Introducing Intent Qualified Lead - Beyond traditional MQL and SQL

Ever feel like your landing page is a ghost town? Tons of visitors come to check it out, but there are crickets when filling out those forms. You're not alone. According to a recent survey conducted by  6sense, only 3% of web visitors fill out on-site forms. This is more than just frustrating; it's a significant roadblock for traditional lead generation. So, what can you do to capture the interest of that elusive 97% and turn them into genuine leads?

In this article, we will explore:

• The challenges presented by prospects reluctance to fill out forms
• How Intent Qualified Leads (IQL) offer a transformative solution.

Join us as we explore intent-driven marketing and discover how businesses can thrive in an era when old methods fail.

The B2B world used to be all about forms. Landing page? Throw up a form. Free eBook? Another form. The assumption was that people would see the forms, fill them out, and become leads. The problem is that it doesn't fly anymore.

Today's B2B buyers are savvier. They research, compare, and frankly, filling out a form feels like a loyalty oath most aren't ready for.  This disconnect between "old school" tactics and "new buyer reality" leaves a significant gap in traditional lead gen strategies.

iSyndicate.io steps in with a game-changer: Intent Qualified Leads (IQL).

Based on prospect interactions and signals of intent, iSyndicate.io predicts interest in syndicated content, prioritizing these factors over traditional MQL and SQL criteria.

Understanding Prospects Interest-Level Without Form Submissions

How will we predict the prospect's interest in syndicated content without form submission? It's entirely based on how prospects interact with the syndicated content.

Let's break it down..

On January 1st, 2024, at 9:00 AM, a user received an email and opened it. The user clicked on the link and visited the landing page but still needed to fill out the form. Does this mean that the user is interested in syndicated content? It still needs to be clarified because they have only engaged once.

But what if the user engaged again?

• The user reopened the email after 17 days.
• The user clicked and visited the landing page.
• They spent 1 minute and 57 seconds reading the content on the landing page.
• The user scrolled almost 84% of the landing page.
• They then visited the company website and spent 04:57 minutes on three pages.
• However, the user did not submit a landing page form because they wanted to avoid receiving an immediate call or email from the sales team.

The user's behavior suggests that they are interested in syndicated content. It's uncommon for someone to re-engage with an email after 17 days, which indicates a strong level of curiosity and potential engagement with the syndicated content.

Let's look at how Intent Qualified Leads (IQL) work. 

1. It captures the prospect’s interactions with the syndicated content and provides detailed insight and timestamps.
2. Although a prospect may not fill out a landing page form, their engagement is tracked and analyzed to provide valuable data for informed decisions.
3. Capturing intent on your product is more important than capturing any intent.

Implementing Intent-Driven Lead Generation

Early adoption of intent-driven strategies can be a game changer in a sales campaign. Here are some key strategies for identifying and nurturing Intent Qualified Leads (IQLs):

Creating Personalized Outreach and Content Strategies

According to a recent survey, 72% of consumers only use marketing messages tailored to their interests. Businesses can use insights from prospect interactions to personalize their outreach efforts and recommend relevant content. They can utilize targeted email campaigns or personalized website experiences. Businesses can enhance engagement and foster a deeper connection by delivering content tailored to the prospect's interests.

Aligning Sales and Marketing Efforts:

A Hubspot survey shows that 28% of salespeople stated that the most significant advantage of sales and marketing alignment is the improved customer experience it brings. Effective lead generation requires seamless collaboration between sales and marketing teams. By aligning their efforts and sharing insights from prospect interactions, businesses can ensure a cohesive and integrated approach to engaging with IQLs. This alignment enables teams to deliver consistent messaging and a unified experience throughout the buyer's journey.

Continuous Optimization and Iteration:

Lead generation is an iterative process that requires continuous optimization and refinement. Businesses must adapt their tactics based on data to meet changing customer needs. But with skyrocketing expectations, sales reps are drowning in paperwork. No wonder streamlining the process is a top priority (29% of reps!). Tools like Troops and HubSpot CRM are helping, but speed is key – over 20% of deals die due to lengthy processes. Streamline approvals and watch your closing rates soar.

Utilizing Marketing Automation:

Marketing automation platforms play a crucial role in implementing intent-driven lead-generation strategies. Automating repetitive tasks and workflows allows businesses to streamline processes and scale their efforts more efficiently. From lead scoring and nurturing to personalized messaging and campaign management, marketing automation enables businesses to deliver timely and relevant interactions with IQLs.

• 76% of companies use marketing automation.
• 10% of customer journeys are fully automated.
• 91% of marketers say marketing automation helps them achieve their objectives.
• Automated emails generate 31% of all email orders.
• Marketers who use automation are 46% more likely to report having an effective marketing strategy.

By embracing these strategies and leveraging advanced technologies, businesses are effectively identifying and nurturing Intent Qualified Leads (IQLs), driving higher conversion rates and maximizing the ROI of their marketing efforts. 

Intent Qualified Leads (IQL) Challenges 

Although intent-driven lead generation provides significant benefits, it also presents certain challenges and considerations that businesses must address.

Overcoming Resistance to Form Submission:

Even with emphasizing capturing intent signals without requiring form submissions, some prospects may still hesitate to provide their information. Overcoming this resistance requires a delicate balance between offering valuable content and respecting the prospect's privacy and preferences.

Ensuring Privacy and Compliance:

94% of organizations say consumers won’t buy from them if personal data is not adequately protected. (Cisco) As businesses collect and analyze prospect data to predict intent, ensuring compliance with data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA is paramount. Implementing robust data protection measures and obtaining explicit consent from prospects before tracking their interactions is essential.

• 79% of Americans are worried about how companies use their data.
• 88% of users decide to share data based on trust in the company.
• 63% believe companies aren't transparent about data use
• 75% support stricter data privacy regulations
• 46% of customers feel they need to gain control of their data.
• 52% avoid products due to data collection concerns.
• 48% have stopped buying due to privacy issues.
• 33% have ended relationships with companies over data concerns.
• 77% are willing to share data for personalization and incentives.

Integrating Intent-Driven Strategies:

Integrating intent-driven lead generation strategies into existing workflows and technologies can be complex. Collaboration between sales, marketing, and IT teams is required to ensure seamless data integration and workflow automation.

Interpreting Intent Signals:

Analyzing and interpreting intent signals accurately can be challenging, mainly when dealing with large volumes of data. Businesses must invest in advanced analytics tools and expertise to derive meaningful insights from prospect interactions.

Balancing Automation and Personalization:

While marketing automation is crucial in scaling intent-driven lead-generation efforts, businesses must balance automation and personalization. Overly automated interactions can feel impersonal and may deter prospects from engaging further.

In Closing

To implement intent-driven lead generation, businesses need a holistic approach that includes personalized outreach, aligning sales and marketing efforts, continuous optimization, and leveraging automation. Though challenges like resistance to form submission and balancing automation with personalization exist, strategic foresight and understanding buyer intent can help businesses overcome them.

Looking toward the future, the role of intent in marketing automation is set to grow with advanced analytics and machine learning, leading the charge toward more personalized and effective marketing strategies. Intent-qualified leads represent a new frontier in lead generation that is dynamic, insightful, and aligned with the market's evolving needs. By embracing this paradigm shift and harnessing the power of intent-driven marketing, businesses can forge stronger connections with their audience, drive higher conversion rates, and achieve tremendous success in their sales and marketing endeavors.

With iSyndicate.io's advanced tracking, you can ditch the guesswork and tailor your message to what truly resonates. This means attracting suitable leads at the right time and turning interested into loyal customers.