Every demand generation marketer creates Target Account Lists (TALs) for campaigns, as it is crucial to devising the brand communication based on the audience’s niche. However, that’s winning only half the battle. Many marketers need help to reach actual in-market buyers because they rely solely on their CRM’s static account information.
It is shocking to see when Salesforce’s 2021 State of Marketing report mentions that only 39% of marketers feel complacent with the target accounts they have found for their ABM campaigns.
Taking the TAL and Campaign Creation Up a Notch
Leveraging intent data and layering it into the TALs for determining high-revenue prospects will prove beneficial for companies. Such prospects can be identified based on various channels’ recent and diverse buying signals. This way, it will be easier to contact pivotal decision-makers who might be in search of the solutions being offered.
It is easier to nurture high-value prospects across their journey with precise and personalized communication via the proper channels, when there is clarity on who researches what, when, and works at which firm.
Building Intent-based TALs Allows to:
- Identify accounts that are in dire need of a solution, based on keywords and engagement
- Create relevant and clearer Call to Action
- Develop well-intended landing pages that have clear messaging
- Formulate crisp ad copy and straightforward emails aimed at the buyer’s intent
- Devise the most resonating content for in-market buyers
How to Reap Benefits of Building Intent-driven TALs
Refining Selection Process for Target Accounts and Choosing those that Best Fit the ICP
All marketers use demographic, firmographics, psychographic, and behavioral data to build and categorize TALs that closely match their ICPs (Ideal Customer Profiles). However, having these datasets and utilizing them to launch targeted marketing programs for prospects with buying intent are two disparate things. Knowing the mindset of potential buyers when they make a decision and the steps they may take in different situations, is the key to unlocking the revenue capabilities.
This is where quality intent data comes into the picture. Applying it to all the knowledge layers helps predict buying journeys better and offers a more targeted and personalized buying experience.
It would make more sense if the intent data providers could send two reports – one based on TALs and the other based on ICPs as a more comprehensive parameter. Comparing these two lists will help identify in-market yet new accounts with high intent scores that fit in the ICP but are not present in the current TAL. Planning targeted marketing programs with a precise TAL and niche contacts will be able to deliver higher conversion rates than a generic marketing campaign with a large TAL.
Tapping into ‘Behind the Firewall’ Buyer Intent Signals and Adding Data Diversity
Intent signals from various buyer personas can be gathered via multiple channels across multiple touchpoints. To get a complete picture of target accounts, the data needs to be adequately diverse.
Buyer intent signals range from app and tool activities, all the way to comments on blogs, videos, and forums, reviews, ratings, and comparisons. Information about ad clicks, websites, and third-party and owned content is also an intent signal. But some of the most important yet ignored intent signals can be found from ‘behind the firewall,’ meaning helpdesk Q&As, infrastructure monitoring information, downloads, remote support interactions, and community platforms.
The value derived from building TALs and the power of intent data highly depends on the source. It is essential to choose an intent data provider that can identify and administer engagement signals via all touchpoints, including the ones behind the firewall.
Expanding Reach to In-Market Accounts by Blending Own and Third-Party Intent Data
Combining first and third-party data builds the most reliable indicator of buying intent. It offers broader coverage and full-funnel, in-depth account-based signals. It speeds up the creation of new prospect segments with purchase intent and customizes the marketing and sales outreach campaigns.
Blending first-party intent data from owned and operated channels with reliable third-party data from intense market research and communities’ insights, builds a high-quality and fully scaled TAL.
Capturing actionable intent signals from this combined set of all-party intent data will help gain better reach into the buying collective. With a better understanding of the actual use cases of intent data, identifying the most critical questions for B2B intent data vendors will be much simpler.
What to Expect After Building Intent-based TALs
The quality and depth of intent data utilized to build TALs will be an essential factor in determining the success of the demand generation campaigns.
Appropriately created focused intent-based TALs will help in –
- Building a robust sales pipeline
- Shortening the duration of the sales cycle
- Driving better acceleration on the pipeline’s influence
- Creating relevant, targeted, and personalized content
- Gaining higher quality lead funnel with prospects that are on the verge of conversion
- Saving time and enhancing efficiency by targeting the in-market prospects
- Gaining zoomed-in and clear visibility into the buying intent of the prospects
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