You understand that feeling whenever you’re making an attempt to determine who’s really purchasing versus who’s simply window shopping? Yeah, that’s the entire sport in B2B advertising as of late.
Intent knowledge helps B2B groups establish which firms are actively researching a subject, exploring options, or transferring towards a purchase order resolution.
When paired with exact focusing on, it allows smarter demand era, extra environment friendly account-based advertising (ABM), higher lead prioritization, and extra productive gross sales conversations.
However not all intent knowledge platforms are constructed the identical.
Some are optimized for surfacing broad, third-party analysis habits on the account degree. Others deal with 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 Knowledge (and Why It Really Issues)?
At its core, B2B intent knowledge is behavioral intelligence. It captures indicators that point out when an organization, shopping for group, or particular person is actively interested by a subject, product class, or resolution.
This knowledge sometimes falls into three classes:
First-Occasion Intent Knowledge
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
- Electronic mail engagement
First-party intent knowledge is extremely worthwhile as a result of it’s instantly linked to your model and your digital ecosystem.
Second-Occasion Intent Knowledge
That is intent knowledge shared between companions. For instance, a writer, media accomplice, or occasion accomplice might share engagement knowledge together with your group.
Third-Occasion Intent Knowledge
That is intent knowledge 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 together with your model.
Why Purchaser-Degree Intent Knowledge Issues Extra Than Ever
Right here’s the place issues get fascinating—and a bit of 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 developments are particularly disruptive:
AI Overviews Are Altering Search Discovery
When search engines like google and yahoo present direct solutions within the outcomes, customers might 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 via conventional analytics.
Zero-Click on Advertising and marketing Reduces Trackable Engagement
Coined by Amanda Natividad, zero-click advertising is content material that delivers full worth proper the place folks already are—with out asking them to click on anyplace else.
- AI-generated summaries
- Social feeds
- Group boards
- Evaluate platforms
- Darkish social sharing
- Publication consumption with out web site visits
On this atmosphere, the intent indicators entrepreneurs used to depend on can develop into delayed, incomplete, or invisible.
That’s why buyer-level intent knowledge turns into more and more essential.
What about Account-Degree Intent?
Account-level intent is beneficial for prioritization, however it may well nonetheless depart groups guessing about who’s driving the analysis and what their particular wants are. Purchaser-level intent knowledge gives 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 Knowledge Platforms in B2B
As conventional indicators erode, the platforms that may ship direct, buyer-level engagement knowledge develop into much more worthwhile for focusing on, qualification, and pipeline acceleration.
Under, we’ve damaged down seven platforms that assist B2B groups do precisely that. Every one provides one thing a bit of completely different, so let’s dig in and see the place they shine.
1. Bombora
What They Do
Bombora constructed its fame on third-party intent knowledge 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 matters. You’re not simply seeing that somebody downloaded one thing; you’re seeing that curiosity is spiking proper now throughout a corporation.
How It Helps You Goal
You possibly can filter by intent matters, firm measurement, trade, and surge depth. So as a substitute of blasting everybody within the healthcare vertical, you’re zeroing in on mid-size healthcare firms which can be abruptly researching HIPAA-compliant knowledge platforms.
ABM Match
Bombora integrates with most ABM platforms, CRMs, and advertising 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 interact instantly 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 knowledge, 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 let you know who’s almost definitely to purchase. Then they provide help to act on it throughout advertisements, e mail, and gross sales workflows.
How It Helps You Goal
Filters go deep: intent rating, predictive propensity, account stage, historic habits. You possibly can 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, e mail sequences, gross sales alerts. It’s constructed for coordinated, multi-touch account engagement.
Why It Issues
6sense doesn’t simply let you know who’s in-market. It tells you how probably they’re to transform and what to do about it. For groups centered 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 gives 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 sort, and engagement depth. You’re not simply focusing on accounts; you’re focusing on the proper folks inside these accounts.
ABM Match
NetLine’s buyer-level knowledge fuels ABM by figuring out which roles are participating and when. You possibly can tailor performs for particular personas and accounts primarily based 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 degree of granularity modifications the way you interact.
