Prioritizing User Intent in Messaging

Messaging clarity is a hard thing to master as a Product Marketer. But there's another thing that's even harder. Messaging prioritisation. When a product has a massive footprint, it's tempting to flood prospects with a barrage of value propositions. But "more" isn't always "clear". More messages increases the cognitive load on the buyer's end. They struggle to frame a memorable pitch in their heads. Apple understands this well. When I opened a mac on display at an electronics store a week ago, it prompted me with a little advert on why I would love the machine. The messaging didnt involve convoluted specs. Nor did it convey any fancy over-the-top marketing shpeal with big words like "Revolutionize". It had 6 top buying factors, written in plain English with an option to learn more. That made the pitch succinct and memorable. ❌ "5.5K mAh or 58 Whr". ✅ "Go upto 22 hours unplugged." ❌ "Unparalleled top-notch security". ✅ "TouchID keeps you protected." ❌ "The all-in-one machine" ✅ 6 easy-to-read reasons to buy. Message prioritisation starts by understanding the hierarchy of user needs. A few ways to uncover the messages that will likely resonate the most: 1. Ask customers about their buying factors. - What sold you on our product? - What was your old solution missing? - What capabilities are essential to you? 2. Inspect churn reasons. - Why do good-fit customers leave? - Have we fixed those problems now? - What was a frequent deal breaker? 3. Track usage data & reviews. - What capability is used by most users? - What capability is used most frequently? - What aspects do our customers praise? Triangulating the most valuable (and ideally, differentiated) capabilities and product aspects helps prioritise the messages you want to front load at the moment of purchase. -- How do you prioritise your messaging?

I was once obsessed with personalization. Crafting emails with every possible data point. I thought it was the secret sauce to winning over prospects. But I was wrong. In the race for hyper-personalization, many overlook a simple truth: 𝙋𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. In my own experience, I've gotten outreached about things that were completely irrelevant. At least they knew where I went to university for a few semesters, right? [insert cheesy line about sports mascot or ur fav local restaurant] Here's how you can shift your focus and see instant results: 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 → Dive into their challenges and needs. → Speak their language, not just what you can easily find out about them. 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 → Tailor your messaging to address specific pain points. → Show how your solution fits seamlessly into their world. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 → Understand the industry landscape. → Align your offering with current trends and issues. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗪𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 → Focus on actionable insights rather than personal details. → Leverage analytics to identify what truly matters. 𝗕𝗲 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘆 → Timing matters more than ever. → Reach out when they are most likely to need your solution. Now, why does this work? Because when you speak directly to the pressing issues your prospects face, you earn their attention. You become not yet another email in their inbox, but a valuable and trustworthy partner. So, next time you prepare your outreach, ask yourself: Is my message truly relevant? Or am I just ticking personalization boxes? Shift your focus and watch the magic unfold. Have you ever experienced the power of prioritizing relevance over personalization? Let's discuss in the comments below.

