ABM Match
Cognism provides depth to ABM by supplying compliant information and intent indicators that inform outreach timing and message relevance.
Why It Issues
For world groups or privacy-sensitive markets, Cognism delivers intent and compliance. You’re not selecting between good information and authorized information—you get each.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, Salesloft, Outreach, advertising and marketing automation platforms, and information ops instruments.
8. Intensify
What They Do
Intensify focuses on buyer-level intent indicators derived from actual engagement throughout B2B media, communities, and content material environments. As a substitute of relying solely on aggregated account habits, it appears to be like at how precise consumers work together with subjects and content material.
What Makes It Helpful
Intensify emphasizes human-level engagement, not simply account-level traits. The platform exhibits which roles are participating, what content material they’re consuming, and the way that habits indicators shopping for readiness. This provides readability when account-level intent alone feels imprecise or noisy.
How It Helps You Goal
Phase audiences by purchaser function, matter engagement, firm attributes, and behavioral patterns. Goal particular personas inside accounts who’re actively researching related options, not simply “accounts exhibiting curiosity.”
ABM Match
Intensify enriches ABM applications with buyer-level context. This makes it simpler to align messaging, content material, and outreach with the individuals truly driving analysis and affect inside goal accounts.
Why It Issues
As shopping for teams develop and indicators fragment, understanding who is participating issues as a lot as understanding which firm. Intensify helps groups concentrate on actual consumers, which improves personalization and downstream conversion.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, advertising and marketing automation platforms, ABM instruments, and promoting platforms for persona-based activation.
9. Lead Forensics
What They Do
Lead Forensics identifies nameless web site guests and ties them again to firms. Even when somebody by no means fills out a type, you’ll know they have been there.
What Makes It Helpful
Behavioral indicators tied to web site exercise: pages visited, frequency, time on web site. Actual-time alerts when accounts are participating.
How It Helps You Goal
Filter on engagement patterns, pages seen, go to frequency, and firmographics. Construct scoring fashions and outreach triggers based mostly on precise habits.
ABM Match
Lead Forensics expands account consciousness by surfacing accounts that engaged however didn’t convert. It helps groups deliver extra prospects into personalised follow-up performs.
Why It Issues
Most net visitors is invisible. Lead Forensics makes it seen. For firms with excessive visitors and low conversion, it’s a approach to reclaim misplaced alternatives.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, Slack, and analytics platforms.
What This All Means for Entrepreneurs
Intent information isn’t magic. Nevertheless it is the closest factor we now have to studying consumers’ minds earlier than they present up in our inbox.
Right here’s what these platforms truly aid you do:
- Spot In-Market Accounts Earlier
Intent reveals analysis exercise earlier than conversion occurs. That’s a head begin you’ll be able to’t get some other means. - Prioritize Who Will get Your Consideration
Not all leads are created equal. Intent-informed scoring helps gross sales concentrate on accounts which are truly transferring. - Personalize With out Guessing
Intent subjects inform you what consumers care about proper now. Your messaging can mirror that as a substitute of defaulting to generic pitches. - Activate Throughout Each Channel
Intent platforms combine with advert platforms, advertising and marketing automation, and CRMs. You’re not simply understanding extra—you’re doing extra.
The perfect intent platforms don’t simply hand you indicators. They offer you filters, integrations, and workflows that flip these indicators into motion.
The Backside Line
We’re in a second the place conventional indicators—type fills, demo requests, chilly calls—are dropping floor. AI-driven search summaries, zero-click content material, and self-serve analysis are altering the sport.
Purchaser-level intent is the way you keep forward. It’s how you already know who’s researching, what they care about, and when they’re prepared to have interaction.
Whether or not you want broad market protection (Bombora), predictive AI (6sense), content-driven insights (NetLine), full ABM orchestration (Demandbase), wealthy contact information (ZoomInfo), compliant world intelligence (Cognism), or nameless customer monitoring (Lead Forensics)—there’s a platform that matches.
Pair intent with exact concentrating on, and also you’ve received a repeatable system for reaching the correct accounts, on the proper time, with the correct message.
That’s not hype. It’s simply good advertising and marketing.
