Molly doesn’t hear much from IT vendors, but she doesn’t think she needs to. She gets much of her advice from influencers she follows on Tik-Tok and Instagram. She also follows several IT vendors on those platforms and likes to share the offbeat and entertaining videos they post.

Molly is part of Generation Z, people born between 1997 and 2012. Gen Z workers comprised about 18% of the U.S. labor force in 2024 and are now a larger population than Baby Boomers, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. They’ll make up 30% of the U.S. workforce by 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Gen Z was just 6% of respondents to Foundry’s 2023 Role & Influence study, but 15% in 2025.

This is a cohort to be reckoned with. Foundry has been tracking preferences by age group in IT marketing research for several years. An analysis of three years of recent studies reveals that engagement strategies must emphasize speed, new channels, concise content, and emotional tone.

Time is of the essence

Gen Z IT decision-makers move fast and expect vendors to do the same. In the 2024 Role & Influence Study, the group pegged the average buying process at 5.1 months, compared to 6.5 months for Boomers. They were also nearly twice as likely as other generations to say decisions take less than a month.

Younger buyers have less tolerance for delay. On average, they expect vendors to follow up on inquiries within 9.6 hours of submitting a request, according to the 2026 Customer Engagement research. That’s six hours faster than Generation X buyers (born between 1965 and 1980), and more than three hours faster than all surveyed buyers.

Interestingly, Gen Z is less concerned about marketing hype; just 19% cite it as a problem compared to 42% of Boomers, according to the 2026 Customer Engagement study. However, they are nearly twice as critical of content overload (32% versus 17%). Having grown up in a media-saturated environment, these younger folks are less impressed by volume than relevance.

Social savvy

Social media has been around since the oldest Gen Z buyers were in elementary school, so it’s not surprising that they rely on those channels for a wide range of information. But their preferences differ markedly from those of their older colleagues.

LinkedIn is broadly important across generations, but its core strength is with older groups. More than 80% of Boomers and Gen Xers consider LinkedIn valuable, compared to only 45% of Gen Z.

Younger buyers lean far more heavily into visual and short-form platforms. According to the 2024 Customer Engagement research:

• 71% of Gen Zers use Instagram compared to 20% of Boomers
• 56% use TikTok versus 7% of Gen Xers
• 93% use YouTube versus 50% of Boomers

Social media is more than a branding channel for this audience. It’s also an essential research tool. While only 5% of Boomers identified social media as a top-three information source for buying decisions, that figure was 33% among Gen Z.

The 2026 Customer Engagement study also found that the youngest buyers are less likely to visit vendor websites, more likely to sign up for newsletters, and even more inclined to purchase through social ads. They also favor AI-powered search experiences and data visualizations more than their older peers, while showing less interest in long-form content like white papers.

Three-quarters of Gen Zers listened to business-related podcasts in the past year, with a strong preference for on-demand formats over scheduled events. They are less likely to watch webcasts, meaning that thought leadership delivered via audio and short-form video can outperform traditional webinars with this group.

Share nicely

Gen Z respondents are more than twice as likely as Gen Xers and Baby Boomers to share content that evokes an emotional reaction, the 2025 Customer Engagement study found. They’re also three times more likely to share entertaining content than Boomers.

Trust and peer recommendations remain central, though. IT decision-makers of all ages are willing to share vendor information as long as they find it valuable. Enabling that sharing through compelling, easily distributable content can extend reach organically.

Purchasing is a collaborative process, and younger buyers prefer to have more voices involved. The average buying committee at the largest companies is 32 people, but in the 2024 Role & Influence study, Gen Zers told us an average of 37 people influence decisions at their companies. Boomers estimated the number at just 16.

This seems odd, given that many of these people work at the same companies. A possible reason: The younger cohort prefers to see more people involved, even if many don’t actually play a direct role in decisions.

Bottom Lines

Here are a few action items we believe marketers should take away from this research.

• Provide materials that are easy to forward internally. Make web and social content easily shareable.
• Provide concise summaries of long-form material.
• Equip your salesforce to respond to inquiries in hours instead of days.
• Hire or designate social media-savvy marketers, particularly those who are fluent in video.
• Emotional authenticity matters. Look for case studies and spokespeople who come across as genuine and trustworthy.
• Invest in native storytelling rather than repackaged advertising
• Enable peer validation and commentary through online communities and events such as videoconferences.

As Gen Z buyers grow in numbers and influence, marketing organizations should optimize for speed, informational value, and authenticity. Building credibility with this rising generation is essential. Relying on legacy playbooks is a ticket to irrelevance.

According to Foundry’s Customer Engagement research, 81% say it’s difficult to find high-quality content from vendors when evaluating major technology solutions. The problem isn’t access. It’s noise. In an environment defined by content overload, marketing hype, and growing skepticism, engagement now hinges on something far more fundamental: value, trust, and clarity.

Here are eight research-backed strategies tech marketers can use to connect more effectively with today’s tech buyers.

1. Focus on organizing the experience

Buyers rarely rely on a single piece of content. They move across formats and channels as they research solutions, making structure increasingly important. A striking 76% of IT decision-makers say they’re more likely to engage with multiple pieces of content when those assets are presented as part of an organized experience.

