Buyer Intent + Profile: How to Decide Where — and How — to Spend Your Ad Budget

The Real Problem Isn’t the Platform — It’s Fit

Most ad performance problems get blamed on platform choice.
The real issue usually isn’t where you’re running ads — it’s what mindset your buyer is in when they’re there, and whether that’s the right moment to engage.

Same person, different behavior:

• On Google: actively looking for answers

• On LinkedIn: open to strategic ideas

• On Meta: casually scrolling, not thinking about work

So stop asking only “Where are they?”
Start asking: “What are they ready for?”

To make paid spend work, start with two levers:

• Buyer Intent → how ready someone is to take action

• Buyer Profile → who they are, what they care about, and how they evaluate solutions

These levers define:

• Where you spend

• What message you lead with

• How you evaluate results

Everything else — platform trends, CPC benchmarks, targeting rules — comes after.

What Intent Really Means in B2B

Intent is one of the most useful signals in advertising — especially in B2B where buying groups share a problem but value different outcomes.

At its core, intent = readiness to take the next step. In B2B, that readiness lives on a spectrum:

• High: actively looking for a solution (bottom of funnel)

• Mid: comparing or exploring options (middle)

• Low: not thinking about the problem yet (top)

Each level calls for a different message, a different type of spend, and a different expectation of action.

Here’s the practical breakdown:

Intent isn’t just timing — it shapes where you show up, what you say, and what action you can realistically expect.

According to Foundry, B2B campaigns using intent-based targeting perform 2.5x better than those using standard targeting methods — a reminder that how you use intent signals can drastically improve outcomes.

Why Buyer Profile Changes the Game

If intent tells you when/where to engage, profile tells you how/why someone will care.

Two people can research the same solution and interpret value differently because their responsibilities and incentives differ — and so do their content preferences and trust cues.

Example (same tool, different lens):

• CFO: cares about ROI, risk, strategic impact

• Marketing Ops Lead: cares about clarity, speed, integration fit

You need to speak to both — just not the same way, and not in the same place.

Typical patterns:

Understanding profile helps you design messaging that converts and equips buyers to influence others.

How to Use Intent + Profile to Plan Your Spend

Intent and profile are valuable on their own; together, they give you a clear lens for where to spend, who to target, what to say, and what assets to provide.
No matter your budget size, the goals are the same: spend efficiently, learn quickly, help the right buyer move forward.

Step 1 — Find the person most likely to start the buying motion

Target the person who feels the pain first — usually the most active prospect, not necessarily the most senior.

Example (pipeline attribution tool):
The CEO cares about forecast accuracy, but the Marketing Lead feels the pressure to prove ROI and guide budget. They’re closest to the problem — and often the most motivated to act.

Prioritize:

• Channels: LinkedIn (mid/high intent) and Search

• Message: clear use cases, short walkthroughs, credibility-driven proof

• CTAs: “See how it works” / “Book a demo” / “Compare solutions”

Step 2 — Support the deal as it moves

Most B2B deals involve multiple stakeholders. Initial interest isn’t enough — plan how your spend helps momentum.

You have two viable patterns:

• Option 1: Parallel support across the buying committee
  Run role-based campaigns for users, champions, and approvers. (Works with larger budgets and longer cycles.)

• Option 2: Double down on the entry point
  Keep targeting tight. Equip the person closest to the pain to make the internal case. (Best for most growth-stage teams.)

Useful supporting assets:

• Shareable explainer video

• Short ROI summary for finance

• One-pager on integration, security, and compliance

The point: your ads shouldn’t stop at awareness — they should help your buyer sell internally.

From Insight to Allocation: Making Smart Trade-Offs

Before you decide where to spend, get clear on what you’re trying to buy. Every dollar does one of three jobs:

You don’t need to fund all five equally. Emphasize one or two each quarter based on constraints.

Campaigns that integrate both upper-funnel and lower-funnel spend consistently outperform those that don’t. This combination has been linked to stronger ROI and improved customer acquisition outcomes — especially when aligned with real-time buyer intent.

Make trade-offs explicit:

• Not enough qualified pipeline? → shift into Create + Capture.

• Lots of traffic, low resonance? → spend on Teach + Test until the message clicks.

• Deals stall late? → add Accelerate with role-based proof and ROI.

• Limited budget? → anchor on Capture for high-intent + use Teach/Test as low-cost learning loops.

Re-evaluate quarterly with three questions:

1. Did we learn something useful about ICP or message?

2. Did we drive qualified pipeline efficiently?

3. Did we support deal movement?

If any answer is “no,” rebalance the job of your dollars — not just the channel mix.

Close

Intent decides when and where you show up.
Profile decides what you say and how you help them move forward.

Plan your spend by those two levers and your budget stops chasing clicks — and starts building pipeline with purpose.