How much does intent data lift sales? A Forrester study of Bombora found a 342% ROI, 30% faster sales velocity, and 15% revenue growth. See the 2024 data.

According to a Forrester Total Economic Impact study commissioned by Bombora, implementing their intent data resulted in a 342% return on investment over three years, a 30% increase in sales velocity, and a 15% growth in revenue. These 2024 benchmarks are based on the analysis of a global B2B financial services organization. The study highlights significant gains in pipeline efficiency and deal closure rates by identifying in-market accounts before they make contact.

TL;DR

Forrester's TEI study found Bombora delivered a 342% ROI and $4.2M net present value over three years. [2, 3]
Sales velocity increased by up to 30%, generating $1.6 million in profit from closing more deals in less time. [3, 10]
Siemens Digital Industries increased sales acceptance of marketing qualified leads (MQLs) from 1% to 90%. [4]
Bombora's Data Co-op grew to nearly 6,000 publisher sites, with its topic taxonomy exceeding 21,600 B2B categories. [6, 16]
Marketing teams using intent data for digital advertising report up to 70% higher conversion rates. [17]

How Bombora's Data Co-op Creates Actionable Intent Signals

Bombora's Company Surge® data originates from a vast and exclusive Data Cooperative, a network of thousands of B2B publisher and brand websites. [6] This co-op provides a durable, consent-driven, and privacy-first dataset that reflects a wide spectrum of B2B research and media consumption behaviors. A significant competitive differentiator is the exclusivity of this data; 86% of the intent signals captured within the Data Co-op are shared exclusively with Bombora, meaning no other intent data provider has access to this specific, aggregated view of B2B research activity. [3, 8] This unique access is facilitated by direct relationships with co-op members and a proprietary JavaScript tag on their sites, allowing Bombora to collect and transform research activity in ways other providers cannot. [6] This structure, which includes influential publishers like Bloomberg, Fortune, and Fast Company, enables the system to gather billions of monthly content consumption events across millions of business domains, forming the bedrock of its actionable intent signals. [8]

The core methodology for identifying actionable intent hinges on tracking content consumption against a historical baseline, a process that distinguishes true research spikes from casual browsing. Bombora's Company Surge® system establishes a 12-week historical baseline of research activity for every company on a per-topic basis. [2, 4] An actionable intent signal, or a "Surge," is identified only when an account's research activity in the most recent three weeks shows a statistically significant increase compared to its own unique 12-week benchmark. [3] This account-relative model is crucial because it surfaces genuine increases in research intensity, even for companies that may have low overall web traffic, providing a more precise window into the buyer's journey. [4] Rather than simply counting keyword mentions, this patented approach measures changes in real research behavior over time, allowing sales and marketing teams to focus on accounts demonstrating a clear and recent escalation in interest for a specific solution or topic. [3]

Underpinning Bombora's analytical power is a sophisticated technological framework that uses patented artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing (NLP) to interpret the context of business research. [3, 7] These models, trained for over a decade, move beyond simple keyword matching to understand the semantic meaning and nuance of the content being consumed. [8] This allows the system to differentiate between homonyms, such as 'Apple' the company versus 'apple' the fruit, ensuring that the intent signals are genuinely related to B2B interests. [11] This contextual intelligence is applied across a massive and expanding B2B taxonomy, which as of late 2024, includes over 21,600 granular topics. [3, 4] The platform's AI-driven models classify millions of content pieces against this taxonomy, identifying not just what a page contains, but what it is truly about, thereby reducing false positives and delivering a more accurate measure of buyer intent. [7, 8]

Benchmark 1: Intent Data Drives 342% ROI and Lifts Revenue 15%

A Forrester Total Economic Impact (TEI) study calculated a three-year, risk-adjusted return on investment of 342% for a global B2B organization using Bombora's intent data. [15] This analysis, detailed in the July 2023 report titled The Total Economic Impact™ Of Bombora, was based on a composite organization modeled after a real $22 billion global financial services firm. The study's methodology involved in-depth interviews with decision-makers to quantify the value derived from integrating Company Surge® data into their sales and marketing workflows. [11, 15] Forrester found that over three years, the organization realized $5.4 million in benefits against $1.2 million in costs, resulting in a net present value (NPV) of $4.2 million. [15] These financial gains were not theoretical; they stemmed from concrete improvements in operational efficiency and revenue generation. The organization, which previously struggled with manual lead management and a lack of behavioral data, used Bombora to automate outbound lead prioritization and optimize campaign targeting, directly connecting the technology investment to substantial, quantifiable business outcomes. [11]

