It’s 2023, you’ve got a renewed marketing budget for the year, and you’re on a mad dash to source for new prospects and land new accounts.
But finding valuable lead generation support that gets you quality marketing results can be a tall order. After all, so many B2B data providers rely on various forms of second-party and third-party data purchased from data aggregators or data-sharing partnerships — sometimes even illegitimately.
We get it, choosing the right lead generation agency is complex.
There are a few critical criteria you should look for when you’re on the hunt for a great partner who has a valuable B2B contact database you can tap into to scale lead generation and jumpstart growth. That’s where we hope to help.
In this blog post, we’ll show you the top B2B data providers and B2B lead generation companies on the scene right now and whom we trust. More importantly, we’ll show you how you can evaluate them on your own.
Our comprehensive guide will cover:
- Why you should or shouldn’t work with a B2B data provider.
- Tips to evaluate a B2B data provider based on their industry specialization, performance, and data sourcing approach.
- An overview of the 10 B2B data providers we trust, and their target industries, approach, solutions, pros and cons, and pricing models.
And for a limited time, we’ve prepared a lead generation starter kit to help you get a head start on your competition.
Get started with a free ViB trial
Table of Contents
What are B2B data providers?
B2B data providers, or contact database providers, are companies that offer access to their prospect or sales lead databases, i.e., databases of business contact information.
We then employ these databases through various services the provider offers to help find our potential customers or partners, typically for marketing, sales, and business development.
Types of data segments
Data providers primarily offer basic contact information or demographic data, but some may also offer nuanced data points, segmented by firmographics, technographics, and intent insights. Here is a brief description of the most common data used.
- Demographic data: Information about individuals and their characteristics, such as their name, company, job title, phone number, and email addresses.
- Firmographic data: Information about a company, such as its size, industry, and location.
- Technographic data: Information about the technologies a company uses or is interested in.
- Behavioral intent data: Refers to a range of data related to a contact’s buying status or likelihood of making a purchase.
Types of data sources
How this data is collected, and where it’s collected, all matter significantly too. We can categorize the main data sources as zero-party to third party data.
- Zero-party data: Information that customers directly actively provide to companies through explicit opt-in means, such as registration forms or surveys.
- First-party data: Information that customers directly but passively provide to companies, through interactions like website analytics or purchase history.
- Second-party data: Information that is collected by one company and then shared with another company. This type of data sharing arrangement is often established through a partnership or collaboration between the two companies.
- Third-party data: Information that is collected by a company from sources outside of its direct interactions with customers. This can include data from public records, third-party data brokers, or other external sources. Third-party data is generally considered to be less reliable and accurate since it isn’t obtained directly from the source.
B2B contact database providers typically use a combination of first-party and third-party data to build their databases and B2B lead lists.
But, really, there’s so much variation in what types of data they use.
Some providers, like ViB, may specialize in zero-party data, while many others rely more heavily on third-party sources. The important point is that businesses should consider the sources and accuracy of the data when evaluating a provider.
Read more about why zero-party data and first-party data are so important in marketing.
Industry and service specializations
So what else sets different providers apart?
Different B2B contact database providers often specialize in a specific industry or geographic regions, such as how ViB has millions of contacts in B2B tech industries with IT, security, cloud, and engineering job functions, to name a few.
Providers may also offer additional services such as campaign planning and consultation — i.e., demand generation services to fill the pipeline.
Some even provide a suite of business tools, like sales engagement platforms or CRM tools to help you operationalize the data they provide.
When should you work with a B2B data provider? [Benefits]
When it comes to making informed business decisions, access to accurate and up-to-date data is crucial. While it’s possible to gather this data on your own, working with a B2B data provider can save you time and resources, plus provide you with access to a wider range of data.
But when is it the right time to turn to a B2B data provider? Here are a few scenarios where working with a data provider can be beneficial for your business:
- When you’ve reached database saturation:
You’ll know this when your current database (aka, your email marketing database) isn’t engaging well with your campaigns anymore. This suggests that your old contacts aren’t a good fit for what you’re offering regardless of how many times they’ve seen (or will see) your message. That’s a good sign to source for new contacts.
- If you don’t have the time or resources to DIY:
Gathering new data can be a time-consuming process, especially if you don’t have a dedicated team or the necessary tools. A B2B data provider can help you build a sustained and repeatable lead generation strategy, freeing up your time and resources to focus on other aspects of your business.
- When you need to access niche or targeted data:
If you have a niche offering or need to reach a highly targeted group of people, you might need specialized contact information that’s difficult to gather on your own.
A data provider makes it much easier to build a targeted list of leads or data on specific industries or job titles, for example.