Performs Good With
CRM techniques, Salesforce, Marketo, Demandbase, advertising 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 resolution 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 function 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 matters, engagement scores, and firmographics. Construct audiences for show, social, and nurture campaigns instantly 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 knowledge. Their intent choices (via add-ons) sign when accounts are actively researching options.
What Makes It Helpful
You get intent indicators plus the information that you must 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 matters, firmographics, technographics, engagement historical past, and purchaser habits. Construct exact account and make contact with lists for SDR outreach or persona-based campaigns.
ABM Match
ZoomInfo enriches ABM packages with clear knowledge and intent indicators. You’re not simply focusing on accounts—you’re focusing on the proper contacts at these accounts with personalised cadences.
Why It Issues
Intent with out knowledge is half the image. ZoomInfo offers you each: indicators that somebody’s lively and the main points to succeed in them.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, Salesloft, Outreach, and Bombora (relying on package deal).
6. DemandScience
What They Do
DemandScience is a B2B knowledge, intent, and activation platform that mixes purchaser intelligence with execution throughout digital channels. Affords a broader account-based expertise (ABX) platform spanning intent identification, focusing on, engagement, and measurement.
What Makes It Helpful
Closes the hole between intent perception and activation, blends intent indicators, identification decision, and enrichment with Terminus’s account-centric engagement and promoting capabilities. Interprets indicators instantly into executable audiences and campaigns.
How It Helps You Goal
Filter by intent matters, firmographics, technographics, purchaser attributes, and engagement habits. Terminus acquisition permits customers to dynamically alter focusing on primarily based 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 gross sales, and unified reporting tied to account development.
Why It Issues
Delivers end-to-end intent-to-activation workflows, serving to groups establish in-market accounts and act on these insights at scale, that means fewer handoffs between knowledge, focusing on, and execution.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, advertising automation platforms, DSPs, promoting platforms, and ABM workflows from Terminus.
7. Cognism
What They Do
Cognism gives world, GDPR-compliant contact intelligence enriched with intent indicators. It’s constructed for groups that want clear, compliant knowledge—particularly in Europe.
What Makes It Helpful
Intent indicators tied to verified contacts, firmographics, and technographics. Plus, knowledge hygiene options that maintain your CRM clear and compliant.
How It Helps You Goal
Create segmented audiences utilizing intent, firmographics, technographics, and make contact with attributes. Helps each inbound enrichment and outbound prospecting.
ABM Match
Cognism provides depth to ABM by supplying compliant knowledge 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 knowledge and authorized knowledge—you get each.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, Salesloft, Outreach, advertising automation platforms, and knowledge 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 matters and content material.
What Makes It Helpful
Intensify emphasizes human-level engagement, not simply account-level developments. 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
Section audiences by purchaser function, subject 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 packages with buyer-level context. This makes it simpler to align messaging, content material, and outreach with the folks really driving analysis and affect inside goal accounts.
Why It Issues
As shopping for teams develop and indicators fragment, figuring out who is participating issues as a lot as figuring out which firm. Intensify helps groups deal with actual consumers, which improves personalization and downstream conversion.
Performs Good With
Salesforce, HubSpot, advertising 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 had 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 considered, go to frequency, and firmographics. Construct scoring fashions and outreach triggers primarily based 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 knowledge isn’t magic. But it surely is the closest factor we’ve got to studying consumers’ minds earlier than they present up in our inbox.
Right here’s what these platforms really provide help to 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 every other approach. - Prioritize Who Will get Your Consideration
Not all leads are created equal. Intent-informed scoring helps gross sales deal with accounts which can be really transferring. - Personalize With out Guessing
Intent matters let you know 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 automation, and CRMs. You’re not simply figuring out extra—you’re doing extra.
One of the best 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 realize 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 knowledge (ZoomInfo), compliant world intelligence (Cognism), or nameless customer monitoring (Lead Forensics)—there’s a platform that matches.
Pair intent with exact focusing on, and also you’ve acquired a repeatable system for reaching the proper accounts, on the proper time, with the proper message.
That’s not hype. It’s simply good advertising.
