8 B2B Intent Data Providers To Target The Right People At The Right Time

As we move into 2023, it's becoming increasingly clear that intent data is no longer a "nice to have" for B2B companies - it's a necessity. Identifying the right time to reach the right people has never been more important, and intent data provides the insights needed to make that happen.

According to a recent survey, the use of intent data has grown rapidly in recent years, with 90% of respondents saying they’re either actively using intent data or are in the planning phases of doing so.

This growth is hardly surprising, as the benefits of using intent data are well-documented. Intent data can help you:

• Increase pipeline velocity
• Improve close rates
• Boost marketing ROI

However, it's important to remember that intent data tools are not cheap, and it can take some time to see the impact on your pipeline. This is why it's so important to evaluate the pros and cons of each option before making a decision.

To help you in your search for the ideal intent data provider, we’ve compiled a list of 8 of the best options on the market today. 

G2 and TrustRadius Buyer Intent Solutions

If you’re looking for a comprehensive solution that covers both the demand side and the supply side of your pipeline, G2 and TrustRadius are two great options.

G2 provides intent data at every stage of the buyer journey, from research all the way through to purchase. This makes it easy to target prospects with personalized content that’s relevant to their specific needs.

TrustRadius is another fantastic option for those looking for a complete intent data solution. Their platform offers valuable insights into what prospects are searching for, what content they’re consuming, and when they’re ready to buy.

Top features:

• Intent data available for competitor brands

With this feature, you can not only see when your own prospects are showing purchase intent but also when they’re researching your competitors. This allows you to adjust your strategies accordingly and ensure that you’re always one step ahead of the competition.

• Highly relevant B2B traffic

All of the intent data on both of these platforms is B2B-specific and is gathered from B2B buyers who are actively researching solutions like yours. This ensures that the leads you generate are of the highest quality and more likely to convert.

• CRM integrations

Both G2 and TrustRadius offer seamless integrations with major CRMs like Salesforce, HubSpot, Marketo, and many others. This makes it easy to transfer data between platforms and further automate your marketing and sales processes.

What users dislike:

• Reach is limited

One downside of these platforms is that their platforms use the only source of data. So if a prospect isn’t actively researching solutions on G2 or TrustRadius, you won’t be able to track their intent.

• No contact-level data  

Another issue is that G2 and TrustRadius don’t provide contact-level data. This means that you won’t be able to see which specific individuals from a company are showing intent.

• Not valuable for less popular categories

If you’re in a less popular category, it may be difficult to get the data you need. This is because in order for these platforms to generate data, there needs to be a minimum number of companies researching a particular category. So if you’re in a less common industry, there may not be enough data to generate the insights you need.

N.Rich

N.Rich is an intent data + ABM advertising tool that combines account identification, intent data benchmarking and strong intent activation capabilities.

Top features:

• Predictive intent

A new feature of N.Rich allows to visualize all your in-market accounts and assess their intent quickly. You can see where you're getting the most conversions and if your pipeline has any bottlenecks - and act fast.

• Combination of 1st- and 3rd-party intent data

N.Rich is the only platform that allows you to measure 1st-party and 3-rd party buyer intent in combination and build reports and segments based on custom intent source proportions.

• Proactive intent generation with an in-built advertising tool

Most prospects that search the websites are just beginning their search, using generic keywords, and aren’t ready to hear from vendors yet. This is when you’ll want to engage them with useful content that will help them better understand the potential solutions to their problem - and have your product among those solutions from the very beginning.

What users dislike:

• Only 2 CRMs available to integrate

N.Rich only integrates with HubSpot and Salesforce

• No contact-level data

N.Rich only provides data at the account level, which means you'll need to use additional tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator to identify exact people who could have visited your website, interacted with your ads, or were searching for relevant keywords on other websites.

Zoominfo

If you're looking for a go-to-market platform that provides accurate and up-to-date insight data about companies, contacts, and prospects, ZoomInfo is the answer.

With ZoomInfo, you can easily map your ideal customer profile against their massive database to uncover new sales opportunities. In addition, their intent engine tracks signals from a network of 300,000 publisher domains to help you identify potential customers that are actively searching for products and services like yours.

Top features:

• Contact-level data

One of the best features of Zoominfo is that it provides contact-level data. This means that you can see not only which companies are researching your solutions,  but also which specific individuals from those companies are showing intent.  This allows you to target your outreach accordingly and results in higher conversion rates.

• Strong data quality in the US

Another great feature of Zoominfo is that they have high data quality in the United States. This is due in part to their rigorous data validation process which includes things like manual verification, machine learning, and proprietary technologies.