The same Forrester TEI study attributed a 15% growth in revenue directly to the implementation of Bombora's intent data, a lift driven by increased conversion rates and higher sales velocity. [11, 15] For the composite financial services organization, this revenue increase translated into $3.3 million in additional profit from improved conversion rates and another $1.6 million from accelerating the sales cycle over the three-year analysis period. [11] The core mechanism for this growth was the ability to identify and prioritize accounts demonstrating active buying signals before they made direct contact. This proactive approach allowed sales and marketing teams to focus resources on leads with the highest propensity to close. [15] This finding aligns with broader industry benchmarks; a 2024 B2B Buying Study noted that intent-prioritized accounts convert at 21.3% compared to just 8.4% for those not prioritized by intent signals. [10] By focusing efforts on in-market buyers, organizations can significantly shorten sales cycles and improve the efficiency of their entire revenue engine.

The value of Bombora's ecosystem extends to publishers, who realized a 335% ROI by participating in the Bombora Data Co-op, according to a separate Forrester TEI study. [5] This study, detailed in a May 2023 analysis titled Ultimate Choice for Publishers To Monetize Audience Data Co-Op, found that a representative publisher generated a net present value of $3.35 million over three years. The primary driver for this return was a 200% increase in cost per thousand (CPM) impressions, which was worth $2 million over the study period. [5] By leveraging Bombora's intent data, publishers were able to prove the value and specific interests of their audiences to advertisers, thereby commanding premium rates for their inventory. The data enabled them to fine-tune their advertising approach to precisely reach the accounts on advertisers' target lists. Furthermore, the ability to provide deep audience insights led to a 10% improvement in partner and campaign retention, securing over $2.2 million in profit and solidifying their position as strategic partners to their clients. [5, 13]

Study / Vendor	Key ROI Finding	Key Performance Lift	Methodology / Context	Year
Bombora (for Marketers)	342% ROI, $4.2M NPV	15% revenue growth; up to 18% conversion rate improvement	Forrester TEI study of a global B2B financial services organization.	2023 [15]
Bombora (for Publishers)	335% ROI, $3.35M NPV	200% increase in CPM; 10% improvement in partner retention	Forrester TEI study of a publisher using the Bombora Data Co-op.	2023 [5]
6sense Revenue AI	454% ROI	Payback in <6 months; sales productivity gains	Forrester TEI study based on a composite organization from customer interviews.	2022 [1]
Demandbase One	367% ROI, $1.94M NPV	3% improvement in close rate for marketing-sourced leads	Forrester TEI study based on a $200M, 650-employee composite organization.	2022 [2]
LiveRamp Data Collaboration Platform	313% ROI	15% efficiency gain in paid media spend; 50% time savings for activation teams	Forrester TEI study of a composite organization using a data clean room.	2023 [26]
Industry Benchmark (General)	2-3x higher conversion rates	Intent-prioritized accounts convert at 21.3% vs. 8.4% for non-prioritized	2024 B2B Buying Study analysis of conversion rates.	2024 [10]

Benchmark 2: Sales Cycles Accelerate by up to 30%

Implementing intent data can dramatically shorten B2B sales cycles, with a 2022 Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study crediting Bombora's Company Surge® with up to a 30% increase in sales velocity. The Forrester TEI methodology, which analyzed a global B2B financial services organization with $22 billion in annual revenue, quantified this acceleration as delivering $1.6 million in profit over three years. This improvement was not an isolated finding; a separate 2024 B2B buying study found that intent-prioritized accounts converted to closed opportunities at a rate of 21.3%, compared to just 8.4% for non-prioritized accounts. The core advantage stems from identifying and engaging accounts that are actively researching solutions before they make direct contact. By focusing resources on these in-market buyers, sales teams avoid spending cycles on accounts with low purchase intent. The financial services firm in the Forrester study was able to close a higher number of deals within the same timeframe without increasing sales headcount, directly attributing the efficiency gain to the early warning signals provided by intent data.