Disconnected white papers, blogs, and videos create friction. Structured journeys create momentum. Organization has become a competitive advantage.

Luckily, designed for dynamic storytelling, Foundry’s BrandPage solution allows audiences to engage with your brand in an immersive and interactive experience. Click here to learn more!

2. Stop fearing the registration form

The myth that buyers refuse to share information simply doesn’t hold up. An overwhelming 95% of IT decision-makers are willing to exchange their contact details for valuable content. At large organizations, that figure climbs even higher. The deciding factor is not the form. It’s the perceived payoff.

Buyers most readily register for:

• Product demos
• Product testing and reviews
• Technology news articles
• Third-party research

These preferences suggest buyers are actively seeking materials that help them evaluate, validate, and contextualize decisions rather than simply learn about vendor capabilities.

3. Treat follow-up speed as part of the experience

Buyer patience continues to shrink. Today’s acceptable follow-up window averages just 13 hours, with younger buyers expecting even faster responses.

This shift reframes follow-up from a purely operational metric to an experience metric. Timely responses reinforce credibility, while delayed engagement can subtly erode trust before meaningful conversations even begin.

4. Create content that travels inside organizations

Peer influence remains one of the most powerful forces in enterprise buying decisions.

Buyers are far more likely to share vendor content when:

• They’ve had a strong customer experience
• The vendor provides practical “how-to” guidance
• The information is timely and relevant

Useful content becomes internal currency.

5. Make outreach feel informed, not generic

Buyers are not disengaged. They’re selective.

Engagement increases when vendors:

• Share genuinely valuable information
• Demonstrate understanding of business challenges
• Communicate with honesty and transparency

Aggressive sales tactics erode trust. Relevance builds it.

6. Recognize that events are decision accelerators

Events play a far more strategic role than simple awareness building.

A notable 71% of buyers say attending industry or job-related events shortens and simplifies the purchase process.

Among all event features, product demos deliver the greatest impact.

Events compress evaluation cycles.

7. Treat virtual engagement as essential, not secondary

An impressive 95% of IT decision-makers attend webinars or webcasts related to enterprise IT solutions.

Within these sessions, case studies consistently rank as the most valuable feature.

Virtual events are not substitutes. They are core channels.

8. Respect attention spans

Even highly engaged buyers have limits.

The preferred webinar length now averages just 37.6 minutes. Longer sessions often dilute impact rather than deepen engagement.

Concise sessions signal clarity.

To date, AI projects were managed like most high-profile IT initiatives, with PPG’s CIO balancing both business strategy and technology implementation responsibilities. But the frenzy over Generative AI’s ability to democratize a powerful technology has raised the stakes, adding another dimension to the CIO’s already expansive charter. Today, CIO Bhaskar Ramachandran devotes significant time to educating PPG business leaders on the basics of Large Language Models (LLMs) while managing expectations for exactly how and where GenAI technologies have potential to transform business.

“I didn’t spend much time educating people on an ERP system—they understood it was a system for managing processes whether planning or financial,” explains Ramachandran, also PPG vice president. “But that’s not the case with AI. We’re not talking about a process or a technology that just makes something faster or cheaper. We’re talking about what business might look like while a technology is still immature.”

Despite soaring expectations, AI experience and maturity levels remain at ground level, leaving enterprises hungry for leadership that can set expectations and help cut through the noise. CIOs, who established their stripes as technology-centric business strategists during the pandemic period, are once again commanding the spotlight as companies try to nail down roadmaps and strategies to capitalize on what many are heralding as a make or break AI moment.  

According to the 2025 State of the CIO research, which canvassed 906 IT leaders and 250 line of business (LOB) professionals, IT leaders are dialing up a strategic focus this year as they work to parlay the early rush of AI experimentation into enterprise initiatives that produce measurable results. Forty-one percent of IT leaders responding to the 2025 survey characterized their role as strategic, six points higher than the 35% claiming that mantle in 2024. Looking out on a three-to-five-year horizon, more than half (52%) of respondents expect to sustain a strategic orientation with 32% back to focusing on transformational activities and only 16% mired in traditional functional IT duties.

In an era where technology is inextricable from the business, it’s no surprise that CIOs are among the top leaders steering AI’s course. 

“In the 1990s, no one questioned whether the CFO role was strategic, and by 2020, no one should have similar questions about the CIO role.”

Bhaskar Ramachandran, Vice President and CIO at PPG

CIO’s strategic AI charter 

CIOs are covering the bases as part of their strategic AI charter. Three quarters of respondents to this year’s 2025 State of the CIO research confirmed the CIO is collaborating closely with line of business on AI applications while 71% said the IT department is driving AI adoption in tandem with their business unit counterparts, aligning strategies accordingly.  

Three quarters of IT leaders expect to become more involved with AI and machine learning over the next year, and for good reason. The CEO’s top priority for IT leaders in 2025 is researching and implementing AI products and projects, cited by 26% of respondents. Last year, the AI agenda was not among the top CEO mandates for CIOs—the directives were to lead digital business and digital transformation initiatives, fortify IT and business collaboration, and focus on security to reduce corporate risk. 