- When you need to expand your known contacts within a focus account:
If you work within an account-based model, performing an account mapping exercise to understand the different contact roles involved in the buying process is critical. But what if you identify people for whom you don’t have contact information?
That’s where a B2B data provider can help fill in the gaps so you can expand within existing accounts with ease.
- When you need to expand into new markets:
Working with a data provider can help you identify potential leads in new markets, especially if you are less familiar with the markets or don’t have established channels in them yet.
- When you need to make data-driven decisions:
To make informed decisions, you need the highest quality of data. A B2B data provider can help you gather and analyze more accurate and reliable data to help you make strategic choices for your business.
How to choose the best B2B data provider [Tips to evaluate]
Choosing a B2B data provider or lead generation agency that’s a good fit for you always requires one thing — research!
There’s no shortcut here, but there are a few key factors to consider when researching and comparing different agencies which can help you make an informed decision.
Quick tips when researching different B2B data providers:
- Review the types of services they offer: Do they just provide data, or do they also offer lead generation tools, or even white-glove services and consultancy to reach those contacts?
- Consider the quality of the data provided: Make sure the data is accurate and up-to-date, as this will be crucial for the success of your marketing efforts. Look for providers that take the time to constantly verify the accuracy of their data to ensure that it’s of high quality.
- Research the provider’s performance: Look for providers that have a history of success and are well-respected in the industry. You can ask for references or case studies to get a sense of the provider’s capabilities and the results they’ve been able to deliver for other clients.
- Evaluate the provider’s expertise in your industry: Look for providers that have a deep understanding of your industry and can deliver tailored solutions to meet your specific needs.
- Consider their fee structure and extras: You’ll typically encounter service-centric or pay-per-lead companies. Make sure you have a clear understanding of the costs upfront, and consider whether the provider offers any guarantees or protections in case the data doesn’t perform as expected.
Always consider their approach — how do they source data?
Many of these factors, like contact database quality, performance, and reputation, typically hinge on one main factor — how the vendor sources their leads and contacts in their database.
Common approaches include various forms of web-scraping, e.i., pulling data from third-party data sources, like content publishers and publicly-accessible websites.
While third-party data sources can reap in a massive volume of B2B contacts, their quality and accuracy are usually dependable, especially over time. This is a big caveat to look out for.
Remember that zero-party data and first-party data will always more accurately capture a prospect’s buyer intent.
Types of providers in our review
We’ve carefully selected a diverse range of providers and tools that are commonly used in demand generation strategies and offer various forms of B2B data.
The types of providers we have include:
- Pure data providers: Companies that you can buy data from directly.
- Marketing lead generation service providers: Companies that offer access to their data by way of delivering services.
- Intent data platforms or providers: Companies that offer signals that indicate a prospect or companies’ interest level but may not provide you with actual contact data.
- Prospecting tools: Companies that offer access to data via a sales prospecting tool.
- Website tracking tools: Companies that enrich data using web intelligence tools.
Rather than limiting ourselves to the traditional definition of a B2B data provider, we want to focus on the marketing needs that drive the need for the data in the first place.
These mix of solutions provide a comprehensive overview of what goes into a typical marketing mix at businesses which need to improve their demand generation efforts and access B2B data.
Our goal is to provide insight that will help businesses determine whether these uniquely different providers and tools are a good fit for your needs, rather than comparing one tool to another.
Top 10 contact database providers and demand generation agencies in 2023
This is an overview of the best lead generation companies and data providers in the B2B game right now, that we trust.
The list includes the industries in which they specialize, their approach, their top features, the pros and cons of working with them, and their basic pricing model if available.
1. ViB
ViB is the go-to B2B demand generation partner for high-tech companies. It specializes in providing highly qualified B2B leads through a range of marketing lead generation services — including proprietary approaches to email marketing, content syndication, appointment setting, virtual events, and research services.
One of ViB’s key differentiators is their approach to sourcing leads. For over a decade, they have been building a community of B2B technology professionals and decision makers who are interested in discovering new and emerging technologies.
So how does the community approach work?
This millions-strong community opts-in to receive information and updates from ViB. In turn, the community directly provides the most accurate and reliable contact information and behavioral signals — i.e., zero-party data and first-party data.
ViB matches these opted-in contacts to its clients by aligning their solutions or offering to the community members’ needs.
This approach allows ViB to generate leads that are highly qualified and interested in the technology products and services offered by ViB clients. They’re also much more likely to become paying customers than through other less effective methods.
See how 82.5% of appointments turned into opportunities
“Almost every lead ViB sent us became a business opportunity, as we hoped it would.”
Jon Moody, Director of Demand and Digital Marketing at Abnormal Security
Finally, ViB’s services are known to be affordable because of their simple operational approach.