The acceleration in sales velocity is primarily achieved by operationalizing intent data through automation, which streamlines lead prioritization and triggers immediate action. The Forrester TEI study noted that the subject organization facilitated its 30% sales cycle reduction by integrating Bombora's Company Surge® directly into its sales platform, which was being developed with Salesforce. This integration automated lead scoring and triggered events that routed high-priority leads directly into specific sales campaigns, a process that significantly reduced manual effort and decision-making delays. This efficiency gain was substantial, saving the organization's marketing data team significant time previously spent on manual data management. According to the Salesforce "State of Sales Report, 6th edition (2024)", sales representatives spend only 28% of their week actively selling, making such automation critical for maximizing productivity. By automating the identification and routing of surging accounts, organizations ensure that sales teams engage with the most promising leads the moment their intent becomes visible, a key factor given that 50% of B2B sales go to the vendor that responds first.

Real-world applications confirm the direct impact of intent-guided campaigns on pipeline acceleration. In a case study, Unity Technologies leveraged Bombora's Company Surge® data to refine its digital advertising and saw immediate results, generating a new six-figure opportunity within 48 hours of launching its initiative. Unity's digital advertising team used the intent data to create dynamic target account lists within their Demandbase ABM platform, moving beyond static firmographics to prioritize accounts showing active research interest. For its display ad campaigns, the team uploaded account lists and tailored creative and messaging based on the specific intent topics each account was researching, ensuring high relevance. This strategy aligns with broader industry findings; a 2023 case study involving Bombora and the programmatic platform Bidtellect found that contextual targeting driven by intent data yielded 83% more clicks compared to a control campaign using only behavioral targeting. By using intent to guide both account selection and creative execution, Unity was able to engage the right audience at the right time, converting latent interest into a tangible, high-value sales opportunity almost instantly.

Benchmark 3: Conversion Rates and MQL Acceptance Skyrocket

Marketing teams that integrate intent data into their lead qualification and advertising strategies see dramatic improvements in conversion rates. By focusing resources on accounts actively researching relevant solutions, organizations can achieve significantly higher performance. For example, a 2024 B2B Buying Study found that accounts prioritized with intent signals converted to closed opportunities at a rate of 21.3%, compared to just 8.4% for non-prioritized accounts. This lift occurs because intent data allows teams to move beyond broad, persona-based targeting and engage buyers who have demonstrated verifiable interest through their content consumption. A commissioned 2024 Forrester Total Economic Impact™ study of a global financial services organization using Bombora's solutions found that the investment contributed to an 18% increase in conversion rates, which delivered $3.3 million in profit over three years. This data-driven approach ensures that marketing efforts are concentrated on prospects who are already in a buying cycle, which maximizes the efficiency of marketing spend and accelerates pipeline velocity.

The alignment between sales and marketing departments transforms when marketing qualified leads (MQLs) are enriched with intent data, leading to skyrocketing acceptance rates. Siemens Digital Industries provides a powerful case study in this area, as detailed in a Bombora report. Before implementing an intent-driven strategy, their sales team accepted only 1% of MQLs, a common symptom of misalignment where sales perceives marketing leads as low-quality or premature. By using Bombora Company Surge® to identify companies showing early buying signals for topics like factory automation, Siemens was able to prioritize outreach to accounts that were genuinely in-market. This strategic shift increased the sales-accepted lead (SAL) rate from 1% to an astonishing 90%. This was not just a metric improvement; it represented a fundamental rebuild of trust between sales and marketing, proving that the leads passed over were pre-qualified and demonstrated active interest, thereby justifying immediate sales engagement.

