Intent Data
Intent Data Is a Tool, Not a Strategy
6sense, Bombora, and Demandbase sell intent data as a magic bullet. It is not. Here is how to use it correctly.
Intent data platforms (6sense, Bombora, Demandbase, ZoomInfo Intent) sell themselves as the answer to 'how do we know who is in-market.' They provide useful signal. They are not a strategy. Treating intent data as a strategy is one of the most expensive mistakes in modern B2B marketing.
The right framing is that intent data is a prioritization layer on top of an existing ICP and ABM strategy. If your ICP is unclear, intent data will tell you that 10,000 random accounts are 'showing intent' for terms loosely related to your category. The sales team will burn weeks chasing low-fit accounts and lose trust in the data.
Use intent data to prioritize accounts that are already on your target list and that match your ICP. The funnel is: ICP-fit accounts (a 200-2000 account list), then layer intent data on top (which 50 of those accounts are showing buying signals this week), then layer engagement data (which of those 50 are also engaging with your marketing). That trio gives the sales team a 10-account weekly priority list. That is actionable.
Buy intent data only after you have a clean ICP, a named-account list, and an ABM motion in place. Without those three, intent data is expensive noise. With them, it is a 10x prioritization tool. The sequence matters.