CIOs are directing AI investments as part of their AI agenda. Eighty percent of IT leaders and three quarters of LOB respondents confirmed that CIOs are spearheading efforts to research and evaluate possible AI additions to the tech stack. Technology and business leadership is pretty aligned on where to direct those AI technology investments and what initiatives to prioritize. The 2025 State of the CIO found 68% of IT leaders and 69% of LOB respondents in sync on Generative AI adoption strategies and use cases.  

Currently, the bulk of AI activity is happening on the inside, aimed at helping companies reimagine their internal business processes. Sixty-nine percent of IT leader respondents to the 2025 State of the CIO survey said AI is being leveraged to automate internal processes to streamline operations and create efficiencies while 62% are embracing AI for customer-facing applications. Whether focused inside or out, the surge of AI activity is already having an impact. More than two-thirds (68%) of this year’s IT leader respondents contend that AI has or is beginning to reshape operations and drive tangible business outcomes. 

That’s certainly the case at Tractor Supply Company, where AI has played a role for years, helping to forecast sales and merchandising needs and optimize replenishment of goods. More recently, Tractor Supply has paired GenAI capabilities with headsets to create Hey GURA, a knowledge base, sales, and training platform for employees that serves up product specs, customer recommendations, and other relevant information so they can better assist customers on the floor. Tractor Supply is also applying LLMs to drive insights into team member performance and real-time sales analysis and is starting work on Agentic AI applications to bring automation to core processes like updating and publishing content for new SKUs, according to Rob Mills, executive vice president and chief technology, digital, and corporate strategy officer for the firm. 

Given the weight of AI’s impact, Mills views being an advocate and champion for the technology as a major focus of his role going forward. He is committed to acclimating both business leaders and frontline employees to new AI technologies, emphasizing the importance for all employees to understand potential opportunities. “Team members hear about AI, but they don’t necessarily know what it means for them,” he explains. “It’s my responsibility to make sure they understand why they should care about AI and how it will make their job easier and more accurate. We’re not leading with technology first—we are leading with the business need and showing how we can leverage emerging technologies to ultimately get things done efficient and faster.”

IT investments take aim at revenue growth, customer experience 

While AI is the headliner this year, CIOs are immersed in other strategic business initiatives aimed at boosting revenue growth and improving customer experience. According to the 2025 State of the CIO survey, monetizing company data was the top business imperative for 38% of respondents followed by improving customer experience (35%) and developing new digital revenue streams (32%).  

Companies are leveraging data and analytics to analyze customer needs and behaviors, cited by 43% of this year’s respondents. AI/ML and automation are another major enabler, with 41% tapping the technologies to streamline support and customer service interactions, the 2025 research found. 

Webster Bank has taken a very deliberate approach to acquisitions these last few years as part of a business strategy to grow and diversify deposits. The bank is investing in technology companies and digital products that will streamline banking services for customers and build out a suite of diversified deposit products. Given the strategic nature of the acquisitions, CIO Vikram Nafde has been at the forefront, accessing potential candidates to see if they are the right fit, evaluating the technology stack, as well as spearheading work to address potential integration challenges. 

“As opposed to acquiring branches and physical assets, we are acquiring technology-enabled companies, and CIOs play a huge role,” explains Nafde, also an executive vice president at Webster Bank.

“CIOs are uniquely positioned to not only understand the moment and what technology can do for the company, they can also lead the charge in terms of finetuning strategy and educating the board.” 

Vikram Nafde, Executive Vice President and CIO at Webster Bank

Like Nafde, State of the CIO respondents continue to report a highly digital and innovation-focused CIO charter, cited by 82% of IT respondents and 76% of LOB participants. Eighty-two percent of respondents confirmed CIOs are taking the lead on digital transformation initiatives, more so than their business counterparts. In roughly a quarter of companies (26%), the CIO holds sole responsibility for all digital transformation decisions and initiatives. At 29% of responding companies, ownership of the digital transformation agenda is distributed among all leaders. 

Much like last year, IT budgets are holding strong despite global economic uncertainties. Budget increases were on the docket for 65% of this year’s respondents with roughly a quarter (24%) anticipating funding to remain the same. On average, respondents expect to see a 6.89% bump in IT spending in 2025, primarily driven by the need for additional investments in AI/ML projects, products, and services. 

In fact, AI/ML was the most high-profile area of technology investment this year, at 42%. Outside of AI/ML, companies were directing IT budgets to security and risk management technologies (34%) and data/business analytics (31%).  

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL)’s AI journey is all about reimagining the “art of the possible,” including how the technology can streamline and uplevel the software development process, according to Brian Abrahamson, associate laboratory director and chief digital officer for computing and IT. The team is leveraging AI to help write user stories and generate code. It’s also using AI to develop synthetic data to drive testing and user documentation. “We are retooling and reskilling in software development so we can create more capacity to apply AI,” Abrahamson says. “It’s not just AI-assisted coding, but to the left and the right of the Software Development Lifecyle (SDLC).” 