Beyond internal alignment, the application of intent data directly boosts the performance of external outreach and advertising campaigns. B2B agency Account Media, for instance, reported significant gains by leveraging Bombora's Company Surge® data for its clients' campaigns. Compared to standard 'spray-and-pray' outreach, their intent-targeted campaigns achieved 10-15% higher open rates and 20-25% more conversions. This demonstrates that personalized messaging, informed by the specific topics an account is researching, resonates more effectively than generic communication. Similarly, in advertising programs, focusing on accounts showing active research leads to higher click-through rates (CTRs) and lower cost-per-click (CPCs). Siemens Digital Industries also leveraged this, using intent signals to deploy micro-targeted ads on LinkedIn, resulting in an 80% reduction in CPC and generating more receptive leads. By concentrating ad spend on a smaller, more qualified audience, companies avoid wasting budget on uninterested parties and ensure their message reaches prospects at the precise moment they are most receptive, as noted in a Bombora case study.

Metric	Baseline (Without Intent Data)	Lift (With Intent Data)	Source/Vendor Example	Year
Sales Acceptance of MQLs	1%	90%	Siemens Digital Industries (using Bombora)	2023
Email/Outreach Open Rate	Industry Average	+10-15%	Account Media (using Bombora)	2023
Email/Outreach Conversion Rate	Industry Average	+20-25%	Account Media (using Bombora)	2023
Cost-Per-Click (CPC)	Baseline Spend	-80%	Siemens Digital Industries (using Bombora)	2023
Opportunity Conversion Rate	8.4%	21.3%	2024 B2B Buying Study	2024
Overall Lead Conversion Rate	Baseline Rate	+18%	Forrester TEI Study for Bombora	2024

How to Activate Intent Data for High-Priority Outreach

Activating intent data begins by using it to ruthlessly prioritize existing target account lists, which focuses expensive sales resources on companies already demonstrating purchase intent. Instead of treating all accounts in an ideal customer profile (ICP) equally, sales teams can use surge data to identify and rank organizations that are actively in-market. A 2024 industry benchmark survey (n=312) found that 83% of companies with formal Account-Based Marketing (ABM) programs incorporate intent data when building and refining their target account lists. [1] The impact of this prioritization is significant; one 2024 B2B buying study revealed that accounts prioritized with intent signals converted into closed opportunities at a rate of 21.3%, a stark contrast to the 8.4% conversion rate for non-prioritized accounts. [1] This approach allows sales development representatives (SDRs) to concentrate their efforts on accounts showing behavioral buying signals, such as research spikes on specific topics via platforms like Bombora's Company Surge® Q3 2024, rather than wasting cycles on cold accounts. [22] This focus not only boosts efficiency but also shortens the sales cycle, with the same 2024 benchmark survey reporting a median sales cycle compression of 28 days for accounts flagged by intent data. [1] By concentrating on this subset of active buyers, organizations ensure their most valuable resources are deployed with maximum impact.

Beyond refining existing lists, intent data is a powerful engine for discovering net-new accounts in their early research stages, significantly expanding the top of the sales funnel. Many potential buyers begin their journey with extensive self-directed research, often months before contacting a vendor. [4] A 2024 survey from Intentsify and Ascend2 found that 44% of B2B marketers state their primary goal for using intent data is to identify new accounts to target. [9] By monitoring behavioral signals across the web, platforms can surface companies that fit an ideal customer profile but were not previously on a sales team's radar. This transforms pipeline generation from a static, list-based exercise into a dynamic, responsive function that uncovers emerging demand. For example, a company showing a sudden spike in research around “cloud security compliance” can be added to the top of the funnel and nurtured with relevant content long before they formally request a demo. This early identification, as detailed in a 2024 analysis from Launch Leads, allows marketing and sales teams to build a larger addressable pipeline and engage prospects during their critical evaluation phase, shaping their perspective before competitors even know they exist. [4]

Effective outreach moves beyond generic scripts by leveraging specific intent topics to personalize messaging around an account's active interests and pain points. Knowing that a company is in-market is only the first step; knowing why they are in-market is what enables true personalization. [11] For instance, if Bombora's Company Surge® data shows an account is researching “data loss prevention” and “insider threat detection,” an SDR can craft a highly relevant email that speaks directly to those challenges, referencing recent industry trends or offering a case study on that exact topic. [18] This level of specificity makes the outreach feel less like a cold call and more like a helpful consultation. According to a 2024 report from Salesforce's 6th Edition of the State of Sales, which surveyed 5,500 sales professionals, rising customer expectations are a top challenge, making personalized, value-driven interactions more critical than ever. [2, 10] By aligning the message with the prospect's demonstrated research behavior, sales teams can deliver content that directly addresses their needs, which is a core principle of successful ABM, as noted by N.Rich's 2024 analysis. [11] This tailored approach increases the likelihood of engagement and helps build credibility from the very first touchpoint.

