Intent data is a crucial tool for businesses looking to identify the behaviors, interests, and priorities of prospects, enabling engagement at the right moment with the right message.
However, relying on a single source of intent data often leads to incomplete insights and missed opportunities. That’s where layering intent data becomes essential. By combining signals from multiple sources, businesses can create a multidimensional view of prospects, improving accuracy, relevance, and conversion rates.
Why Layering Intent Data Should Be a Core Strategy
No single source of intent data can fully capture the complexity of a buyer’s journey. By integrating first, second, and third party data, businesses gain a more actionable and holistic understanding of their target audience.
Layering amplifies the power of your data by validating and cross-referencing signals. For example, combining G2 activity with website visits or merging download data with hiring signals confirms genuine intent, enabling smarter lead prioritization. With a layered approach, marketing and sales teams can better understand where prospects are in their buying journey, resulting in more accurate pipeline forecasting and strategic planning.
The Core Layers of Intent Data
Layering intent data starts with understanding the unique value of each type of data:
First-Party Data
First-party data comes from your owned channels and offers direct insights into how prospects interact with your brand. Examples include:
- Website Traffic: Identify companies visiting your site using IP tracking, even if they don’t fill out a form.
- Content Engagement: Downloads of case studies or whitepapers indicate deeper interest and potential readiness to buy.
- Email Interactions: Opens and clicks reveal which prospects are engaging with your cadence outreach.
Second-Party Data
Second-party data is derived from platforms like G2 or through partnerships with review sites and industry platforms. Signals to watch include:
- Competitor Comparisons: G2 activity can reveal when prospects are evaluating your competitors.
- Alternative Searches: Identifying searches for similar products highlights early buying intent.
- Engagement with Industry Content: Activity on niche platforms reveals interest in your sector.
Third-Party Data
Third-party data provides a broader view of buyer trends, including:
- Topic Intent: Monitoring industry-specific content consumption helps identify research-stage prospects.
- Hiring Signals: Companies expanding key teams may signal readiness for new solutions.
- Event Participation: Attendance at trade shows or webinars often indicates active interest in industry advancements.
How to Effectively Layer Intent Data
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To maximize the value of layered intent data, follow these steps:
Gather Data from Multiple Sources
Leverage diverse channels, including your CRM, marketing platforms, and intent data providers. Ensure your tools are integrated for seamless analysis.
Validate and Cross-Reference Signals
Layering works best when signals from different sources confirm each other. For instance, a prospect showing interest on G2 and downloading a whitepaper from your website is more likely to be in-market.
Segment and Prioritize Leads
Categorize leads into high, medium, and low priority based on the strength and number of intent signals. Focus outreach efforts on accounts with multiple strong signals.
Activate Data Across Campaigns
Use layered insights to enhance ABM campaigns, refine sales workflows, and create highly personalized content strategies.
How Lead Onion Maximizes the Value of Layered Intent Data
Lead Onion simplifies the process of layering intent data by combining multiple sources into a single, intuitive platform. Instead of managing disparate tools and data streams, Lead Onion offers a unified solution to streamline data collection, validation, and activation.
- Real-Time Signal Validation: Lead Onion cross-references signals from various sources to confirm genuine intent, helping your team focus on high-value prospects.
- Personalized Campaign Activation: With detailed insights, you can tailor outreach, refine targeting, and optimize ABM strategies effortlessly.
- Streamlined Workflows: From data collection to activation, Lead Onion automates the process, allowing your team to concentrate on high-impact activities.
Transform Engagement with Layered Intent Data
Layering intent data from first-, second-, and third-party sources is the key to understanding today’s complex buyer journeys. By combining insights, you can create a comprehensive picture of your prospects and take data-driven actions to improve targeting, increase conversions, and accelerate revenue.
Ready to see how intent data can transform your lead prioritization strategy with Lead Onion? Try it out yourself here.
