I recently posted an article about intent data, explaining everything you need to know about using the information collected during a prospect’s online searches. “Intent data… monitors key search terms in order to collect and collate information from a wide range of digital sources. Since only a small proportion of your market will be actively searching and ready to buy at any given time, you can dedicate your efforts to reaching them at the right time.”
It’s all about identifying the – Zero Moment of Truth (ZMoT), that moment when your prospect is ready to purchase an item or service. So, how can you use intent data to identify the ZMoT and drive your sales?
Using intent data to drive sales
Here are three strategies for using intent data.
Prioritise your inbound leads based on the level of engagement
Implement a ‘lead scoring’ model that assigns a numerical value based on their likelihood of purchasing. Many companies choose to do this in increments of 5, adding 5 or 10 points based on specific activities. For instance, when your lead visits a specific product page, their score will increase by 5 points. When they visit your ‘prices’ page, their lead score will increase by 10 points.
Resist the urge to reach out right away, when they express initial interest. Instead, follow the guide of the intent data and wait for them to hit a certain behavioural threshold before you contact them directly with a call to action. This might be placing items in a basket, downloading your whitepaper, or following you on social media.
Personalise your website experience, even for anonymous users
Before a user fills out their personal data on your website (including signing up for a discount, setting up a basket, or adding you on social media), they are considered ‘anonymous.’ Of course, with the right tools, you can find out a lot of information based on their IP address, including the company they work for and what industry they are in. That said, you can’t be sure of the user’s seniority and buying power within the company – they could be a new junior accountant, or the CEO.
Once you identify some details about these ‘anonymous’ users, you can personalise their experience to a certain degree, encouraging them to take specific actions. Ideally, you want them to fill in a form so that you can gain their contact details.
Send personalised emails to your known leads
It’s no secret that job titles and responsibilities are fluid and flexible in the B2B space. It’s hard to determine who actually has the buying power and decision-making capacity within the organisation. You can very easily fall into the trap of improperly categorising your leads, and sending the wrong information to unqualified leads. Sure, your content might be ‘personalised,’ but it’s personalised for the wrong person and role!
In order to place your leads into the correct categories, you need to combine their intent data and behavioural data to find out who they are, what they do in the organisation, and their buying power.