• CRM integration

Zoominfo also offers seamless integrations with all major CRMs.

What users dislike:

• Pricing: High and non-transparent cost

One of the main drawbacks of Zoominfo is that it’s quite expensive. On top of that, their pricing model is not very transparent. There is no published pricing on their website and you have to contact them directly for a quote. This can be a major downside for companies that are on a tight budget.

• Lower data quality in the EU

Another issue with Zoominfo is that their data quality is not as strong in the EU. This is because they don’t have as many data sources in the EU as they do in the US. As a result, the data may not be as accurate or up-to-date. 

• Onboarding process

Some users have also found Zoominfo’s onboarding process to be quite lengthy and complicated. The major problem is the onboarding team doesn’t seem to be very well organized and it can take a  long time to get set up and running on the platform.

Bombora

Bombora is a B2B data provider that specializes in intent data. The company provides marketing and sales teams with information on which businesses are researching specific topics, allowing them to score and prioritize accounts, customize conversations, and optimize marketing efforts.

Their platform uses “co-opting” to collect data from over 5,000 publisher sites, meaning they accurately track when a business is researching specific topics and products. In addition, their data is constantly updated in real-time so you can be sure that you're always targeting the right people at the right time.

Top features:

• A lot of intent topics

One of Bombora’s best features is that they have a lot of intent topics. Bombora’s taxonomy of thousands of topics allows you to  “zoom in”  and get a very granular understanding of the specific products, or services that businesses are researching. 

• Strong data quality in the US

Bombora's data quality is very strong in the United States. This is due in part to their  “co-opting”  method of data collection,  which provides a more accurate picture of what businesses are researching and their level of intent

• CRM and MAP integrations

Another great feature of Bombora is that they offer integrations with all major CRMs MAPs.  This allows you to  “zoom out”  and get a holistic view of your marketing and sales efforts.

What users dislike:

• No intent data activation capabilities

One of the main drawbacks of Bombora is that they don’t provide any  “intent data activation”  features. What this means is that you need to use an ABM targeting platform or work with an ABM agency to actually target the businesses that are researching your products or services.

• Expensive and nontransparent

Another downside of Bombora is that its pricing is expensive and not very transparent. Price quotes are only available upon request and there is no published pricing on their website.

• No 1st-party intent data

One final issue with Bombora is that they don’t provide any 1st-party intent data, only 3rd-party data coming from external intent data sources. This data is not so accurate and it needs to be validated before you can use it.

TechTarget (Priority Engine)

TechTarget's Priority Engine is a powerful SaaS-based platform that gives enterprise B2B technology organizations direct, real-time access to the most active accounts and prospects.

By ranking accounts and prospects according to their level of purchase intent and engagement, the Priority Engine helps organizations improve their sales and marketing efforts, increase conversion rates and drive more revenue. 

The platform provides valuable third-party intent insights that allow sales and marketing teams to focus their efforts on the accounts that are most likely to convert, resulting in more closed deals and higher ROI.

Top features:

• Contact-level intent data

One of the best features of TechTarget's Priority Engine is that it provides contact-level intent data. This data allows you to see not only which companies are researching your products or services, but also which specific individuals within those companies are doing the research and their level of intent. This allows you to tailor your marketing messages to specific decision-makers within each company, increasing the chances of driving a sale. 

• MAP integrations

 The Priority Engine also offers seamless integrations with all major MAPs (Marketing Automation Platforms),  making it easy to transfer data between platforms and automate your marketing and sales processes.

• The largest network in B2B tech

With over 650,000 indexed pages in Google, TechTarget has the largest network in  B2B  tech. This means that they’re able to generate more data than any other intent platform, giving you access to more insights and a better understanding of your market and customers.

What users dislike:

• Account lists are uploaded only through CMS

One downside of  TechTarget's  Priority  Engine is that account lists can only be uploaded through their CMS (Content Management System). This means that if you're not using TechTarget's CMS, you'll have to export your lists from your current CMS and upload them manually.

• Can only capture intent

Another issue with  TechTarget's Priority Engine is that it can only capture intent data and not engagement data. What this means is that you won't be able to see how engaged contacts are with your brand, only that they're researching topics related to your products or services.

• Focused only on the tech industry

TechTarget is a great platform for companies in the tech industry. However, if you're not in the tech industry, their services may not be as valuable to you.

Clearbit

Clearbit is a platform that provides businesses with the ability to see which companies are visiting their website, the actions they're taking, and which solutions and products they care about, so you can engage the right companies at the right time. 

