Intent-Based Marketing: What It Is And How It Works

People leave little digital footprints everywhere they go online. These footprints reveal what they are interested in and what problems they are trying to solve. Intent-based marketing follows these digital breadcrumbs and shows up with the perfect solution exactly when they need it.

Intrigued by the idea of moving past the spray-and-pray approach and connecting with customers who are already halfway sold? Let’s explore intent-based marketing in more detail, see how it works, and learn strategies to get the best results from this marketing strategy.

What Is Intent-Based Marketing?

Intent-Based Marketing - What Is Intent-Based Marketing

Intent-based marketing is a strategy that focuses on analyzing a potential customer’s online behavior to understand their purchase intent. It uses different data sources to predict which customers will be interested in a product or service and then targets them with on-point marketing messages at the right time in their buying journey.

Intent data has 2 forms:

  • Overt Intent: This data explicitly reveals a user’s interest or desire. It is clear and easy to interpret. Examples are search queries, website visits, and clicks on ads
  • Covert Intent: This data is subtler and requires some analysis to understand the user’s underlying needs or motivations. It is hidden beneath the surface of a user’s actions. Examples include browsing history, time spent on a webpage, and social media engagement.

How Does Intent-Based Marketing Work? Understanding The Mechanics

As we go through, make sure to take notes of its inner workings so you can apply them in your overall strategy.

1. Data Collection

Intent-based marketing isn’t mind reading but it comes pretty close. It is all about gathering specific data points that act like tiny breadcrumbs to take you to potential customers with high buying intent. Here’s how it works:

1.1. Website Behavior

Intent marketing tools track how visitors move around your website. They see which pages they linger on, what content they download, and even how long they stay on specific product pages to give clues about their interests and buying stage.

1.2. Content Consumption

What kind of content are people consuming online? Tools can track website visits, blog post downloads, and webinar registrations. Someone actively looking for information about your product category is a hot lead.

1.3. Search Queries

People reveal a lot through their online searches. Intent-based marketing tools identify users searching for terms related to your product or service. Imagine someone searching for “best CRM software for small businesses”. That is a strong signal of high buying intent.

1.4. Social Media Activity

Social media is a goldmine of intent data. Tools can track what people are following, liking, and sharing. Someone engaging with industry publications or competitor content could be considering a purchase.

2. Intent Signal Identification

Intent-Based Marketing - Intent Signals

You collected a mountain of data but it is just information overload until you uncover the intent signals. These are the specific data pieces that tell you someone has an active intent of making a purchase. Here’s how you transform data into insights:

2.1. Website Activity Patterns

The tools don’t just look at how many pages someone visits but how they navigate. Someone casually browsing bounces quickly from page to page. On the other hand, someone with high intent will look into detailed product comparisons and pricing pages, or even linger on your contact information. These deeper dives signal serious buying interest.

Here’s a great example:

If you are in the hiring business like this on-the-ground sourcing platform, you can use detailed website activity patterns to identify serious hiring intent. Tracking which job listings potential candidates linger on or download and match these high-intent signals with the best-suited candidates so that companies find the right talent right when they need it.

2.2. Content Consumption Trends

People in the research phase gobble up content. People downloading your white paper on “The Ultimate Guide to Choosing a CRM” are clearly more interested than someone skimming a blog post. A person actively consuming in-depth content is likely further along in the buying journey and has a higher chance of converting.

2.3. Search Query Depth

Someone searching for “CRM software” is in the early research phase. But someone typing “reviews of CRM software for marketing teams” is much closer to a buying decision. The more specific the search query, the stronger the buying intent signal.

2.4. Social Media Engagement Depth

Likes and follows are nice but a successful intent-based marketing strategy looks for deeper engagement. Someone commenting on industry articles or sharing product comparisons is actively considering a purchase. These actions indicate a higher level of buying intent.

3. Segmentation

Intent-Based Marketing - Customer Segmentation

You get lots of traction, all interested in your product, but at different stages of the buying journey. Some are just browsing, some are actively researching, and a few are ready to buy right now. Your intent marketing data goes beyond simple demographics. It helps you sort through that crowd and speak to each group individually.

3.1. Grouping By Intent Level

Based on this customer intent data, you can segment your audience into distinct groups. To make this clearer, a great example to consider is the context of a user looking for internship hiring opportunities. At first glance, all users might seem like they already want to get hired. But:

  • There is a group with low intent, perhaps those casually exploring opportunities.
  • Another group shows medium intent, actively seeking information, comparing options, and actively researching companies. 
  • Finally, a group with high intent gives clear conversion signals, like someone ready to apply.

3.2. Creating Buyer Personas

Now that you understand your market segments better, create detailed buyer personas for each one. These personas are fictional characters that represent your ideal customers in each group. Outline their needs, challenges, and the type of content they prefer and you will have a clearer picture of who you are targeting and how best to reach them.