SaaS messaging has a reality problem. Teams love talking about ideal future scenarios. → Save 40 hours per month → Generate 2x more leads → Close deals 3x faster → {insert any outcome for users} Companies use messaging to ‘imagine’ a future where problems just … vanish. And these problems vanish the moment people sign up for the software. Or at least, that’s the narrative. Users suddenly become more productive. Work goes from complex to simple in ‘a few clicks.’ Growth just happens. And their revenue doubles overnight. But guess what … A ‘future-perfect scenario’ approach fails every single time. And here’s why … ❌ Mental model mismatch Users think in terms of daily tasks and workflows. Promises & outcomes focus on quarterly or yearly goals. This creates an immediate disconnect. ❌ Champion credibility risk Internal champions can’t ‘market’ your vision to their teams. Because they can’t connect your promised outcomes to their team’s daily work. Promises end up looking disconnected from operational reality. ❌ Implementation anxiety You paint a perfect picture of the future. But users can’t see the bridge between today’s chaos and tomorrow’s promise. This creates fear of uncertainty and resistance to change. ❌ Value recognition failure Teams struggle to see value in your solution. Because your messaging lives in the future. While their problems exist in the present. ❌ Decision-maker disconnect Even decision-makers need to understand the operational impact. They may buy into the vision. But they need to see how it translates to actual work. ❌ Change management oversight Promises & outcomes ignore the human side of transformation. People need to understand how their daily work will evolve. Not just where they’ll end up. So what’s the solution? Instead of talking about future-perfect scenarios and outcomes … … map your messaging to users’ actual workflow. Here’s what I mean … 1️⃣ Start with your users’ current reality Map out the exact steps in their current process. Document the daily tasks, weekly routines, and monthly cycles. This is their operational truth. 2️⃣ Identify friction & transition points Find where users struggle the most in their workflow. Spot moments where they switch between tools or processes. These are the exact points where your software makes a difference. 3️⃣ Build capability bridges Take each workflow stage and show how your software transforms it. Not with promises. But with clear ‘current state → future state’ scenarios. 4️⃣ Connect daily actions to outcomes Show how improved daily operations lead to better results. Make it practical and measurable. Let them see the direct link between new workflows and real impact. This way, you’re not selling dreams. You’re showing people a practical path to better operations. A path they can understand, follow, and relate to. — Hi, I’m Victoria. 👋 I help B2B SaaS companies fix costly messaging errors. DM me if you’re interested.

Marketers claim they want to scale personalization. Most still use the same old playbook. This approach misses key signals. The problem is clear. Most account prioritization models ignore crucial signals that indicate buying intent. These signals come from real-time engagement across digital channels, such as social media interactions, product usage data, and sales touchpoints, where prospects are actively making decisions. A CMO asking for vendor suggestions on a private Slack thread? That’s a high-intent signal. A RevOps leader debating solutions on LinkedIn? That’s critical buying behavior. Traditional CRMs miss these signals, but AI-powered tools like RoomieAI Capture are designed to catch and prioritize these conversations in real time. A champion explaining how they got buy-in for your product? That won’t trigger an MQL. This is why marketers miss high-intent signals. This is why they struggle to scale personalized outreach. A shift is happening. AI is making account research and personalization scalable. But it’s not what most people think. Forward-thinking teams are doing this: ✅  Mining signals from non-traditional sources like social media, job boards, and internal communications to identify in-market accounts before they visit your website. By using AI to uncover buying intent across the web and social platforms, they can reach high-intent prospects earlier in the sales cycle. ✅ Prioritizing accounts based on real engagement. They focus on prospects already in a buying motion, not just random website visitors. ✅ Using AI-generated insights for messaging. They create messages that resonate instead of sending generic sequences and hoping for a response. Here’s how to apply this today: 1️⃣ Audit where your best leads come from. Are they finding you through communities, referrals, or social conversations? If so, your data model is missing key signals. 2️⃣ Stop treating ‘MQLs’ as the only sign of readiness. Shift to engagement-based prioritization. Combine web intent with real conversations. 3️⃣ Experiment with AI-powered research to enrich your outreach. Use AI to gather insights, but keep your messaging human. Making this work at scale used to mean manual research and guesswork. Now, platforms like Common Room make it easier. They automatically surface high-intent signals across social media, web interactions, and internal data to help sales teams prioritize the right accounts and craft messaging that resonates at the right time. Personalization at scale isn’t about more manual research. It’s about building a smarter system. This system automates research while keeping outreach relevant. Think about AI’s role in your GTM strategy next year.