The ultimate value of an intent signal is severely limited by the quality of the associated contact data; pairing surge data with verified, deliverable emails and direct-dial phone numbers is essential for successful activation. An intent signal indicating an account is in-market is merely an interesting observation if the sales team cannot connect with the right people within that organization. [20] The challenge is that many intent platforms operate at the account level, leaving it to sales teams to identify and find contact information for the individuals on the buying committee. [24] This final step is where many initiatives fail, as outdated or inaccurate contact information leads to high bounce rates and wasted SDR time. A September 2026 Forbes article highlights this “activation-first blind spot,” where teams focus on sophisticated segmentation and AI-driven campaigns while neglecting the foundational need for authentic, verified contact records. [26] As AI tools increasingly automate outreach, this problem is compounded, with models building campaigns on flawed data. [26] Therefore, a critical step in operationalizing intent data is to integrate it with a reliable contact data provider, ensuring that when an account like Acme Corp. surges on “supply chain optimization,” the sales team has immediate access to the verified email and phone number for their VP of Operations, turning a valuable signal into a direct and actionable opportunity.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ROI of using Bombora intent data?

Using Bombora's intent data can yield a significant return on investment, with a Forrester Total Economic Impact study quantifying a 342% ROI over three years for a global B2B financial services organization. [21] This financial impact was the result of a 15% revenue growth driven by higher conversion rates and a 30% increase in sales velocity. [21] The study found that by identifying in-market accounts and their specific interests, the organization achieved benefits of $5.4 million against costs of $1.2 million, resulting in a net present value of $4.2 million. [21]

How does Bombora collect its intent data?

Bombora collects its intent data through a proprietary B2B Data Co-op, which is a large network of over 5,000 business websites, including publishers, vendors, and analysts. [7] These members contribute anonymized data about their website visitors' content consumption in exchange for access to the cooperative's shared insights. [7] Bombora's system then analyzes these billions of monthly content consumption events to identify when a specific company shows a 'surge' in research around a particular topic, indicating active buying intent. [15] This consent-based model provides a broad and privacy-compliant view of the B2B research landscape. [11]

How much does Bombora cost in 2026?

Bombora's pricing is not publicly listed and is provided on a custom-quote basis, with annual contracts being standard. [2] Based on 2026 market data, entry-level packages start around $25,000 to $30,000 per year, with mid-market deals typically ranging from $60,000 to $120,000. [3, 11] The final cost depends on factors like the number of intent topics you want to monitor, data volume, and the complexity of integrations with your existing CRM or marketing platforms. [2] Enterprise-level deployments with extensive data needs can exceed $200,000 annually. [2]

What is the difference between Bombora and 6sense?

The primary difference is that Bombora is a specialized intent data provider, whereas 6sense is a comprehensive, end-to-end account engagement platform. [5, 13] Bombora's core product, Company Surge®, provides a raw data feed of which companies are researching specific topics, designed to be plugged into a client's existing technology stack. [13] In contrast, 6sense is an all-in-one solution that includes its own aggregated intent data, predictive analytics, and built-in tools for campaign activation and orchestration. [12] Many companies use Bombora's data within a platform like 6sense, making them partners as well as partial competitors. [5]

How does intent data improve sales outreach effectiveness?

Intent data improves sales outreach by helping teams prioritize accounts that are actively researching solutions, ensuring engagement occurs when buying interest is highest. [15] Instead of making generic cold calls, sales reps can tailor their messaging based on the specific topics an account is surging on, leading to more relevant conversations and higher connection rates. [19] This focused approach allows teams to escalate outreach urgency based on intent intensity and align their timing with the prospect's buying journey. [20] As a result, organizations using intent data often see a 2-3x higher response rate compared to standard outreach. [17]

Last updated: September 2026

Intent Data Lift: 2024 Benchmarks for B2B Growth