If you’re working on a B2B go-to-market plan and tired of guessing what your competitors are up to, you’re not alone. Most growing businesses don’t have the time or resources to do deep market research every week, but ignoring your market isn’t an option. That’s where tools like Owler claim to help. But does it actually make a difference, or is it just another dashboard collecting dust?
This guide breaks down Owler’s key features, what’s genuinely useful, what you can skip, and how to get real value when shaping your B2B strategy. If you’ve got a sales or marketing team (even if it’s just you) and want to stop flying blind, read on.
Who Actually Needs Owler?
First, let’s be clear: Owler isn’t a magic bullet. It won’t write your go-to-market plan for you. But if you’re:
- Trying to spot opportunities in crowded B2B spaces
- Worried your competitors are running circles around you
- Juggling prospecting, partnerships, and market research with a tiny team
…then Owler is worth a close look.
If you already have a pricey data vendor, or your market’s so niche that public company info is useless, you’ll get less from it. But for most small to midsize B2B companies, it hits a sweet spot between “free Google Alerts” and “enterprise research platforms.”
1. Competitive Intelligence—Without the Rabbit Holes
Owler’s bread and butter is pulling together public information about companies—think funding rounds, executive hires, press mentions, and even rumors—into a single profile. On paper, lots of platforms do this. Here’s what Owler does well (and not so well):
What Works
- Side-by-side competitor comparisons. You can stack up your company against direct competitors and see basic stats at a glance. This is way faster than building your own spreadsheets.
- Quick market mapping. Enter a company and get a list of its main competitors, all with links to profiles and news. This is handy for identifying new market entrants or potential threats—especially if your industry is noisy.
- Crowdsourced insights. Owler encourages users to submit updates about companies (think Glassdoor for competitive intelligence). Occasionally, you’ll get a gem—like an early tip on a new product launch or a leadership shakeup.
Where It Falls Short
- Data accuracy can be spotty. “Crowdsourced” means the data is only as good as its users. For industries with less tech-savvy audiences, expect gaps or stale info.
- No deep-dive analytics. If you want detailed financials or private company revenue estimates, Owler’s numbers can be ballpark at best.
Pro Tip: Use Owler as a starting point, not the final word. Double-check any major “news” before acting on it.
2. Real-Time Alerts That Don’t Drown You
If you’ve set up Google Alerts and immediately regretted it (too much noise, not enough signal), Owler’s custom alerts are a step up.
What Works
- Customizable news alerts. Pick which companies you want to follow and what types of updates you want—funding, leadership changes, product launches, etc.
- Digest emails. Get a daily or weekly summary, not a flood of notifications. This is much less distracting than most alert systems.
- Sales triggers. Spot when a target account lands new funding or appoints a new exec—a great time to reach out.
What Doesn’t
- Some news is old news. Alerts often lag a day or two behind breaking stories. For most B2B go-to-market plans, this is fine, but don’t expect Bloomberg-level speed.
- Limited filtering. You can’t always fine-tune what types of news you get, so some irrelevant stories still sneak in.
Pro Tip: Set up alerts for both direct competitors and your dream prospects. You’ll spot trends and outreach opportunities before your CRM even knows.
3. Easy Prospecting (Without the Endless List Building)
Great go-to-market execution starts with knowing who to target. Owler’s company search and list-building features are simple, but surprisingly effective for small teams.
What Works
- Search by industry, location, or size. It’s quick to build a list of potential customers, partners, or competitors.
- Export lists. With a paid plan, you can download company data for use in your CRM or outreach tools. This saves a ton of manual research time.
- Company “follow” feature. Track companies with a single click and get automatic updates.
What’s Meh
- Limited contact info. Don’t expect full email addresses or direct dials. Owler’s focus is company-level insights, not deep prospect data.
- Filters aren’t ultra-granular. If you’re hunting for super-specific niches, you might hit a wall.
Pro Tip: Use Owler lists as a jumping-off point, then supplement with LinkedIn or a dedicated contact database for actual outreach.
4. Community Data: The Good, the Bad, and the Useless
Owler’s community-driven approach means anyone can submit intel or updates on companies. Sometimes this is a goldmine—other times, it’s just noise.
When Community Insights Shine
- Early warnings. Occasionally, users will report layoffs, pivots, or new product launches before the press catches on.
- Competitor sentiment. See how others rate a company’s brand or leadership—handy if you’re trying to size up the competition’s reputation.
What to Ignore
- Anecdotal reviews. Take “company ratings” with a hefty grain of salt. There’s little verification, and disgruntled ex-employees sometimes skew the data.
- Speculative rumors. If it sounds too spicy to be true, it probably is. Don’t base your strategy on gossip.
Pro Tip: Treat community intel as a lead for further research, not gospel.
5. Integration With (Some) Sales and Marketing Tools
Owler does offer integrations, but don’t expect a seamless, all-in-one experience—especially if you’re not on Salesforce.
What Works
- Salesforce integration. If you use Salesforce, Owler can enrich account records with fresh company data and news.
- Email digests. Even if you don’t integrate, the digest format is easy to forward to your team or drop into Slack.
Where You’ll Be Disappointed
- Limited integrations. If you’re on HubSpot, Pipedrive, or something else, you’re mostly stuck with exports and email digests. Not a deal-breaker, but not best-in-class, either.
- No workflow automation. Don’t expect alerts to automatically trigger tasks or campaigns out of the box.
Pro Tip: Set aside 10 minutes a week to scan your Owler digest and manually update your CRM or pipeline notes. Old-school, but effective.
What to Skip (Or Use Sparingly)
Owler likes to tout features like “Company Insights” and “Community Polls.” In reality, these are mostly for bragging rights—not actionable strategy.
- Ignore: “CEO approval ratings.” Fun, but rarely useful for B2B go-to-market planning.
- Use sparingly: “Hot or Not” competitor polls. These don’t move the needle. Focus your energy on real news and market shifts.
A Quick Process: How To Use Owler to Sharpen Your B2B Go-To-Market
If you want a simple workflow (and to avoid falling into the data rabbit hole), here’s what actually works:
- Map your competitive landscape. Search for your top competitors. Add them, your own company, and any “aspirational” prospects to a watch list.
- Set up targeted alerts. Choose the types of news and updates that actually matter to your team—funding, leadership, market entries.
- Build a shortlist of prospects or partners. Use filters to narrow by region, size, or industry. Export for follow-up.
- Scan the digest weekly. Look for trigger events (funding, new execs, expansion) and add notes to your outreach plan.
- Double-check big news. If something looks juicy, verify it before making moves. Owler’s good, but not infallible.
The Bottom Line: Keep It Simple, Iterate Often
Owler isn’t a silver bullet, but it’s a solid tool for B2B go-to-market teams that want to stop guessing and start acting on real signals. Don’t obsess over every data point, or you’ll drown in noise. Set up a few focused alerts, scan the digests, and use what you learn to adjust your strategy as you grow.
Most importantly, don’t wait for perfect data. Take action, see what works, and tweak as you go. That’s how real companies get ahead—one informed decision at a time.