Definition
Intent based marketing is the practice of aiming ads, emails and sales calls at companies that show signs of looking to buy, instead of at everyone who fits your profile. It decides who to reach, when, and with what message from intent signals, so effort goes where demand already exists.
Why it matters when you sell B2B
Most ads reach people who will not buy this year. Intent based marketing narrows the spend to the accounts most likely to move.
It works best when the signal is strong and checked, and when sales and marketing agree on what happens next: who calls, how fast, and with what. It is a close cousin of account based marketing, with the list chosen by buyer intent.
A worked example
Say you sell support software. Three levels of intent get three different plays.
Three levels, three playsExample
High intent
Pricing, three visitors
Several people from one company read your pricing this week.
A rep calls within a day, with a reason.
Medium intent
A hiring sign
A job ad names the problem you solve.
A tailored email to the new role's manager.
Low intent
Topic reading
Third party data shows reading on the topic.
Ads and content only. No sales call yet.
The point is matching effort to evidence. A sales call on weak intent wastes a rep and annoys the buyer. Ads on strong intent waste a lead. Third party intent data usually belongs in the low row until a second sign shows up.
Common mistakes
- 1One play for every level. Treating a topic surge like a demo request burns trust and reps' time.
- 2Following up slowly. High intent fades fast. Decide in advance who acts, and within how long.
- 3Ignoring fit. Strong intent from a company you cannot serve is still a poor lead.
- 4Measuring clicks, not pipeline. Intent campaigns should be judged on meetings and deals, not on ad engagement.
- 5Being too precise. A message that shows how much you know about their browsing feels like surveillance.
Set up intent plays
- Define three levels of intent, with the signals for each.
- Give each level an owner.
- Set a response time for each level.
- Write one message per level.
- Each month, check which level produced meetings, and adjust.