"Can you measure intent from your BFCM analysis?" Short answer: Not yet. But we’re getting close. Here’s the deal: understanding user intent during Black Friday Cyber Monday is like finding gold. You already know not all traffic is created equal. Email traffic? Usually high intent. Paid social? A mixed bag. During BFCM, this becomes even more amplified. Demand compresses into a few days, and everyone’s rushing to convert. But how do you actually measure intent? Here’s what we’re working on: 𝟭. Traffic temperature by channel - A returning customer who comes in directly via email? High intent. - A new user landing from an organic social post? Lower intent. We track how users progress through the funnel: - Direct users head straight to product pages, advancing aggressively. - Net-new users can land all over the place depending on strategy, and generally require more hand-holding to convert. Knowing this helps us adapt messaging and focus energy on high-intent buyers. 𝟮. Behavioral signals in the funnel Some actions scream purchase intent. - Did they make it to a product page? - Did they engage with your PDP, like zooming into images or reading reviews? We’re still refining this, but the goal is to eventually score actions, separating the browsers from the buyers. 𝟯. Acting on intent insights What happens once you can measure intent? 👉 Personalize the experience. - High intent? Show urgency, simplify their path to checkout. - Low intent? Focus on building trust and awareness. 👉 Filter out the noise. If only 5% of your traffic is likely to purchase, your analysis should focus on that 5%. What’s working for them? Why are they converting? Measuring intent isn’t perfect yet, but analyzing traffic sources and behaviors during BFCM can give you a powerful edge. If you can separate those ready to buy from those just browsing, you can build more efficient strategies, cut distractions, and optimize for growth.

If 2024 taught us anything about Cold Email, it’s this: 👇 General ICP Outreach isn’t enough to drive results anymore. With deliverability getting tougher every day, there’s only one way to make outbound work: → Intent-Based Targeting Here’s how we do it at SalesCaptain to book 3x more demos ⬇️ Step 1️⃣ Identify High-Intent Triggers The goal? Find prospects showing buying signals. ✅ Website visits – Someone browsing pricing or case studies? (We use tools like RB2B, Leadfeeder, and Maximise.ai). ✅ Competitor research – Tools like Trigify.io reveal when prospects engage with competitor content. ✅ Event attendance – Webinar attendees or industry event participants often explore new solutions. (DM me for a Clay template on this) ✅ Job changes – Platforms like UserGems 💎 notify us when decision-makers start new roles (a prime buying window). ⚡️ Pro Tip: Categorize triggers: → High intent: Pricing page visits → Medium intent: Engaging with case studies This helps prioritize outreach for faster conversions. Step 2️⃣ Layer Intent Data with an ICP Filter Intent data alone isn't enough, you need to ensure the right audience fit. Tools like Clay and Clearbit help us: ✅ Confirm ICP fit using firmographics ✅ Identify the right decision-makers ✅ Validate work emails ✅ Enrich data for personalized messaging ⚡️ Key Insight: Not everyone showing intent fits your ICP. Filter carefully to avoid wasted resources. Step 3️⃣ Hyper-Personalized Outreach Golden Rule: Intent without context is meaningless. Here’s our outreach formula: 👀 Observation: Reference the trigger (e.g., webinar attended, pricing page visit) 📈 Insight: Address a potential pain point tied to that trigger 💡 Solution: Share how you’ve helped similar companies solve this pain 📞 CTA: Suggest an exploratory call or share a free resource ⚡️ Pro Tip: Use tools like Twain to personalize at scale without landing in spam folders. 📊 The Results? Since focusing on intent-based outreach, we’ve seen: ✅ 3x Higher Demo Booking Rates 📈 ✅ 40% Reduction in CPL (focusing on quality over quantity) ✅ Larger Deals in the Pipeline with higher-quality prospects It’s 2025. Let’s build smarter, more profitable campaigns. 💡 Do you use intent signals in your outreach? Drop me a comment below! 👇

