What is Third-Party Data?
Third-party information refers to any data or knowledge obtained from an external source or entity that is not directly involved in the transaction or interaction at hand. In other words, it is information that is not generated or directly collected by your own organization.
For example, if you are conducting a business deal with a company and you use data from a market research firm to inform your decision-making process, that data would be considered third-party information.
Similarly, if you are researching a particular topic and use information from a book or article written by someone not directly involved in the subject matter, that would also be considered third-party information.
Defining Third-Party Intent Data
Third-party intent data is collected by third-party companies through tracking and analyzing the online behavior of individuals and companies across multiple websites and platforms. It is used by businesses to identify potential customers currently in the market for their product or service.
Third-party intent data works by tracking the digital footprints of individuals and companies as they browse the internet, capturing information such as search queries, website visits, downloads, and other online interactions. This data is then aggregated and analyzed by third-party companies to create a profile of the individual or company’s interests and behavior.
This profile can then be used to identify potential customers showing a high level of interest and personalize marketing campaigns or sales outreach, increasing the chances of converting a lead into a customer.
For example, if you see a Facebook ad referring to something you’ve researched earlier, that company uses third-party intent data to show you that ad.
However, it is important to note that collecting and using third-party intent data is subject to privacy regulations and ethical considerations. Some individuals may view the tracking of their online behavior as intrusive, and companies must be transparent about collecting and using this data.
What Are Third-Party Intent Data Examples?
Here are a few examples of third-party intent data:
- Search Engine Queries: Third-party data providers can identify individuals and companies searching for specific products or services by analyzing these queries.
- Website Visits (external): Third-party data providers can track website visitors across different domains they visit and see what people or companies are interested in.
- Content Downloads: Third-party data providers can track the content that individuals and companies download from the internet, such as whitepapers, ebooks, and other resources also to see individual interests.
- Social Media Activity: Third-party data providers can track the social media activity of individuals and companies across platforms. They can identify individuals and companies discussing or engaging with topics related to specific products or services.
- Ad Impressions: Third-party data providers can track the ads that individuals and companies see across various websites and platforms.
Reputable Sources of Third-Party Intent Data
The following intent data sources can provide valuable insights into a company’s target audience and behavior.
G2 and Capterra are review sites allowing users to provide feedback on different software and services, including their product experiences, pricing, support, and more. This feedback can be used to identify patterns in user behavior and preferences.
Gartner is a research and advisory company that provides insights and recommendations on different technologies and markets. They offer various reports and analyses on different industries, including IT, finance, healthcare, and more. This information can be used to understand market trends and make more informed decisions. These are the best sources if you want to scale your sales department with extra intent information, as they will give you B2B company information for you to use.
On the other hand, we also have the software providing you with third-party intent for marketing use. Google Ads can provide ad impression data, including impressions, clicks, and conversions. SEMrush can provide search engine query data, including the keywords users use to find your website or competitors. Then we have the social media analytics tools such as Hootsuite, Sprout Social, and Buffer, which can provide social media activity data, including likes, shares, comments, and follower growth. Lastly, marketing automation platforms such as HubSpot, Marketo, and Pardot can combine all the above intent data sources in a single platform, along with lead scoring and nurturing capabilities.
Overall, many intent data providers are available, and the right provider for your business will depend on your specific needs and goals. It’s important to research and select a provider that offers your business the most relevant and actionable insights.
Analyze and Use Your Third-Party Intent Data
Providing the right content to your audience using third-party intent data can be a powerful way to increase engagement and conversions. Here are a few steps you can take to provide the right content to your audience using third-party intent data:
First, you need to define your target audience based on the third-party intent data you have collected. Identify the demographics, interests, and behaviors of your target audience so that you can create content that resonates with them.
Once you have identified your target audience, analyze the third-party intent data to understand the topics and themes most relevant to them. Use this information to create content that addresses their pain points, interests, and needs.
Use the insights gained from your analysis of third-party intent data to create valuable and engaging content that addresses the interests and needs of your target audience. This content can take many forms, including blog posts, whitepapers, videos, social media posts, etc.
Use the insights gained from your analysis of third-party intent data to personalize your content for individual users. This can involve tailoring your content to specific industries, job titles, or individual users based on online behavior.
Finally, track your results to understand how your audience engages with your content. Use this feedback to refine your content strategy and ensure that you continue to provide the right content to your audience based on their interests and needs.
Benchmark Your Brand Effectively With Third-Party Intent Data
Benchmarking your brand with third-party data involves comparing your brand’s performance and metrics against those of your competitors in your industry. Here are a few ways you can use third-party data to benchmark your brand.
Third-party research firms often publish reports that analyze industry trends, market share, and key performance indicators (KPIs). These reports can provide valuable insights into how your brand stacks up against your competitors regarding market share, brand perception, and other important metrics. You could find these reports on any review platform; for technology and SaaS, it would be G2 or Capterra; for other companies, it could be Trustpilot or Trusted Reviews.
Use third-party data to analyze your brand competitively against your competitors. This can involve analyzing their marketing campaigns, social media activity, website traffic, and other key metrics to identify areas where your brand can improve. Tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, and Meta (formerly Facebook) library can help you do this.
Monitor social media sentiment around your brand and competitors. This can provide insights into how your brand is perceived in the market and help you identify areas where you can improve your brand messaging and customer engagement.
Brand mentions can also be monitored across social media, news outlets, and other platforms. This can provide insights into how your brand is being discussed in the market and help you identify opportunities to improve your brand perception and messaging.
Conclusion
Third-party information is data obtained from external sources and not generated by the parties involved in a particular transaction or interaction. The above examples represent a few ways third-party intent data can be collected and used to identify potential customers actively seeking or engaging with specific products or services. By using third-party data to benchmark your brand, you can better understand how your brand compares to your competitors regarding market share, brand perception, and other important metrics. This can help you identify areas where you can improve your brand messaging and customer engagement, ultimately driving more revenue and growth.