Intent Data

Intent data refers to information about prospects’ online behavior that indicates their likelihood to purchase, including website visits, content consumption, search activity, and engagement with competitor materials. This data helps identify prospects who are actively researching solutions in your category, making them potentially more receptive to cold email outreach. Intent data transforms cold prospecting from spray-and-pray approaches into targeted outreach based on demonstrated interest signals, significantly improving response rates and conversion quality.

Intent data comes from various sources and indicates different levels of purchase readiness. First-party intent data includes website visits, content downloads, email engagement, and demo requests from your own properties. Third-party intent data tracks prospects’ research activities across other websites, industry publications, and review platforms. Behavioral signals might include downloading competitor comparison guides, visiting pricing pages, attending relevant webinars, or engaging with industry-specific content. Recent activity typically indicates higher intent than historical data, and multiple intent signals are stronger indicators than single actions.

Leveraging intent data in cold email campaigns requires integrating data sources with your outreach tools and processes. Use intent signals to prioritize prospects in your outreach sequences, focusing on those showing recent high-intent behaviors. Customize email messaging to reference the specific research activities or interests that triggered the intent signal. Time your outreach to coincide with peak research activity when prospects are most engaged with solution evaluation. Create email content that addresses the specific stage of research prospects appear to be in based on their intent data. Combine intent signals with other qualification criteria to identify the highest-value prospects for personalized outreach. Monitor how intent-based targeting affects response rates and pipeline quality compared to traditional cold outreach. Remember that intent data indicates interest but doesn’t guarantee purchase readiness – use these signals to improve targeting and messaging rather than assuming immediate sales opportunities.