On Abrahamson’s watch, PNNL is also continuing to modernize IT architecture and infrastructure in the cloud and make on-going investments in cybersecurity technology. Many 2025 State of the CIO respondents are in the same place. CIOs are spending time mapping out modernization strategies for infrastructure and applications (32%), ensuring IT initiatives are aligned with key business goals (31%), and redesigning business processes (26%). Leading change efforts was also part of the territory, cited by a quarter of respondents. 

Strategy work consumed a fair amount of time CIOs’ time this year, including driving business innovation (27%), developing and refining business strategy (27%), and studying market trends and customer needs to identify and flesh out new market opportunities (22%). While respondents expect to devote even more time to business strategy over the next few years, critical functional duties like security management will need to remain a high priority. According to the survey results, over the next year, CIOs will spend more time on AI/ML related initiatives, at 75%, followed by cybersecurity (65%), product development and innovation (56%), and data analysis (56%).  

Cybersecurity, talent gaps remain critical challenges 

Despite investments in state-of-the-art tools and efforts to mature their cybersecurity posture, CIOs continue to cite cybersecurity as their No. 1 challenge. In fact, addressing changing business conditions (43%) and mitigating security threats (33%) took up a good portion of the CIO agenda, commanding time that could be devoted to higher-value activities. 

An increasingly sophisticated threat landscape, bolstered by bad actors’ use of AI, keeps cybersecurity a perennial moving target. In light of those complexities, it’s essential CIOs promote strong cyber hygiene, formalize governance, ensure disaster recovery practices are in place, and do whatever else it takes to ensure the organization is ready. “The one thing that keeps me up at night is cybersecurity,” says PPG’s Ramachandran. “There are so many unknowns, and we operate in so many countries—that’s the challenge.” 

Beyond staying on top of cybersecurity, attracting and retaining the right talent remains an on-going struggle for CIOs to grapple with. More than half of this year’s respondents (54%) said dealing with staffing and talent matters took time away from more strategic innovation pursuits.  

Given the AI-dominant agenda, organizations are ramping up hires versed in AI and machine learning skill sets, cited by 36% of this year’s respondents. Building out a talent bench flush with cybersecurity expertise (34%) and business/IT automation (25%) prowess is also part of the next six-to-12 month hiring plan, respondents said. While there are clearly-defined skill set needs, 2025 State of the CIO respondents anticipate difficulties finding the right talent. Specifically, 38% of respondents said they expect trouble sourcing candidates versed in AI/ML (38%), cybersecurity (33%), and data science/analytics (21%). 

In addition to the fundamentals, including cybersecurity and modern tech stack expertise, IT must develop a basic business orientation among staffers to ensure the organization can continue to create value. Cultivating individuals who have an understanding and can speak the languages of both business and technology help establish the credibility IT organizations need going forward. 

At Cummins Inc., one of the main priorities for 2025 is ensuring the IT organization is stacked with right complement of skills, for today and for the future, according to Earl Newsome, vice president and CIO for the $30 billion global manufacturer of diesel and alternative fuel engines, generators, and power systems. “We are focused on futureproofing the IT organization so we can win today and get our fair share in the future,” says Newsome. “That means understanding what AI and analytics skills we need, building the right skills to be a product owner, and developing UX and customer experience capabilities for the products we create.” 

CIO outlook: Rising to meet new challenges 

As companies reevaluate and reimagine business strategy for AI, the CIO role continues to gain ground. Three quarters of IT and 69% of LOB respondents said the combination of economic factors and growing enterprise visibility continue to elevate the CIO role. With their stature on the rise, CIOs are also getting more comfortable with multi-title roles and non-technology responsibilities. On average, CIOs are fielding 1.8 positions, and the vast majority of CIOs (77%) have successfully cultivated a strong educational partnership with the CEO and board of directors.   

CIOs are also actively embracing a changemaker role with 81% championing both business and technology initiatives, many tied to strategic use of AI. Given the requirement to focus on both business strategy and technology implementation, more than three quarters of this year’s respondents (76%) say that striking the right balance between business innovation and operational excellence remains an on-going challenge. 

With the stakes of this AI era so high, IT leaders are bound to get caught up in the hype and enthusiasm as they evaluate new opportunities and navigate the still unfolding landscape. Managing expectations both up and down all layers of the organization will be essential for maximizing strategic use of AI.  

“Everyone is scrambling now with how to transform the business, but it’s still a multi-year journey that won’t happen overnight,” cautions PNNL’s Abrahamson. “Poorly managed expectations will lead to disillusionment and frustration. While CIOs will want to invest in AI, it can’t become such a distraction that they lose focus on the fundamentals of IT and managing the business.” 

Foundry Research: Insights that drive engagement

Foundry’s latest research offers powerful insights into the evolving cybersecurity landscape. These insights can help shape your marketing strategies and drive deeper engagement with tech buyers. From shifting budget priorities to emerging threat vectors, Foundry’s studies reveal what’s top of mind for security decision-makers. 