Contact database and target industry:
- Specialization in high-technology contacts in B2B industries only
- 60% of members are in C-level to managerial roles
- Members span IT, engineering, sales, marketing, HR, and legal departments
- Segmented by firmographics, technographics, demographics and intent on-demand
- Constantly growing, with new members added daily
- Highly engaged and responsive
Solutions:
- Email marketing sends
- Appointment setting using an opt-in approach
- Content syndication using target promotions
- Virtual events planning and attendance
- Custom market research
Approach to sourcing leads: ViB sources hyper-qualified leads by matching its engaged community of technology decision makers with the solutions offered by their clients, directly extracting accurate contact information in the process and creating mutual benefit for both parties.
Pros and key features:
- Pay-per-performance fee structure
- Hyper-qualified leads who express their interest and intent
- Leads are ready to receive messages or calls from technology companies
- Includes niche tech segments within areas such as cybersecurity and emerging technologies
- Customized, white-glove plans and consultancy
Cons:
- Tech-oriented only with no public sector or education contacts
- More focused in US and Canada
Pricing model:
- Pay-per-lead or pay-per-performance pricing model for each service
- Starting at $25 per lead for each service
- Volume pricing available
- Trial pricing available
BrightTALK is a technology media company that generates lead data through professional events, webinar marketing, and content syndication marketing solutions to a variety of industries.
We included them in this list because they source contacts by creating valuable experiences and events. By providing high-quality content and facilitating engagement between attendees and speakers, BrightTALK helps businesses build trust and credibility with potential customers, which can lead to increased sales and revenue and goes beyond a mere data list.
Contact database and target industry:
- B2B decision makers who have provided their first-party data
- Segmented into 8 professional communities, including business management, legal, marketing, finance, human resources, sales, research and development, and information technology
Solutions:
- Webinars
- Virtual Events
- Content creation platform
Approach to sourcing leads: Opt-in community of millions of professionals
Pros and key features:
- Experience and value-based engagement suggests higher quality leads
- All-in-one content platform with event tools and multifaceted engagement features
- Credible track record
Cons:
- Limited to companies who need event marketing solutions
- Leads are in the driver’s seat with what events they register for so may not be aligned to your desired targeting criteria
Pricing model:
- Quote-based pricing plans with pay-per-lead guarantee options starting at $500-$1000 per month to upload or stream content.
- Contracts must be paid annually.
3. TechTarget
TechTarget delivers data with Contact Data Services, a contact hub that provides businesses with access to accurate and up-to-date contact data for technology and business professionals.
TechTarget’s Contact Data Services ingest streams from a network of partners including traditional data companies, publishers and social media sources. The result is over 70 million U.S. B2B records under management.
Beyond that, TechTarget also generates leads with an editorial approach. They provide audiences with access to a network of websites and publications focused on technology and business, and in turn offer targeted advertising and content placement opportunities to marketers.
Contact database and target industry:
- Enterprise B2B tech buyers in major segments, such as AI, Cloud and Storage
- 70 million U.S. B2B records in their contact hub
Solutions:
- Contact data services
- Content syndication, creation, research and promotion
- Intent data platform and integrations
Approach to sourcing leads: Various data sources including second-party data partners, and also by attracting millions of web visitors from over 150 topic-specific websites under TechTarget.
Pros and key features:
- Proprietary tools to minimize quality issues in lead accuracy and lead scoring
- Wide range of solutions for lead generation and audience engagement beyond contact data
- Targeted advertising opportunities and in-house editorial team covering 10k+ editorial topics
- Comprehensive Priority EngineTM sales tool to uncover leads
Cons:
- Since the company relies on an editorial approach, traffic driven to your asset or ad is organic and may not deliver targeted leads
- Techtarget is one of the longest running companies in this category so many marketers we talk to claim they have the least up-to-date data
- Complex platform can be complicated to onboard
- Expensive
Pricing model:
- Quote-based pricing with a license model
- Tiered Contact Data Services packages at $1500-$9000/month depending on how many contacts you would like to access
Recommended picks:
4. 6Sense
6sense is a sales and marketing predictive intelligence platform that provides businesses with access to anonymous buyer data.
6sense Revenue AI™ identifies, predicts and prioritizes top accounts to target, helping businesses augment data-driven decision-making, and to deliver more predictable revenue.