In business development, we often hear that messaging needs to be personalized. But what's frequently overlooked 👀 is the equally, if not more, important concept of relevance. Whether writing a cold email, building a landing page, crafting website copy, or producing thought leadership, understanding the difference between being relevant and being personalized is essential. 💭 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲? 🥅 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 means the message speaks to a real challenge or goal the prospect is experiencing. It answers: "𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄?" Examples include:  • A shift in strategic priorities  • A recent hire, funding round, or campaign  • Engagement with your content or brand 🙋♀️ 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 adds specificity to make the message feel unique for them. It answers: "𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗺𝗲?" Examples include:  • Name, company, industry, or job title  • Insights from interviews, articles, or social posts  • Background details like interests or affiliations Here's the nuance: if personalization is surface-level or disconnected from their challenges, it's just noise. Referencing someone's alma mater or favorite sports team doesn't move the needle if you're not addressing a business problem they care about. 📊 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲/𝗣𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅 𝗜𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗮 𝘁𝘄𝗼-𝗯𝘆-𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘅:  • 𝗫-𝗮𝘅𝗶𝘀: Low to High Personalization  • 𝗬-𝗮𝘅𝗶𝘀: Low to High Relevance ↙️ 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺-𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 (𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻): The spray-and-pray approach. Generic and forgettable. ↘️ 𝗕𝗼𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗺-𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 (𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻): You reference something personal, but the message lacks strategic value. Today's buyers spot this quickly. ↖️ 𝗧𝗼𝗽-𝗹𝗲𝗳𝘁 (𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻): Still effective. A well-timed, well-targeted message can resonate even without deep customization. ↗️ 𝗧𝗼𝗽-𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 (𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘇𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻): This is the goal. You've identified a pivotal problem and connected the dots with tailored messaging that proves you understand them. If resources are tight, prioritize relevance. But for maximum impact, combine it with smart, thoughtful personalization. That's how messaging earns attention—and drives real conversations. ___ 📥 𝗘𝗻𝗷𝗼𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀? Join 40,000+ agency and consulting leaders getting smarter about business development—subscribe to my "𝘕𝘦𝘹𝘵 𝘉𝘪𝘨 𝘞𝘪𝘯" newsletter. https://lnkd.in/gv2CvHNU

Ever wonder how many inbound leads quietly ghost your funnel… despite showing interest? They showed intent. They landed on your page. They filled out the form. And yet… they end up on the fence — isolated or ghosted. Why? Because what happens next makes all the difference: ❌ Delayed follow-ups ❌ Generic outreach ❌ No context or signal-based prioritization Here’s the truth → Inbound leads are warm, not closed. And in today’s noisy GTM world, they deserve more than just a sequence. 💡 At Unlead.ai, we’re seeing teams flip the game by: ✅ Responding with personalized video — not just text ✅ Using intent signals like watch time, CTA clicks, and page activity ✅ Prioritizing leads who engage, not just those who convert Inbound is a gift — but only if you engage with speed, relevance, and signal. How are you handling inbound today? Curious to hear what’s working for you 👇

Here's my email/SMS signup optimization philosophy: Most brands treat email/SMS signup like a checkbox. Just slap on a popup, throw in a discount, and hope for the best. But your signup process is more than just a form, it's a funnel (okay, duh, but what does that actually mean in practice?). Here’s how I recommend our clients optimize their forms: 🧠 1. Signup is contextual Where someone comes from (ad, homepage, product page) should shape how and when the offer appears, especially on mobile. 🎯 2. Segmentation starts at signup Capture intent, interest, or preference right away. Zero-party data fuels better flows. You don’t need to ask everything at once, but just enough to personalize the next step. And here's the kicker: even in the absence of unique content in your flows, just ask a question. Collect data now, get higher form submission rates and leverage the info when you have the capacity to do so. 💬 3. Clarity beats cleverness “Get updates” won’t move the needle. Tell them exactly what they’re getting and why it’s worth handing over their info. Make the value obvious. ⚙️ 4. The welcome flow is part of the experience For some, the form is just the means for claiming a discount offer. A welcome flow hardly matters for the users that already have high intent to buy and convert right away. But the far majority of sign ups don't and the form is just the beginning of the process of selling. Tailor messaging based on what they signed up for. Prime them for that first conversion. 📊 5. Iterate like you mean it Test multi-step vs. single-step. SMS-first vs. email-first. 10% off vs. $10 off. Track by device. Measure dropoff. Then refine. Signup optimization isn’t just a growth hack, it’s foundational retention infrastructure. Bonus: When a brand is using Klaviyo for all of their messaging (and I am a strong believer in doing so), I almost always recommend using Klaviyo’s native forms. Too many third-party tools create unnecessary complexity, poor data syncs, and missed opportunities for segmentation. Klaviyo’s sign-up forms give you full control, faster testing, and direct data injection into flows. And based on some conversations I had this week with their product team responsible for improving forms, there are a bunch of exciting updates coming down the pipeline that will enable brands to do even more with them. If you’re only thinking about your list after someone joins, you’re already behind.