With this information, you can create targeted content and campaigns that will resonate with your audience and help you close more deals. In today's competitive business landscape, having access to this kind of data can give you a significant advantage. 

Top features:

• Company and contact-level data

Clearbit Reveal provides company and contact-level data, so you can see not only which companies are interested in your products or services, but also which specific individuals within those companies are researching your solutions. Having this information allows you to tailor your marketing and sales messages to the specific needs of each decision-maker, increasing your chances of closing a deal.

• Sales alerts

You can connect Slack, Salesforce or email and get custom alerts about prospects' engagement dynamics.

• Good integration ecosystem

Clearbit Reveal also offers a good selection of integrations with popular marketing and sales platforms, so it can be great for those who are looking to grow their tech stack.

What users dislike:

• First-party intent data only (third-party data come from other providers)

Clearbit provides strong visitor identification capabilities, but if you want to combine first-party and third-party insights, you need to integrate (and pay for) other tools, like G2 or Bombora.

• Missing data for some SMBs 

Another potential issue with Clearbit Reveal is that some users have reported that the platform doesn't always have data for small businesses (SMBs). So, if you're targeting SMBs, this could be a problem.

• Only Salesforce integration is strong

Some big features like Sales Alerts aren't available in other CRMs (HubSpot or Marketo).

Leadfeeder

Leadfeeder is a powerful lead generation tool that provides valuable insights into the companies that visit your website. By tracking their online behavior and identifying their intent to purchase, Leadfeeder can help you focus your sales and marketing efforts on the most promising leads. In addition, saving you time and increasing your chances of closing more deals. 

In addition, Leadfeeder can help you identify where your best leads are coming from, allowing you to adjust your marketing strategy accordingly. With Leadfeeder, you'll have all the information you need to close more deals and grow your business.

Top features:

• Always-free plan

Leadfeeder is one of the few providers that offer a forever-free plan. With limited data and very few features available, it still gives an understanding of the tool's capabilities and allows you to justify an investment more easily. 

• Lead tracking and scoring

Lead tracking and scoring Leadfeeder also offers excellent lead tracking and scoring features. With these features, you can keep track of your leads and see how they are progressing through your sales funnel. You can also score your leads so that you can prioritize the most promising ones.

• Integrations

Leadfeeder also offers a good selection of integrations with popular CRM and marketing platforms (including Google Analytics) allowing you to connect it with your existing tech stack, so you can harness its power fully and streamline your sales and marketing efforts and processes. Not only will this save time, but it can also help you with scaling your business. 

What users dislike:

• Reporting 

Another potential issue with Leadfeeder is that some users have found the reporting to be lacking. While the platform does provide some valuable insights, some users would like to see more detailed reports that can help them further understand their leads and track their progress.

• Pricing 

One final thing to keep in mind is that Leadfeeder is not the cheapest option on the market. While it does offer a lot of features and benefits, it might not be expensive for small teams with lower site traffic.

Foundry

Foundry is a B2B intent data provider that helps technology companies identify which accounts are in-market and who within those accounts is showing intent to buy.

Foundry's technology collects data from a variety of sources, including website interactions, public web content, and industry content. This data is then analyzed to provide a more complete picture of in-market buyer behavior. 

All of this enables B2B companies to better target their marketing and sales efforts, resulting in improved ROI. So, if you are looking for a way to better target your account-based marketing efforts, Foundry is the solution for you.

Top features:

• In-depth data analysis

One of the best things about Foundry is that it offers in-depth data analysis. The platform collected both 1st and 3rd-party intent data, which is then analyzed and organized. This means that you can be sure that the information you are getting is very accurate and complete. 

• Contact-level insights

Another great feature of Foundry is that it provides contact-level insights. This means that you can see not only which accounts are in-market, but also who within those accounts is showing intent to buy. This information is very valuable as it can help you target the decision-makers within an organization, which can lead to improved sales conversion rates.

• Customer service

One final thing to mention is that Foundry has excellent customer service. The team is very responsive and helpful, and they are always willing to go the extra mile to help you get the most out of the platform.

What users dislike:

• Can be challenging to use

One potential downside of Foundry is that it can be challenging to use if you are not familiar with data analysis. The platform offers a lot of features and information, which can be overwhelming for some users. If you are not sure how to use all of the features, you may need to spend some time learning

• The interface

Another potential issue with Foundry is that some users find the interface to be a bit outdated and not as user-friendly as it could be. This can make it challenging to find the information you are looking for and to navigate the platform.