If you’re in B2B marketing or sales and tired of chasing dead-end leads, you’re not alone. There’s a lot of hype around “intent data” and most of it sounds like magic beans. The truth? It can be powerful—but only if you use it right, and most folks don’t. This guide is for people who want practical, no-nonsense ways to actually use a tool like Intentsify to spot and reach prospects who are actually ready to talk, not just vaguely browsing.
Let’s break down how to use Intentsify to cut through the noise, focus on the right accounts, and reach them before someone else does. No fluff, just the real steps.
1. Know What Intent Data Really Is (and Isn’t)
Before you mess with settings or dashboards, get clear on what you’re working with.
Intent data is just digital signals—think web searches, content downloads, product page visits—that suggest someone might be in the market. It’s not a crystal ball. It won’t tell you, “Bob from Acme Corp will buy on Tuesday.” It’s more like, “People at Acme are poking around topics related to your product.”
What it can do: - Point you toward accounts that are researching solutions like yours - Help you prioritize outreach, so you’re not blasting everyone - Give your sales team a reason to reach out (“We saw your team’s been reading about X…”)
What it can’t do: - Replace real conversations or good salesmanship - Guarantee that an account is ready to buy - Show you exactly who is interested at an account—usually, it’s anonymous or at best narrowed to a department
Pro tip: Treat intent data as a strong hint, not gospel. It’s best when combined with your own CRM, website analytics, and actual conversations.
2. Set Up Intentsify Without Drowning in Features
Most platforms like Intentsify come loaded with “advanced” features. Don’t get bogged down. Start simple:
a. Define Your Target Accounts
- Load in your ICP (Ideal Customer Profile)—company size, industry, tech stack, geography, whatever matters.
- If you don’t have a tight ICP, pause here. No tool can fix fuzzy targeting.
b. Pick the Right Intent Topics
- Intentsify tracks “topics”—essentially keywords or themes.
- Choose topics that match buying signals, not just your product name. For example, if you sell cybersecurity, don’t just track “cybersecurity”—add “ransomware response” or “MFA solutions.”
- Avoid super-broad topics like “cloud” or “software”—you’ll get too much noise.
c. Integrate with Your CRM and Marketing Stack
- Connect Intentsify to your CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.) so you’re not working in a silo.
- Set up basic alerts or dashboards. Don’t build complex automations until you see what’s actually useful.
What to skip (for now): - Overcomplicated scoring models. Start by just flagging accounts with activity spikes. - Too many notifications. You’ll tune them out. Pick a daily or weekly digest.
3. Spotting Real Buying Signals (Not Just Tire-Kickers)
Just because an account’s showing “intent” doesn’t mean they’re serious. Here’s how to separate signal from noise:
Look for: - Sudden spikes in activity, not just a slow trickle. A big jump usually means something’s changed internally. - Patterns across multiple topics (e.g., reading about “data loss prevention” and “zero trust” in the same week). - Multiple people from the same account showing interest—if you can see it.
Ignore: - Single, one-off signals (someone read one blog post—so what?). - Accounts that are always “hot”—some companies just love research but never buy.
Pro tip: Cross-check with your own engagement data (web visits, email opens). If intent data lines up with your own signals, you’re probably onto something.
4. Prioritizing Accounts—Don’t Chase Everything That Moves
Here’s where most teams go wrong: they treat every “intent signal” as gold. You’ll waste time. Instead:
- Score or tier accounts based on combined factors:
- Intent spike strength
- Fit with your ICP
- Past engagement history
- Set a weekly review: Have sales and marketing review the top 10-20 accounts showing new intent, not just the usual suspects.
- Drop accounts that don’t engage after a couple of touches. Don’t chase ghosts.
What works: Focusing on a small, fresh batch of spiking accounts each week—quality beats quantity.
What doesn’t: Building huge, static lists and sending generic nurture emails forever.
5. Engaging High-Intent Prospects Without Being Creepy
Nobody likes “Hey, I saw you were researching X…” emails. Use intent data to inform your outreach, not as the subject line.
Do: - Personalize outreach based on known pain points (“We work with companies securing remote teams…”) - Reference relevant content or solutions, not the fact that you saw their activity - Use multiple channels—email, phone, LinkedIn—in a coordinated way
Don’t: - Mention that you’re tracking their online behavior (it’s off-putting and sometimes legally dicey) - Blast the same message to everyone on your intent list
Pro tip: Pair intent data with recent news about the company or your own website engagement for context-rich outreach.
6. Tighten the Feedback Loop Between Sales and Marketing
Intent data is only useful if someone acts on it—and then tells the team what happened.
- Share what works: Did an intent-flagged account respond? Why? What message landed?
- Log outreach and outcomes in your CRM. Don’t let “intent” leads fall through the cracks.
- Adjust your topics and filters based on real results. Drop topics that produce junk. Add new ones as your market shifts.
What to ignore: Fancy dashboards that nobody looks at, or reports that don’t drive real follow-up.
7. Common Traps (and How to Avoid Them)
Trap 1: Putting intent data on autopilot.
If nobody’s reviewing the signals or acting on them, it’s wasted money. Assign a real person (not just a “process”) to own it.
Trap 2: Treating intent like a silver bullet.
It’s one input—not the only one. Combine with your own funnel data, sales notes, and gut checks.
Trap 3: Over-complicating the setup.
Start with the basics. Fancy scoring and automation can come later, if ever.
Keep It Simple, Iterate, and Don’t Believe the Hype
Here’s the real secret: Tools like Intentsify are only as good as the people using them. Start with a basic workflow, focus on the accounts that are showing real intent, and make sure your sales and marketing teams actually talk to each other. Ignore the shiny dashboards until you’re nailing the basics.
You’ll make mistakes, and that’s fine. Review what’s working, drop what isn’t, and keep tweaking. No tool will transform your pipeline overnight, but with a little discipline, intent data can give you a real edge—if you use it with your eyes open.