The digital landscape has transformed dramatically over the years, reshaping how businesses engage with their audiences. This evolution is evident in the types of content being consumed – moving from generalized to highly personalized content – and in the diverse range of personas often involved in the buying cycle. For portfolio marketers, understanding these personas at the named contact level, as well as aligning your content strategy accordingly is crucial for effective messaging and content delivery.
In this blog, we’ll explore how utilizing intent data can help you achieve more effective targeting, better positioning, and quicker messaging – before your competitors. Below, we’ve compiled four ways intent data can help you chart your course to a better go-to-market strategy.
Gain a deeper understanding of the personas in a buying cycle
Multiple decision-makers with varying roles and influence play a part in the modern buying cycle, with an average of eight or more people involved in a single tech purchase. While certain folks may end up being the main users and stakeholders for a new technology, they’re generally not the only contributors to the buying process. Decision-makers in leadership roles often carry considerable weight, especially during the final stages of the buying cycle, while leaders from other business units and finance are often also involved.
It’s essential to differentiate between early-stage influencers and final-stage decision-makers, and overlooking either group can lead to missed opportunities. Intent data can provide insights into the behaviors and actions of potential customers. Analyzing those research signals can help identify which stage of the buying cycle an account is in, who on their team is doing the research and their specific needs and interests. Utilizing intent data ensures that each persona receives relevant and timely messaging and maximizes the impact of your engagement efforts.
Create content for diverse engagement
Gone are the days when one white paper was the only source of decision-support information pre-purchase. Today, the average buying team consumes 12 pieces of content as part of their pre-purchase research, and more than 90% of buyers share good vendor content with other members of the buying team. Offering a variety of content formats ensures that you cater to a broader audience and meet their diverse needs and preferences.
Insights from intent data can reveal which content formats resonate most with different members of the buying team conducting the research. This allows you to tailor your content strategy effectively, creating engaging and relevant materials that address the specific needs of different members of the buying team. For example, those insights can help guide the creation of targeted content that addresses the concerns of early-stage influencers, such as educational articles and webinars, while delivering more detailed product information and case studies to final decision-makers.
Align with audience interests to differentiate your brand
Understanding the content preferences and consumption habits of your target accounts is vital for tailoring your messaging and content strategy effectively. By delivering content in formats that resonate with your audience and addressing topics they are interested in, you can increase engagement, build credibility and drive results. It’s also important to consider that your competitors may also be taking similar actions.
While it’s likely your content will cover similar topics to your competitors, your content should differentiate your business and solutions in the context of the topic, so buyers understand your unique value proposition. Buying team insights from intent data can reveal the specific interests and behaviors of your audience, allowing you to tailor your content to address their unique needs and concerns. This data-driven approach ensures that your messaging resonates more deeply, setting you apart from competitors and attracting a more engaged audience.
Tailor content delivery to each stage of the buying cycle
Aligning your content strategy with each stage of the buyer’s journey ensures you are providing buyers with the right information at the right time and addressing the specific needs and concerns of potential customers as they progress through the buying cycle. Whether your audience is aware of a problem, researching solutions or ready to make a decision, delivering content through the best channels, timing and formats can make a significant difference in how your message is received.
To keep up with the ever-evolving market environment and shifting customer preferences, you should have an adaptable and proactive approach – continuously revisiting and refining your messaging. Make sure you have a clear value proposition and market differentiation, ensuring relevance and engagement across all personas and stages.
Early intent signals ensure you’re in sync with your audience’s needs, at the time they’re researching, and also help you get in the door before your competitors. Identifying these early intent signals allows you to engage prospects at the very beginning of their buying journey, when they are actively seeking information and solutions. This proactive approach positions you as a helpful resource and thought leader, increasing the likelihood of influencing their decision-making process from the outset.
With TechTarget’s intent platform, Priority Engine™, you can accurately identify early-stage content consumption patterns which indicate when a prospect is starting to explore solutions. By leveraging TechTarget’s insights, you can ensure that your messaging is relevant and timely, positioning your brand as the go-to solution before your competitors even become aware of their target account is in the market to buy. You can accurately identify early-stage content consumption patterns which indicate when a prospect is starting to explore solutions. By leveraging TechTarget’s insights, you can ensure that your messaging is relevant and timely, positioning your brand as the go-to solution before your competitors even become aware of their target account is in the market to buy.
Jump-start your go-to-market with intent
To build an effective messaging and content strategy, you need to understand and align with different personas and their buying cycles. TechTarget’s Priority Engine empowers you with actionable insights to tailor your content strategy effectively. By understanding who you’re communicating with, what matters to them, and where they are in their buying journey, you can create content that resonates, engages, and drives results.
Ready to elevate your content strategy with actionable insights? Explore the capabilities of TechTarget’s Priority Engine and stay ahead in the ever-evolving digital landscape.
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