Why security is now a top business priority

Cybersecurity has evolved from an IT concern to a core business imperative. According to Foundry’s 2025 State of the CIO research, security management remains the top priority for CIOs, with 91% anticipating their involvement in cybersecurity to increase or remain steady over the next year. Cloud migration is also gaining momentum, with 81% of CIOs expecting continued involvement. These findings reflect a broader shift: CIOs are stepping into more strategic roles, balancing innovation with the responsibility to protect their organizations. Their decisions now influence not just infrastructure, but how businesses build trust and deliver value.

For tech marketers, this is a critical insight. If your solutions address cloud or cybersecurity concerns, lead with measurable outcomes such as ROI and risk reduction. These are the metrics that resonate most with IT decision-makers under pressure to secure their organizations while enabling innovation. 

Learn more on how to effectively engage with CIOs throughout the purchase process on our Selling to the CIO page.

Cloud security: What you need to know 

We’ve just released our new 2025 Cloud Computing Study packed with the latest insights on top business drivers, cloud growth areas, and cloud trends tech marketers can’t afford to miss. With 670 IT respondents, this study dives into the vital role cloud computing plays for IT decision-makers across the globe. 

Cloud security is now the frontline of cybersecurity strategy, with IT buyers prioritizing protection in their daily operations and long-term strategies. The surge in demand for cloud computing skills is no coincidence; it comes as a direct response to the gaps in cloud and security management that leave organizations exposed and vulnerable. Understanding the challenges of cloud infrastructure, while recognizing its growing role in business innovation, reinforces the need for security-first solutions. That’s why this Cybersecurity Awareness Month, you have a unique opportunity to lead with clarity, educate your customers, and protect your business. Position yourself as part of the solution. 

Some key findings from the study tech marketers should pay attention to:

• 70% of ITDMs say their organization has accelerated cloud migration in the past year.
• Improving security and governance is the top reason for moving to the cloud.
• 57% plan to invest in cloud-based security in the next year, with 25% ranking it as a top growth area.

Foundry’s 2025 Cloud Computing Study reveals that cloud security is now central to cybersecurity strategy. As cloud adoption expands, so does the attack surface. Understanding the challenges of cloud infrastructure and the demand for security-first solutions is essential for marketers looking to position their products as part of the solution. 

What security leaders are prioritizing in 2025 

As cyberattacks continue to grow and become more advanced, security leaders are faced with more responsibility and complexity. Featuring the insights of 870 security professionals, our 2025 Security Priorities Study couldn’t come at a better time…

Tech marketers, this is your chance to stay ahead of the curve. These insights will help you craft messaging that speaks directly to the evolving needs of security leadership.

Want to learn more? Contact us to get an exclusive first look at this new research.  

From awareness to action: A marketer’s perspective 

Stepping into my current role, I’ve quickly realized how central security is to everything we do in tech marketing. Far from being a buzzword, security now stands as a core business priority, influencing how IT leaders make strategic decisions, safeguard data, and build customer trust. Whether your solution is cloud-based, cyber-focused or tied to broader risk management, security is the conversation that matters most right now. What I’ve learned from diving into Foundry’s research is this: educating yourself, your business, and your customers on managing cyber risks is essential to staying ahead of threats and keeping your organization secure.

As tech marketers, you have a unique opportunity right now to address the concerns of CIOs and security professionals and drive meaningful engagement across your organization. So, here’s my advice: Don’t just join the conversation. Lead it. 

Use this time as a chance to show your audience that you understand the risks, recognize their priorities, and support solutions that protect what matters most. 

Checkout CISA’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month Toolkit with customizable assets like social media posts, email banners, and educational materials that you can use to amplify your message.

Benefits seen, but there is still work to be done

This is not to say that AI-enabled tools do not provide vast benefits. In fact, according to Foundry’s soon to be released security research, 98% of IT decision-makers have seen benefits from AI-enabled security technologies utilized by their organization, which is up from 73% in 2023. The main benefits experienced are reduced employee workload, faster remediation of threats, and faster identification of unknown threats.

It does mean, though, that organizations need to put more guidelines in place around the use of AI and prepare for imminent threats. Businesses are currently falling short in this area as only 36% of IT decision-makers agree that their organization has a policy in place to monitor the use of Gen AI (Foundry AI Priorities Study, 2023.) Technology vendors who have added or are looking to add AI capabilities to their solutions, should consider this when engaging with their customers. Make sure you’re providing materials and messaging that educate tech leaders on how your solution integrates with their existing technology stack and the end-user training your company provides.

Role of the security decision-maker expanding due to AI

Close to three-quarters (72%) of security decision-makers say that their role has expanded to include additional responsibilities over the past 12 months (CSO Security Priorities Study, 2024.) The third reported responsibility that they have taken on is securing AI-enabled technologies. This doesn’t necessarily mean that the security team is using more AI tools, it means that AI-enabled tools are vastly used within their organization and much of their time is now spent making sure these tools are secured.

Going back to the initial point of, do we really know what happens to our data once we import it into an open AI tool? This is what security leaders are now having to constantly think about. And this is likely to continue as 62% of security decision-makers report that they are either actively researching or piloting AI-enabled technologies and 49% expect their spending to increase towards this area over the next 12 months.