4. Content Personalization

Intent-based marketing revolves around one major thing: getting the right content in front of the right person at the exact moment they are most interested. Here’s how content personalization makes that happen:

4.1. Content Mapping 

A content map identifies all the touchpoints – websites you advertise on, social media channels, your blog – where your target audience can encounter your brand. For each touchpoint, the map defines the specific content that best matches a customer’s stage in the buying journey. 

Are they just starting to research a problem? Offer informative blog posts or helpful guides. Are they deep in the evaluation stage? Provide detailed product comparisons or case studies showing successful implementations.

4.2. Dynamic Content Delivery

Imagine a website visitor who just downloaded your white paper on “Common Marketing Challenges.”  Dynamic content delivery systems recognize these actions and use them to customize the website experience.

Suddenly, relevant blog posts on overcoming those marketing challenges you mentioned in the white paper pop up on the screen. Banners show solutions that address those specific issues.

Let’s make a concrete example: 

If you are in an eCommerce business like this fitness supplement store, you can use dynamic content delivery to personalize the website experience for each visitor. If a visitor has previously downloaded a protein portions guide, the website can dynamically display related products, such as protein supplements, and highlight customer reviews and success stories.

4.3. Automation

Personalization at scale wouldn’t be possible without automation. Imagine having to manually swap out website content for every single visitor. Instead, intent-based marketing platforms use sophisticated algorithms to analyze visitor behavior in real-time. 

Based on this data, the platform automatically triggers the delivery of the most relevant content for that specific visitor.

5. Campaign Activation

Here’s what you need to focus on during the activation of marketing campaigns:

5.1. Campaign Goals

Before anything else, lock in your specific goals. What do you want to achieve with this campaign? Are you aiming to generate high-quality leads, increase website traffic from relevant audiences, or drive downloads for a targeted white paper? Clearly defined goals will guide your entire activation process.

5.2. Marketing Channels

Once you know your goals, choose the marketing channels where your target audience is actively showing buying intent. Here’s where your research on intent data comes in handy.

  • Account-Based Marketing (ABM) Platforms: These platforms let you target specific companies that are showing buying intent. You can deploy display ads, targeted social media messages, or send personalized emails to key decision-makers.
  • Demand-Side Platforms (DSPs): These platforms give you access to a vast network of websites and apps where you can place targeted display ads. Use intent data to make sure your ads are shown to users who are actively researching relevant topics.
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM): Go beyond basic keyword targeting. Use intent data to identify search queries with high buying intent and customize your ad copy for them. 
  • Programmatic Direct Deals: Secure direct ad placements on high-authority websites frequented by your target audience. This gives you premium positioning and more control over the ad experience.

Here’s an excellent example: 

Someone looking through a flight booking website like this might seem like they are ready to convert but in reality, they will need a bit of nudging. Use search engine marketing to target queries like ‘last-minute flight deals’ and demand-side platforms to place ads on travel blogs frequented by budget travelers to make sure their marketing messages reach the right audience at the right time.

5.3. Budget Allocation

Now it is time to allocate your marketing budget strategically across the chosen channels. Data is king here. Channels with higher chances of generating qualified leads get a bigger chunk of your budget to make sure you are spending your marketing dollars on the activities that move the needle most for your business goals.

5.4. Campaign Setup

Here’s where you configure your campaigns for each marketing channel.

  • Targeting: Use your intent data to define exact audience segments showing high buying intent.
  • Creative Development: Create compelling landing page copy or social media messages that match your target audience’s specific needs and buying stage.
  • Campaign Monitoring: Set up clear metrics to track campaign performance. Monitor impressions, clicks, conversions, and cost-per-acquisition (CPA) to measure how effective your marketing efforts are.

6. Engagement & Lead Nurturing

Great, you launched your intent-based campaign and reached those high-potential buyers. Now it is time to convert that interest into qualified leads for your sales team. Here’s how engagement and lead nurturing work:

6.1. Personalized Follow-Up

Based on a visitor’s browsing behavior, automatically display website content tailored to their specific interests. Imagine someone reading a blog post about a particular product feature – show them a relevant case study or white paper that goes deeper.

Your sales and marketing teams can set up automated email sequences based on a prospect’s actions. Someone downloads your white paper on marketing automation? Trigger a personalized email series with additional resources or a free consultation offer.

Intent-Based Marketing - SmartReach

SmartReach automates these personalized interactions so you can nurture leads at scale without sacrificing that one-on-one feel. With it, you can create personalized outreach sequences that combine email, LinkedIn messages, and even WhatsApp outreach (depending on your preferences) into a single, cohesive flow. 

