The new publisher playbook: Using Intent data to win audiences and advertisers

In today’s B2B media world, Intent data isn’t just for targeting anymore — it’s becoming a strategic pillar for how publishers operate, grow, and deliver value.

The publishers getting the most out of Intent data aren’t just layering it onto media buys  — they’re embedding it in every part of the business. They’re using Bombora Company Surge^® to inform what content gets created, how it’s distributed, how it’s measured, and how future campaigns get sold.

It’s powering everything from event strategy to nurture flows. And it’s not just helping publishers stand out in a crowded, performance-driven market — it’s giving them a strategic edge at a time when traffic patterns are shifting, audience attention is hard to hold, and monetization is under pressure from changing consumption habits driven by GenAI.

Here’s how they’re doing it.

 

Reimagining content strategy: From editorial to branded content

Content is no longer about volume — it’s about relevance. As the game shifts from quantity to quality, content has become the key to deeply engaging audiences and proving value to advertisers. But you can’t create what people care about if you’re operating in the dark. That’s why publishers are turning to Bombora’s Intent data — to understand what their audiences are actively researching right now, and to build content strategies grounded in real demand. 

Editorial and branded content teams alike are putting this intelligence to work. Editorial teams are using intent signals to identify rising topics, guide contributor focus, and deliver content that resonates in the moment. With Bombora’s unique view of what key audience segments are consuming across the broader B2B web, they can also uncover content gaps and opportunities they might have otherwise missed — informing smarter decisions about what to cover next. Branded content teams take that same insight and build narratives that align directly with in-market interest — not just choosing the right topic, but driving outcomes across the full campaign lifecycle.

• Pre-campaign: Sales teams are building stronger pitches by showing advertisers exactly which companies are researching what topics and how that behavior is manifesting across the publisher’s properties.
• Campaign targeting: Marketers can dynamically target branded content to specific companies and buyer groups that show interest, ensuring the right message reaches the right people at the right time.
• Post-campaign: Wrap reports don’t just show clicks and reach; they illustrate how audiences moved from early interest to in-market, backed by trusted data, giving advertisers the insight they need to invest again (and more).

Intent data is becoming the backbone of publisher strategy — helping teams create smarter editorial coverage, stronger audience connections, and more effective branded content programs from pitch to post.

 

Campaign intelligence that closes deals and fuels renewals

One of the biggest unlocks for publishers has been the transformation of campaign reporting through the use of Intent data. Instead of leading with metrics like impressions or CTRs, they’re telling richer stories: who engaged, what they cared about, and how behavior changed throughout the campaign.

Publishers are using Bombora data to show:

• Which companies interacted with branded content
• How interest in the advertiser’s category or solution grew over time
• Where audiences moved from early-stage research to in-market consideration

This kind of intelligence builds advertiser trust. It justifies higher investment. And it creates new upsell opportunities — whether that’s expanding the program, deepening audience targeting, or layering in new formats.

When Intent data is part of the post-campaign narrative, renewals become a much easier conversation to have.

 

Powering personalization and nurture with AI + Intent

High-performing publishers are pairing Intent data with AI to build smarter, more personalized nurture and demand programs on behalf of their advertisers — especially in high-consideration B2B environments.

With Bombora’s topic-level signals and Intent scores as inputs, publishers can:

• Dynamically tailor messaging to the entire buying committee — from C-suite to end users
• Build nurture journeys that evolve as behavior changes — automatically adjusting cadence, messaging, and calls to action
• Do it all at scale, without ballooning operational costs

What used to require manual work and static creative is now intelligent, agile, and efficient. Publishers are moving from generic nurture tracks to behavior-based engagement that drives results.

 

Using Intent to differentiate and grow

Publishers are using Bombora’s Intent data to drive smart decisions across their entire organization.

• Editorial strategy: Contributor and editorial teams are using Intent data to identify rising topics, guide coverage based on shifting market interest, and deliver content that resonates with readers. It’s not just an advertising input — it’s shaping what gets covered and when.
• Events: Sales and marketing teams are identifying ideal sponsors based on real-time research behavior, tailoring event programming to align with demand, and demonstrating post-event lift to prove impact. 
• Audience development: First-party segments are being enriched with Bombora’s Intent signals to build more precise, high-value cohorts — fueling better targeting, deeper personalization, and new product opportunities. 
• Sales strategy: Intent data is enabling commercial teams to pitch smarter, more consultative solutions — backed by insight into what buyers actually care about right now. 
• Campaign optimization: Teams are using real-time Intent shifts to adjust targeting, messaging, and creative mid-flight — helping campaigns perform better and stay relevant as audience behavior evolves. 

Intent data has become a connective thread across publishing organizations. It’s breaking down silos and empowering teams with shared intelligence to drive growth, engagement, and results. 

 

Why this works: Intent data has become a business pillar

For some publishers, Intent data isn’t just part of the pitch — it is the pitch. There are no “non-Intent” campaigns. It’s part of every proposal, every report, every sales conversation.

And that’s because it works. It fosters alignment between publishers and advertisers. It proves value. It enables personalization and performance at scale.

It’s not an add-on feature. It’s an operating principle.

 

What this means for you

If you’re still only using Intent data to inform basic targeting, you’re leaving value on the table.

If you’re not using Intent data at all, you’re falling behind.

Bombora helps publishers unlock this value across every layer of their business. And because of how the Data Co-op is structured, publishers don’t have to do it alone — they benefit from the shared scale, taxonomy, and network of Intent signals across the entire ecosystem.

The most successful publishers aren’t just selling ads — they’re building audience intelligence machines. And Intent is the engine powering it.

 

The Bombora Data Co-op: Join the ecosystem

Intent data is quickly becoming table stakes. But the way publishers use it — to inform content, power campaigns, and drive measurable business outcomes — is what sets the best apart.

Bombora is helping publishers transform how they sell, create, and grow — with Intent at the center of it all.

Want to see what’s possible when Intent becomes part of your strategy? Let’s talk.