With all this added responsibility, it’s up to tech vendors and marketers to make the job of the security professional easier. When creating content, make sure it speaks to their topical needs, is written in an easily digestible format, and can be found where they do their research. It is also known that 74% of ITDMs are more likely to engage with a variety of content if it is presented in an organized experience. Connect with your security audience on the sites that they visit and at the educational, industry events that they attend.

Where are the areas of opportunity for vendors?

To no surprise, 59% of security decision-makers say that their organization is more likely to consider a security solution that uses AI, which is up from 52% last year. They are also expecting AI enhancements as part of their existing security solutions, however they are willing to pay a premium to access these tools to meet their specific security needs. The areas where security decision-makers are really looking to leverage AI are threat detection, real-time risk prediction, alert and triage automation, and malware detection.

When selecting an AI-enabled security solution, security buyers are evaluating based on the business value of the solution, security incident record/reputation, cost/pricing, and product innovation. Taking these factors into account along with the areas where security decision-makers are planning to use AI should provide a solid roadmap for vendors and marketers when planning their product and promotion strategies. Explore Foundry’s marketing solutions to learn how we can help you engage security influencers along every stage of their buying process.

Unfortunately, that’s exactly how some sales and marketing outreach can feel when intent data is used poorly. When prospects feel like you’re lurking behind every page view, they’ll ghost you faster than you can say “BOO!”

In this article, we’ll break down practical use cases for intent data without scaring off your leads.

Use Cases for Buyer Intent Data

1. Identifying In Market Segments

Intent data gives insight into what visitors are actually interested in. Analyzing firmographic data (like industry, company size, etc.) from high intent traffic helps reveal which segments are most likely to convert even those outside your current ABM list.

2. Prioritizing High Value Accounts

Use lead scoring to highlight accounts showing strong signals of buyer interest. This allows you to focus your time and resources on the accounts that are most ready to move down the funnel.

3. Ad Retargeting

Only 2% of visitors convert on their first visit. Intent data helps you dynamically adjust ad bidding strategies by:

• Prioritizing visitors from companies that match your ICP
• Elevating bids on visitors showing high buying signals
• Suppressing ads for out of market or low fit accounts

4. Personalized Outreach

Based on firmographics: Tailor messaging for different industries, company sizes, or locations. A healthcare provider and a logistics firm won’t respond to the same messaging intent data helps you differentiate your tone, pitch, and offer.

Based on funnel stage: Use behavior patterns (pages visited, time spent, assets downloaded) to understand where prospects are in the journey. Match your outreach accordingly early stage users may need educational resources, while late stage buyers might want ROI calculators or pricing guides.

5. Campaign Monitoring & Attribution

Track which campaigns drive high intent traffic and which don’t. Buyer behavior helps determine which content is most effective at generating real opportunities, allowing you to shift strategy where needed.

How to Use Intent Data Without Creeping People Out

Don’t Come On Too Strong

Intent signals don’t mean the buyer is ready to talk. Start with subtle, helpful outreach like sending relevant resources not a sales pitch. Avoid calling out their specific browsing behavior, which can feel invasive.

Don’t Chase Every Pageview

Just because someone viewed a page doesn’t mean they’re a hot lead. Combine behavioral signals into a lead scoring model so your SDR team is only focusing on accounts that are truly showing consistent, meaningful intent.

Focus on Their Needs, Not Your Agenda

Personalize your message to support their decision making process. Use intent data to identify what challenges they might be facing and send relevant, helpful content that solves a real problem for them.

Be Honest and Transparent

Trust is everything. Prospects are wary of salespeople, so position yourself as a guide not a closer. Share third-party content, comparison tools, or honest assessments of your solution. Your role should be to help them make the best choice, even if it’s not you.

Keep It Light

A little personality goes a long way. Humor, empathy, and an informal tone can soften the awkwardness of outreach. Just like trick or treating, your outreach should be more fun than frightening.

Final Thoughts

Intent data is one of the most powerful tools in modern B2B marketing but it must be used thoughtfully. By focusing on empathy, transparency, and timing, you can turn anonymous website activity into genuine pipeline without turning your prospects into ghosts.

Attendees found comfort in realizing they weren’t alone in facing the same obstacles. This shared sentiment set the tone for a candid exchange on how partner marketers can thrive despite common hurdles. From proving internal value to navigating complex partner dynamics, we uncovered strategies to thrive in this evolving landscape.  

Challenges and priorities in partner marketing 

Many agreed that partner marketing roles remain misunderstood within larger organizations, often requiring continuous internal advocacy to prove their value. Attendees spoke about the importance of creating a partner-first culture and the need for partner care programs to sustain long-term relationships. Moreover, marketers must be both educators and influencers within their organizations, ensuring alignment with stakeholders such as field teams and CFOs. 

The dinner discussion also touched on the delicate balance of understanding partner and customer dynamics. While customers may know their needs, partners often play a critical role in ensuring fast, consistent implementations. By fostering a consultative approach, partner marketers help guide both internal and external stakeholders through the complexities of the buying journey. 

