When you’re first analyzing social selling data, it’s easy to disregard some numbers in favor of others. There are many different analytics and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for B2B social selling, and keeping track of them can be overwhelming. However, one crucial piece of data can be the key to getting your Return on Investment on Social Selling. It’s called Intent data, and most people disregard it entirely because of its obscurity.

You don’t want to be that person who misses out on the crucial insights that can transform your social selling strategy, right? So, let’s take a deep dive into this rare piece of data and how it can take your social selling journey to the max!

What is intent data?

Intent data, also known as buyer intent data and purchase intent data, focuses on why someone engages with you. Depending on the context, engagement can be tied to different things, but in social selling, it refers to the underlying reason why someone is engaging with your social media content. 

On social media, intent data can be many different things– likes, comments, and shares are very useful in tracking intent data. However, don’t just look at the engagements under your content, the engagement on other posts is what’s important. Think of intent data as the breadcrumbs that are left behind during someone’s social media surfing. Looking at what a potential client likes, shares, and comments on helps you understand their mindset and tailor your approach for better results.

Intent data can be used to personalize marketing campaigns, target buyers, and improve content strategies. In the hands of a salesperson, intent data can foster meaningful conversations, and the demands and concerns of the target audience can be used to further product development.

So, if it’s so important, why is it so underutilized? Well, intent data is part of something called dark data. While that might sound scary, dark data just means data that commonly goes underutilized. Dark data only exists because there is a tendency by marketers to collect too much data, and much of it goes unused because it isn’t deemed necessary. Many companies have dark data; some claim that about 50%-75% of their data is dark. This is a big problem because underutilization causes missed opportunities and connections.  

In addition, data sometimes goes dark because it can be challenging to implement. This scenario is the case for social intent, as many factors (like training and data privacy) make social intent data seem more like a risk than a key to a big reward. However, with the correct implementations and precautions, you can make social intent a powerful tool in your social selling toolkit.  

How does social intent apply to social selling?

Intent data can help you determine a potential client’s behavior and what that behavior means when purchasing. Often, the behavior of the person will fit into one of these three categories:

1. Informational: People in the informational stage are just beginning their buying journey. They may be researching a problem that they’ve encountered or a product category that you offer. They’re not exactly comparing anything, just getting a feel for what they need to be searching for. Their online behavior will be more oriented toward reading articles, watching videos, and participating in discussions about what they’re researching.  
2. Consideration: In this second stage, the person is now actively looking for solutions to their problem. They’ll frequently interact with product reviews and look at many different vendors. By this point, the person will also actively compare vendors and products, so they’ll look at product comparisons.  
3. Transactional: This is one of the final stages of the cycle when the potential client is ready to make a purchase. By this point, interactions with multiple vendors may cease, as the buyer will focus on the one they chose to buy from. They will frequently look at product demos and pricing comparisons, and they may also reach out to the vendor through social media for further questions or a meeting.  

By understanding social intent, you can tailor content and interactions based on your buyer’s needs. Here are some examples of how you can personalize content based on the categories above:

1. Informational: Create valuable and educational content that makes the buyer aware of a problem and centers your product as a solution. Write articles about an industry-wide problem or simple tips to navigate the career field better. Many article ideas, like how-tos and Q&As, can also be used for videos.  
2. Consideration: For this stage of buyer, you want to focus on your product’s reputation. Social proof, the act of examining what others say is needed to make a decision, is vital when considering what this stage buyer is looking for. Customer testimonials and case studies will be your best friends for what these potential clients seek.
3. Transactional: By this point, it’s less about the content you put out and more about how you interact with the potential buyer. Your motto for people at this stage is “accessibility over anything else.” Whether it’s a free trial on your website, product demos, or one-to-one meetings with the client, make the process easy on them. These next steps should be simple so that the most challenging thing they need to do is purchase.

The bottom line

Social listening tools can help you identify social media conversations with high informational or transactional intent. By understanding the “why” behind their online behavior, you can personalize your social selling approach and increase your chances of converting those interactions into sales.

Photo by Firmbee.com, Carlos Muza, Luke Chesser, and Markus Spiske on Unsplash