Intent Data Playbook: Stop Choosing Sides. Start Stacking Account Signals & People Signals

In the dynamic landscape of intent data, marketers are often faced with a dichotomy: should they focus on account-level intent signals or prioritize people-level intent signals? This post explores the merits of both approaches and argues for a balanced strategy that leverages the strengths of each. By understanding the nuances of account-level and people-level intent data, marketers can enhance their targeting strategies and drive more effective engagement.

In the ever-evolving world of intent data, marketers often find themselves caught between two schools of thought:

• One side champions account-level intent signals—tracking which companies are an ideal customer fit - by location, trigger such as new hire, etc.

• The other insists that only people-level intent signals matter—zeroing in on who, exactly, is expressing that interest. E.g. Searches on G2 for Sales commission software

Intent Data Signals - Account Signals and People Signals are both important

After years of working with both, here’s what I’ve learned: you need both—but for different reasons.

1. Account-Level Intent: The Filter

Account-level intent signals provide insights into which companies are exhibiting behaviors indicative of interest in a product or service. This approach often involves analyzing data points such as:

• Ideal Customer Fit: Identifying companies that align with your target market based on criteria like industry, size, and location.

• Trigger Events: Monitoring significant changes within organizations, such as new hires, funding rounds, or product launches, which may indicate a readiness to purchase.

By focusing on account-level intent signals, marketers can prioritize outreach to companies that are more likely to convert, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently. This macro-level view helps in crafting targeted campaigns that resonate with entire organizations rather than just individual prospects.

Think of account-level data as the macro lens. It helps answer:

• Which companies are in-market?

• What industries or segments are showing spikes in relevant topics?

This kind of signal is ideal for:

• Prioritizing outreach by ICP fit and intent.

• Informing what campaign content to run.

• Creating audience segments by stage or topic interest.

• Warming up accounts before 1:1 activation.

In short: It’s a filter. It helps you pick the right group of companies to focus your resources on.

2. People-Level Intent: The Activation

On the other hand, people-level intent signals delve into the specific individuals within those organizations who are expressing interest. This includes tracking behaviors such as:

• Search Queries: Monitoring searches on platforms like G2 for specific products, such as sales commission software, to identify potential buyers.

• Engagement Metrics: Analyzing interactions with content, such as downloads, webinar attendance, or social media engagement, to gauge interest levels.

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Focusing on people-level intent signals allows marketers to tailor their messaging and outreach efforts to the individuals who are most likely to influence purchasing decisions. This granular approach ensures that communication is relevant and timely, increasing the chances of conversion.

Now comes the micro lens—people-level intent data.

This tells you:

• Who specifically is engaging or researching.

• What they’re consuming, clicking, downloading.

• When they’re active.

Use this data to:

• Personalize outreach or ads.

• Trigger 1:1 sequences or sales cadences.

• Create dynamic segments for retargeting and nurture.

In short: It’s for activation. It helps you decide how to engage, when, and with whom.

3. The Real Power: Combining Both

After years of working with both account-level and people-level intent data, it is clear that a successful marketing strategy requires a blend of both approaches. Here’s why:

1. Holistic Understanding: By combining insights from both levels, marketers gain a comprehensive view of potential customers, allowing for more informed decision-making.

2. Enhanced Targeting: Account-level signals help identify which companies to target, while people-level signals provide the specific contacts to engage with, leading to more effective outreach.

3. Resource Optimization: Utilizing both types of intent data enables marketers to prioritize their efforts, ensuring that they are focusing on the most promising leads.

In conclusion, the debate between account-level and people-level intent signals is not a matter of choosing one over the other. Instead, marketers should embrace a dual approach that leverages the strengths of both to create a more effective and efficient marketing strategy. By understanding and integrating both types of intent data, marketers can drive better engagement and ultimately achieve greater success in their campaigns.

When used together, they’re a force multiplier.

• Account-level intent tells you where to look.

• People-level intent tells you what to do next.

Use account data to define and prioritize your segments. Then use people-level data to tailor your messaging and trigger action.

4. Common Mistakes I See

In the realm of digital marketing and sales, leveraging data effectively is crucial for driving conversions. This document explores the pitfalls of relying solely on account-level data or people-level data, as well as the importance of aligning these data types with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems and activation channels. By understanding these nuances, businesses can enhance their strategies and improve conversion rates.

The Pitfall of Account-Level Data

Using only account-level data can lead to overly broad targeting strategies. While this data provides insights into company-wide behaviors and trends, it often lacks the granularity needed to understand individual customer motivations and preferences. As a result, marketing efforts may become diluted, failing to resonate with specific audiences and ultimately leading to lower conversion rates.

The Limitation of People-Level Data

Conversely, relying solely on people-level data while ignoring Ideal Customer Profiles (ICP) or firmographics can be equally detrimental. This approach narrows the focus too much, potentially overlooking valuable accounts that do not fit the narrow criteria but could still convert. Without considering the broader context of the accounts, businesses may miss out on opportunities to engage with potential customers who are a good fit for their products or services.

The Importance of Alignment with CRM and Activation Channels

To maximize the effectiveness of both account-level and people-level data, it is essential to align these insights with CRM systems and activation channels. This alignment ensures that marketing and sales efforts are targeted and relevant, enhancing the likelihood of conversions. By integrating data sources and maintaining a holistic view of customer interactions, businesses can create more personalized experiences that drive engagement and conversion.

• Using only account-level data and expecting conversions. (It’s too broad.)

• Using only people-level data and ignoring ICP or firmographics. (It’s too narrow.)

• Not aligning both with CRM or activation channels.

  
  

  

  Optimizing Intent data for conversion

  
  

5. The Playbook That Works

Step 1: Identify Hot Accounts

Use: Account-level signals

Tool/Signal: Bombora, 6sense, iCustomer

In the first step, marketers should focus on identifying accounts that show strong intent signals. Tools like Bombora, iCustomer, 6sense, and Demandbase can provide insights into which accounts are actively researching relevant topics, indicating a higher likelihood of engagement.

Step 2: Segment by Interest

Use: Account-level + firmographics

Tool/Signal: CRM, iCustomer

Once hot accounts are identified, the next step is to segment these accounts based on their interests and firmographic data. Utilizing a CRM and various enrichment tools allows marketers to categorize accounts effectively, ensuring that messaging is tailored to the specific needs and characteristics of each segment.

Step 3: Detect Key Buyers

Use: People-level signals

Tool/Signal: Website intent, G2, Slack, iCustomer

In this step, the focus shifts to identifying key buyers within the segmented accounts. By analyzing people-level signals such as website intent, engagement on platforms like G2 and Slack, and email interactions, marketers can pinpoint decision-makers and influencers who are most likely to engage with the campaigns.

Step 4: Activate Campaigns

Use: People-level triggers

Tool/Signal: Outreach, Ads, iCustomer

The final step involves activating targeted campaigns based on the insights gathered from the previous steps. Utilizing outreach tools, advertising platforms, and dedicated ABM solutions, marketers can launch campaigns that resonate with the identified key buyers, driving engagement and conversions.

By following this framework, marketers can create a more structured and effective approach to account-based marketing, ultimately leading to better engagement and higher conversion rates.

quick framework:

Step	Use	Tool/Signal
1. Identify hot accounts	Account-level signals	Bombora, 6sense, Demandbase, iCustomer
2. Segment by interest	Account-level + firmographics	CRM, iCustomer
3. Detect key buyers	People-level signals	Website intent, G2, Slack, iCustomer
4. Activate campaigns	People-level triggers	Outreach, Ads, iCustomer