This keeps your message consistent and avoids overwhelming prospects with a barrage of emails.

6.2. Lead Scoring

Go beyond basic website form submissions. Assign points based on a prospect’s online activity.  Someone visits a pricing page multiple times? High points. Reads in-depth blog posts about your product? More points.

When you assign points based on buying intent signals, you prioritize leads for your marketing and sales teams. This ensures they focus on the hottest prospects most likely to convert, maximizing their efficiency and closing more deals.

6.3. Automated Nurturing Campaigns

Don’t let those high-intent prospects go cold. Set up automated nurturing campaigns based on a prospect’s lead score and online behavior.

  • Targeted Email Drip Campaigns: Deliver a series of educational emails for the prospect’s needs and buying stage. Offer relevant content like case studies, webinars, or free trials to keep them engaged and moving down the sales funnel.
  • Retargeting Ads: Stay on a prospect’s radar with targeted ads across different platforms. Use intent data to make sure these ads show solutions directly addressing their specific pain points.

Intent-Based Marketing: 5 Best Practices That Guarantee Results

Intent-Based Marketing - Positive ROI

89% of marketers see a positive ROI when they personalize their campaigns. Here are 5 intent-marketing best practices that can help you achieve similar results.

I. Look For Content Consumption Patterns

Sure, you know your target audience is interested in a specific topic, but what separates the merely curious from those ready to buy? Dig into content consumption depth.

  • Move beyond basic clicks. Identify website visitors who spend longer on content about your product or service. 
  • Analyze the order in which prospects consume content. Are they following a specific path through your website or landing pages? For instance, someone who reads a high-level blog post, then dives into a product comparison guide, and finally downloads a pricing brochure is much closer to conversion than someone who just skimmed a single blog post.
  • Look at the content format prospects engage with. Does someone who downloads detailed white papers also participate in industry webinars? This combined interest in in-depth content formats means a high level of research and potential buying readiness.

Here’s an excellent example: 

If you have a ‘how to’ blog like this how to start an Amazon business guide, create and track the engagement with related posts like ‘Top 10 Tips for New Amazon Sellers’ or ‘How to Optimize Your Amazon Listings.’ If visitors are frequently downloading guides or e-books on Amazon selling strategies, this indicates a high-interest level and intent to start their own Amazon business.

Pro Tip:

When creating comparison guides, always consider how you can present the information in a way that makes it easy for users to compare the best options. Here’s an excellent example from this medical alert comparison guide. They started the guide with a comparison table with all the necessary information: star ratings, use cases, price, and a CTA.

intent based marketing - comparison guide

Or make the comparison more straightforward like when you just have 2 options to compare and create a table like what this unlimited design vs. design agency comparison did:

intent based marketing - simple comparison guide

II. Embrace Multi-Channel Targeting

Traditionally, intent-based marketing focuses on a single channel, like display ads. But today’s savvy consumers go through a complex online ecosystem. Here’s how to reach them across multiple touchpoints:

  • Don’t just rely on paid search ads targeting high-intent keywords. Identify relevant industry forums and online communities where your ideal customers are actively discussing their needs. Participate in these conversations organically while subtly promoting your solutions.
  • Retargeting website visitors with display ads is a common tactic. But take it a step further. Use the visitor’s browsing behavior to customize the retargeting message. Someone who stayed on your pricing page might be ready for a special discount offer, while someone who explored your product features might benefit from a case study showing its benefits.
  • Create a smooth experience across all channels. If a prospect reads a blog post about a specific product feature, make sure when they visit your social media page, they see a related video showing that same feature in action. This cohesive messaging strengthens brand recall and reinforces buying intent.

III. Personalize At Scale With Dynamic Creative

Reaching a large audience with personalized messages might seem like a contradiction. But with dynamic creative, you can achieve just that.

  • Use dynamic creative platforms that pull in real-time data – like location, browsing history, or previous website visits. 
  • Use marketing automation to create templates for your ad creatives. These templates can then dynamically insert personalized elements based on individual customer data.
  • Set up rules within the dynamic creative platform to automatically personalize elements of your ad creatives. For instance, if someone is browsing on a mobile device, the ad can display a prominent “click-to-call” button instead of a lengthy form.

IV. Focus On Micro-Moments

Intent-Based Marketing - Micro-Moments

Today’s consumers make decisions in fleeting moments – searching for a solution on their phone while waiting in line, or researching a product before heading to a physical store. Here’s how to be there at the exact moment they need you:

  • Pinpoint the exact moments when your target audience is most receptive to your message. Is it while browsing social media during their lunch break? Researching online reviews before a weekend shopping trip? Understand these micro-moments to craft targeted messaging.
  • Create bite-sized content specifically for micro-moments. Think short, engaging video snippets for social media, voice-activated search-optimized content, or location-based mobile ads.
  • People use their mobile devices to search for local solutions on the go. Use location targeting to deliver relevant ads when a prospect enters a specific area.
  • Set up automated emails triggered by specific website behavior. If someone abandons their shopping cart with a specific product, send a timely email to remind them of the product and offer a discount or free shipping incentive.