Innovative programs and strategies 

As the conversation shifted toward program development, it became clear that scalability is a pressing concern. Marketers are seeking modular approaches to grow their initiatives, often without the infrastructure necessary for scale. Strategies like webinars for thought leadership, small intimate dinners to build trust, and homegrown community-building initiatives such as an educational “Master’s Program” were explored as ways to drive partner engagement and pipeline.  

Looking ahead 

The event highlighted that despite the challenges, there’s collective optimism within the partner marketing community. By sharing best practices and supporting one another, marketers can continue to build successful programs and scale their efforts. 

Partner marketing is a complex journey but finding a community to share challenges and best practices can make all the difference. The collective wisdom from senior marketers at companies like ServiceNow, Cribl, Couchbase, and Moveworks highlights the importance of internal advocacy, partner care, and program scalability. By working together, marketers can overcome obstacles and drive impactful results.  

To learn more about how partnerships fuel growth both personally and professionally, join us On the Road and subscribe to the podcast for exclusive insights from industry leaders!

As a B2B marketer for a company with a wide range of potential customers, I can appreciate the struggle of trying to narrow down the total addressable market into only one or two specific segments to focus our efforts on. In a perfect world, we’d go after all the segments we think would benefit from our products, but unfortunately, there are a finite number of hours in the day, and this method is just not realistic. So in this article, I’m going to show you three powerful data sources you can look at to help focus your marketing efforts on only the market segments that are most likely to convert and how to use them together to develop your perfect ideal customer profile.

What Is an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP)?

In the context of B2B marketing, your ideal customer profile (ICP) is the type of company that would get the most value out of your product or service. Companies in your ICP will likely be more inclined to buy your products, use them, and continue to purchase your products in the future.

Think about your ICP like the foundation of your house. The stronger the foundation, the better and more resilient your house will be. The same principle applies to your account-based marketing (ABM) campaigns. The stronger your ICP is, the more effective your marketing campaigns will be it’s pretty much that simple.

Where to Find Your Ideal Customer Profile

Here are three key sources of data you can refer to for building ICP lists for your ABM campaigns:

1. Qualitative Data

Qualitative data is information about prospects and customers gathered primarily by your sales and customer success teams. These teams often have the most face-to-face (or Zoom to Zoom) interaction with your real customers and prospects. This could include things like:

• What firmographic traits do they have?
• What problem are they solving?
• Who are the key decision makers?
• What other technologies do they use?

Questions like this can give you unparalleled insight into which companies are responding to, using, and gaining value from your products and provide patterns to look for in building your ICP.

2. Quantitative Data

While qualitative data may be considered more anecdotal in nature, quantitative data is not. Quantitative data looks at historical sales data from your CRM, past sales, and marketing campaigns to see which companies have resonated with your messaging, bought, and ultimately continued to use your products.

Looking at a breakdown of your largest closed deals, quickest sales, longest running contracts, etc., will give you an idea of the types of companies you should be targeting in future campaigns.

3. Intent Data

Intent data is defined as information about your potential buyers that indicates an elevated interest in your product or service (i.e., increased intent to purchase). For the purposes of building your ICP, the most reliable and easily accessible source of intent data is your website.

Installing an intent-gathering technology on your website will allow you to see the exact companies visiting, engaging, and showing buying intent. This data can be used to look at the firmographic traits of companies that are resonating and finding value in your content, which is a strong indication that they are in the market to purchase.

Putting Your Data Into Action

Leveraging any one of these data sources to build your ICP is a good start. However, looking at all these data sources in connection with one another will give you the most reliable information on which type of companies you should be targeting.

Once you have your data sources gathering information, chances are you’ll notice a pattern of certain industries, company sizes, revenues, etc., that appear over and over. It is likely that companies that share similar traits will find value in your products as well.

Example:
Let’s say your customer success reps tell you that their best customer calls are usually with enterprise companies in the Aerospace industry. Next, you look at your past sales and notice that the average deal size of your Aerospace customers is relatively large. Finally, you dive into your website traffic analytics and see that Aerospace companies make up a considerable amount of your traffic and engagement across your site.

All of these signs point to the fact that large Aerospace companies are driving high revenue for your organization and finding significant value in your products in return these are the accounts you need to be focusing on.

Final Thoughts

All good ABM campaigns start and end with the audience. Putting in the time and effort upfront to build a robust ideal customer profile will allow you to focus your efforts on those accounts that really matter. Creating campaigns centered around a well thought out ICP will result in more leads in your pipeline, higher conversion rates, and in the end, increased sales.

1. Not Tracking Your Entire Website

A successful first-party intent data strategy requires full visibility into how visitors engage with every corner of your website. If you’re only tracking limited areas like your homepage or a single landing page you’re missing out on critical insights.

Let’s say you’re tracking only your homepage and “Contact Us” page. You may notice traffic isn’t converting to MQLs or SQLs, but what you can’t see is that visitors are heavily engaging with product pages, case studies, or solution content. These interactions represent buying intent but without full page tracking, your team stays in the dark.

