Finding high intent prospects is hard. Fortunately, there are B2B lead generation and database platforms that try to solve this problem. However, the sales reps and marketers in most mid-market and enterprise organizations are unhappy with the intent data provided by these platforms because:

• Every subscriber has access to the same prospect information (from the same lens) instead of offering relevant intent data based on what one is trying to achieve
• The source of intent data is neither traceable nor referrable, therefore not reliable
• Lack of transparency w.r.t data collected

So you need to know — what should you look for when evaluating an intent data provider? Who are the intent data providers leading the charge, and more, to be able to choose the one that provides the kinds of intent data you need.

In this article, we give you an overview of how intent data tools work, and the top 5 intent data providers you need to know.

What is an Intent Data provider?

Intent data providers collect and analyze data that indicates a prospect's interest in a particular product or service. This data is derived from various sources, such as website visits, content downloads, social media interactions, and search queries. By evaluating these interactions, intent data providers can determine the likelihood of a prospect making a purchase, thereby allowing businesses to prioritize high-intent leads.

The market for intent data providers is expanding rapidly, with numerous players offering different levels of granularity and quality. However, if you have ever used intent data or are currently evaluating a provider—you might first want to know how reliable the data they provide is. That means you need to understand how they acquire intent data—what the sources are, how regularly the data is refreshed, and more.

On that note, you might want to check out our article below, if you are interested in deepening your understanding on how intent data works and how it’s collected.

What to look for when evaluating an Intent Data software?

Given the ever increasing list of intent data providers, knowing which one is right for you is not easy. In fact, marketers and sales reps take demos of multiple intent data providers to explore fit, and it tends to be a highly manual and time-consuming process.

To save your time, and help you bet on the right provider, we recommend you 4 key parameters for evaluating your intent data vendors:

Data accuracy and relevance

One of the key considerations is the accuracy and relevance of the data. The best intent data providers don’t start with “here’s what our database says about prospect X.” Instead, they start by asking what you are looking for. 

Once they know what specifically you are looking for, they use advanced methodologies and scour diverse data sources to identify and offer reliable insights. More importantly, it's essential to evaluate the data provider's reputation and track record in delivering high-quality intent data.

Integration

It really helps if the intent data platform also helps you set up multichannel outreach campaigns, but regardless—one of the key factors you might want to ensure is that the platform integrates with key tools in your marketing and sales tech stack. This will ensure seamless access and use of intent data in your sales outreach. 

Custom filtering and reporting 

Third factor to consider is segmentation and reporting capabilities—especially if your primary use case is effective targeting for your campaigns and reaching the right audience. Further insightful analytics  and reporting help you track and measure the effectiveness of your campaigns, giving you signals on how to adjust your approach going forward.

Pricing

While pricing might not be the top most factor for you, making sure you get value for money and that the tool doesn’t overshoot your budget—is key.

With that lens, let’s now look at the top 5 intent data providers in 2024.

Top 4 Intent Data providers

ZoomInfo

ZoomInfo is a leading B2B intent data provider known for its comprehensive database of over 50 million businesses and 230 million professionals. As one of the most widely used sales and marketing tools, ZoomInfo's platform provides detailed information about prospects' online behaviors, allowing you to understand their intent and tailor your outreach accordingly.

One of the standout features of ZoomInfo is its ability to integrate with more than 14 CRMs and marketing automation platforms, including the market leaders Salesforce and HubSpot. This seamless integration ensures that intent data is easily accessible and actionable within your existing workflows. 

Here’s a quick overview of what ZoomInfo offers: 

• Lead builder 
• Lead analysis and intelligence
• Native integration with 25 other apps (including 14 CRM) 
• Data enrichment 
• Data segmentation 
• People alerts 
• Data reporting 
• Account-level market insights

Where it lacks according to its users:

Common cons that those who have moved on from being a customer of Zoominfo, to some of their competitors include:

• Intent data not being up-to-date
• No unique information
• Intent data not being verifiable to any specific source
• Limitations in the ability to segment lists
• Lack of transparency in terms of their pricing

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Here’s an example of one such sentiment being expressed on Reddit:

Bombora

Bombora is another top-tier B2B intent data provider that excels in delivering high-quality insights. Known for its extensive data partnerships, Bombora collects intent data from a wide range of sources, including websites, content consumption, and social media interactions. This multi-source approach ensures a comprehensive view of your prospects' interests and behaviors.

Bombora's proprietary "Company Surge" scoring system is particularly interesting, as it quantifies the intensity of a prospect's interest in specific topics. This scoring system allows businesses to focus their efforts on leads that are most likely to convert, optimizing both marketing and sales efforts.

Where it lacks according to its users:

Upon interviewing users of Bombora who moved on, factors that led them to churn often came down to:

• Lack of high-quality company data
• Not great if you are trying to focus on specific industries and company sizes 
• Time lost in cleaning up the data before being able to use it
• Misclassification of industries by size and industry
• Not being able to get contact-level data easily

Plena

Plena is a sales development robot that finds high-intent buyers based on your target audience, helps you automate engagement of prospects across multiple channels, and delivers personalized messages at scale.

Plena's AI scours the internet in real time to build a list (based on the target audience you define) that’s thoroughly detailed and verified. It also harvests the hard to extract key details about those individuals and companies, so that you can personalize every step of your outreach process.

How Plena’s approach to intent data is different

Plena looks at multiple attributes (sometimes 22 or more) to determine if someone is searching with a purchase intent or if it is a casual consumption. The higher your baseline on what exactly you’re looking for, the more precise the outcome of your intent data.

Here’s what users say:

Since no single provider is the best; Plena instead of reinventing the wheel, it helps sales teams by sourcing from multiple database providers, researches prospect information and finds perfect matches to your description using AI.

We do what we do best, because the high-intent lead list that comes to us from Plena is something we can rely on.

Also the pricing is pretty straightforward:

6sense

6sense is another prominent player among B2B intent data providers, renowned for its AI-driven approach to identifying and targeting high-intent leads. 

The platform utilizes advanced machine learning algorithms to analyze various data points, such as web behavior and engagement metrics, to predict buyer intent. This predictive capability enables businesses to engage with prospects at the right time, enhancing the likelihood of conversion.

One of the unique features of 6sense is its ability to uncover hidden buying signals that may not be immediately apparent. By analyzing vast amounts of data, 6sense can identify subtle patterns and trends that indicate a prospect's readiness to buy. 

Additionally, the platform integrates seamlessly with popular CRM systems and marketing automation tools, allowing for a unified and efficient approach to lead management.

But, reliability of data seems to be an issue

• The signals considered to measure intent are often misleading

One of the ex-customers mentioned that too often there were accounts that were considered to be high intent just because “opening emails” or “going to the company's website to unsubscribe” were considered as signals (measuring action instead of context). 

Here’s another interesting customer review:

What to remember about Intent Data providers

To sum up, understanding what your customers really want and why they're interested is super important, and that's where intent data comes in. When you're on the hunt for a B2B intent data provider, make sure to look at the features that will help you hit your business targets.

Intent data means different things for different users. You need to choose your provider based on your specific needs.

We've rounded up some top intent data providers, each bringing something unique to the table. It's worth taking the time to check out what each one offers. With the right provider, you'll get valuable insights into your customers' behavior, which can help you craft better campaigns and boost your sales efficiency.