SmartReach helps you create personalized email sequences that fire off automatically based on your sales strategy. It lets you schedule follow-ups, all while boosting reply rates. Plus, you can manage outreach from multiple email accounts within the same campaign.

SmartReach also lets you build custom workflows that seamlessly integrate with your CRM. This means you can automate tasks based on triggers and webhooks, keeping your sales process efficient and optimized.

V. Focus On Post-Conversion Engagement

Intent-based marketing doesn’t end with a purchase. Here’s how to use post-conversion engagement to turn one-time buyers into loyal brand advocates:

  • Don’t let customers disappear after their first purchase. Set up automated drip campaigns based on their purchase history. For instance, send follow-up emails showing complementary accessories or offering exclusive discounts on future purchases.
  • Inevitably, some customers churn. Use website behavior and purchase data to identify at-risk customers. Launch targeted win-back campaigns with special offers or personalized communication to re-engage them.
  • Collect feedback through post-purchase surveys. Understand customer sentiment to identify areas for improvement and personalize future interactions.

Why Is Intent-Based Marketing Important?

Intent-Based Marketing - B2B Leaders Use Buyer Intent Data

76% of the B2B leaders use buyer intent data for their sales and marketing strategy. Here are 6 more reasons to convince you.

A. Increases ROI

Intent-based marketing isn’t a scattershot approach. You target high-propensity leads, those most likely to convert. This means you spend less on marketing to irrelevant audiences and more on those on the verge of buying. The result? A sharper return on investment for your marketing efforts.

B. Improves Lead Quality

Forget chasing a massive audience full of lukewarm prospects. Intent-based marketing helps you identify qualified leads with a genuine buying interest. These high-quality leads convert at a much higher rate. As a result, you get more sales and satisfied customers.

C. Better Customer Engagement

Traditionally, you throw out a net and hope you get some interested customers. But with intent-based marketing, you identify people actively searching for solutions, then provide high-value content tailored to their specific stage in the buyer’s journey.

This personalized approach grabs their attention and increases customer engagement. They see you understand their needs and they are more likely to keep reading, watch your videos, or download your resources. This makes them listen to what you have to offer and eventually convert.

D. Faster Sales Cycles

Imagine a customer who is already halfway down the purchase path. They identified a problem and are actively researching solutions. With intent-based marketing, your content directly addresses their concerns and shows how your product solves their problem. 

This eliminates unnecessary steps in the sales funnel. They don’t need weeks of generic nurturing emails. You are there, right when they need you, with the perfect information to push them towards a purchase decision. Faster sales cycles mean more conversions and a happier sales team.

E. Stronger Brand Positioning

Traditionally, branding involves interrupting people with generic messages. Intent-based changes all that. When you understand your ideal customer’s online behavior, you can create content that makes you a thought leader in their area of interest

People see you as the expert who understands their challenges and has the solutions. They will remember your brand when they are finally ready to buy.

F. Increases Customer Lifetime Value

Customer relationships can fizzle out after a purchase. But intent-based marketing lets you nurture those relationships and turn one-time buyers into loyal fans. Even after someone buys your product, you can target them with relevant content that helps them get the most out of it.

The result? Higher customer lifetime value. Happy customers who see your brand as a trusted advisor will repurchase and recommend you to others.

Conclusion

Intent-based marketing lets you have genuine conversations with people who are already primed to hear what you have to say. They stop feeling bombarded and start feeling understood. The result? Engagement explodes and your chances of turning interest into loyal customers skyrocket. 

Now the choice is yours: keep shouting into the void or start a conversation that truly matters.

SmartReach’s sales engagement platform empowers you to personalize outreach at scale. With features like automated email sequences, multi-channel outreach, and built-in analytics, you can have more impactful conversations and turn intent into action. Schedule a free demo with a SmartReach expert or try it free for 14 days.

intent-based marketing
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Upasana
Upasana

Upasana Sahu is a digital marketing specialist with 4 years of experience in digital marketing and 3 years in content writing. She specializes in SEO, social media marketing & WordPress and is currently working with SmartReach. When she’s not crafting effective marketing strategies, Upasana enjoys cooking for her family. Connect with her on LinkedIn on the below link.

This article was reviewed by Lancelot Dsouza, Chief Marketing Officer at SmartReach.io.
With over 25 years of experience in sales, marketing, customer success, and revenue operations, Lancelot brings a wealth of knowledge to SmartReach.io. You can connect with him on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lancelotdsouza/

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