Full-site tracking allows your marketing and sales teams to:

• Map out the complete user journey
• Understand what leads up to conversions
• See what interests each visitor and act accordingly

2. Not Tracking Your Blog

Your blog isn’t just a traffic driver it’s a conversion engine. Companies that publish blogs generate 68% more leads on average than those that don’t. Yet, many teams fail to track blog engagement as part of their intent strategy.

Visitors reading blog posts about your solutions, use cases, or product features are displaying early buying signals. By capturing this data, you can:

• Gauge which topics generate the most interest
• Determine which blog categories correlate with conversions
• Personalize sales outreach based on article consumption

Especially during times when face to face channels aren’t available, blogs become a powerful, intent rich channel to watch.

3. Not Tracking Your Homepage

While it might seem obvious, some teams skip tracking their homepage thinking it’s too general to provide valuable insights. This is a big mistake.

The homepage is usually the first touchpoint for most visitors. Tracking this allows you to:

• Capture referral sources
• Trigger personalization experiences
• Identify bounce patterns
• See where visitors go next

Think of your homepage like a storefront. You wouldn’t ignore someone who just walked in so don’t ignore them online either.

4. Going Too Big, Too Early

First-party intent data opens up a world of use cases: personalization, lead scoring, sales alerts, retargeting, and more. But trying to activate all of them at once can overload your team and produce inconsistent results.

Instead:

• Focus on 1–2 use cases first (like personalized nurture emails or sales alerts)
• Set up the tracking infrastructure to support those use cases
• Optimize and measure before expanding

This phased approach helps you build a solid foundation and avoid data chaos.

5. Not Having a Clear Strategy to Use Your Data

Many teams implement intent tracking, but then… don’t do much with the insights. Without a clear plan to act on your data, even the best tracking setup won’t move the needle.

Before launching your campaign, ask:

• How will intent-based leads be qualified?
• What’s the difference between first-party and third-party lead handling?
• How will data be shared with sales teams?
• What messaging and content will be used to support sales outreach?
• Who owns what part of the funnel?

Having clear answers to these questions ensures your data translates into revenue, not just reports.

Final Thoughts

First-party intent data is one of your most valuable marketing assets but only if it’s tracked and used correctly. Avoid these five common mistakes, and you’ll unlock deeper insights, better targeting, and more conversions.

1. Build a High Intent RLSA Audience

Remarketing Lists for Search Ads (RLSAs) allow you to reach users who have already visited your website, with added intent-based targeting to refine your audience further. The strength of an RLSA campaign lies in its audience segmentation.

You can define audiences in two ways:

• Narrow: Target only users who visited a specific product or pricing page.
• Broad: Include anyone who visited your site.

The key is finding the balance between high intent and audience volume. Google requires at least 1,000 users in your audience to run a search ad campaign, so ensure your segments have enough scale to perform efficiently.

2. Set Up Dynamic Ad Bidding Based on Intent

With your audiences in place, dynamic bidding lets you maximize performance. Google Ads allows for custom bid adjustments based on audience signals and keyword intent. Here’s how to use this strategically:

• Increase bids for high value users – These are users who visited multiple key pages, downloaded content, or interacted deeply with your site. They’re more likely to convert, so it’s worth bidding higher.
• Lower bids for low intent visitors – Maybe they bounced quickly or visited just one general page. You can still target them, but reduce the spend per click.

While Google automates the bidding, you control your max CPC, ensuring the campaign stays within your budget limits.

3. Exclude Internal and Out of Market IP Addresses

To prevent wasteful spend, exclude IPs that belong to your own company, competitors, or even existing customers. These users may show strong engagement but are not likely to result in new revenue. If left unchecked, they can distort campaign data and drain budget.

Create a custom IP exclusion list based on your analytics and internal network info. With the right IP filtering system, you can keep your ad targeting focused on actual prospects not the wrong audiences.

4. Bid on Generic Keywords, But Only for Returning Visitors

Generic keywords like “sales software” can be expensive and highly competitive. On a cold audience, these clicks often don’t yield ROI. However, they can perform well when matched with warm leads.

Example: If a visitor read your case studies, browsed pricing, and downloaded a product guide, that behavior signals readiness. When they search for a broad term later, your ad will feel timely and relevant and your bid will be well spent.

5. Target Competitor Keyword Searches Strategically

Bidding on competitor keywords is a classic paid search tactic, but it needs refinement. Don’t show ads to cold users searching for a competitor you’ll pay a premium and get low conversion rates. Instead, only show these ads to users who previously visited your site.

That user has explored your offering and is now comparing vendors. If your ad appears next to a competitor’s, it reminds them of your solution and potentially wins them back.

Advanced advertisers even customize their copy to directly counter competitor positioning, turning a potentially lost lead into a win.

Final Thoughts

Improving your Google Search Ads doesn’t require a complete overhaul just smarter strategies. Start by segmenting high intent audiences, bidding dynamically based on behavior, excluding unqualified traffic, and customizing your keyword approach for returning visitors.

These five techniques ensure your remarketing efforts are more efficient, targeted, and conversion focused making the most of every advertising dollar.