Contact database and target industry:
- B2B data focus
- Segmented into business firmographics, technographics, psychographics and buyer intent data
Solutions:
- Predictive intelligence platform and integrations
- Account identification and enrichment
- Campaign management email and digital ad tools
Approach to sourcing leads: buying signals from site visits, content consumption, peer review sites etc. are processed using Revenue AI™
Pros and key features:
- Good volume base with AI and ML-based predictive analytics to process data at scale
- Comprehensive ecosystem of tools
- Easier to use than competitors
Cons:
- Lengthy set up and upfront work, with some clients reporting 2+ months
- Platform will deliver signals, and enrich current accounts and contacts, but no new contact data is offered
- Some may struggle with how to action intent signals into a campaign
Pricing model:
- Starting prices are around $30,000 per year and are dependent on how many segments (or groupings and terms) your business needs
- Quote-based pricing with a license model
5. SalesIntel
Salesintel is a platform that provides businesses with access to accurate and up-to-date contact data, including information on companies, decision makers, and key contacts. This information can help businesses generate leads, improve their sales efforts, and better understand their target market.
Contact database and target industry:
- B2B data in the US market
- Data segmented into demographic, firmographic and technographic, and intent
Solutions:
- Contact and company data
- Intent, technographic and firmographic data
- On demand contact research
- VisitorIntel to track web visitors
- Data enrichment
- Platform and integrations
Approach to sourcing leads: Web-scraping and proprietary first-party data sources, with a segment that’s manually verified every 90 days
Pros and key features:
- 6.4M contacts with 95% accuracy via human-verified direct-dials
- Custom research service available for on-demand prospecting
- Well-rated with a good UX
Cons:
- Less flexible fee structure
- No services to action the data so you will need to bring the data into your own database for opt-in and nurturing actions
Pricing model:
- Individual plans start at $99 per user per month for up to 100 credits or $225 per user per month for up to 300 credits.
- Quote-based pricing with an annual license model
- Free trial available
6. Demandbase
Similar to 6Sense, Demandbase provides access to contact data and insights through a range of go-to-market and ABM solutions.
The Account Intelligence platform sources, cleans and matches first-party and third-party data sources. The platform also uses automation, AI and predictive models to process and enrich data.
Contact database and target industry:
- B2B data focus
- Comprehensive global reach
Solutions:
- First-party and third-party B2B data platform
- AI-driven data and applications with CRM and MAS integrations
Approach to sourcing leads: Demandbase pulls third-party data from 40K+ sources to enrich businesses’ own first-party data.
Pros and key features:
- AI-driven scale and efficiency
- Automated data cleaning and enrichment
- Able to orchestrate and drive engagement across several channels and for ABM goals
Cons:
- Complex and requires specialized skills to onboard and manage the platform
- Platform will deliver signals, and enrich current accounts and contacts, but no new contact data is offered
- Some may struggle with how to action intent signals into a campaign
- Less focus on consent and GDPR compliance
- Pricey for features delivered
Pricing model:
- Demandbase has a large suite of platforms so pricing is dependent on the platform chosen. Starting prices are around $10,000 per month for a limited number of users and data access and scale up from there.
- Quote-based pricing with a license model
- Tiered packages available
Recommended picks:
7. Bombora
Bombora’s intent data platform, Company Surge®, helps businesses access firmographic and intent data, and make sense of their target account list.
It uses a range of consent-based web publishers to detect user research behaviors and capture buying signals, which then become the intent data offered to businesses.
Contact database and target industry:
- B2B data focus
- Segmented into business firmographics and buyer intent data
Solutions:
- Intent data using a proprietary data consumption model
- Intent data platform and supported integrations
Approach to sourcing leads: Bombora analyzes how audiences consume content on various third party web sources such as business publishers, analysts, vendors, and content syndication providers.
Pros and key features:
- Leads are a better reflection of buyers’ digital journey
- Account identification, prioritization and optimization tools
- Emphasis on consent and data privacy
- Integrated into the majority of core martech tools such as Salesforce, Hubspot, Marketo, and more.
Cons:
- Intent data relies on third-party data sources that might be less accurate over time
- Platform will deliver signals, and enrich current accounts and contacts, but no new contact data is offered
- Some may struggle with how to action intent signals into a campaign
- Some data misclassifications and topical mismatches
Pricing model:
- Quote-based pricing with a license model
- Pricing starts at $25,000 per year
- Free sample available
8. Zoominfo
ZoomInfo is a software and data company that provides information and data for companies and businesspeople.
Its services, such as ZoomInfo SalesOS, include a comprehensive business database and technology, think workflow integrations, to support go-to-market strategies. It also delivers a 360-degree view of prospects, customers, and business opportunities.
Contact database and target industry:
- B2B contacts including 200M+ professional profiles and 150+ email addresses
- Segmented by demographics, firmographics, and dynamic signals
Solutions:
- SalesOS
- MarketingOS
- OperationsOS
- TalentOS
Approach to sourcing leads: Web-scraping and data cleaning
Pros and key features:
- Broad range of data provided
- Robust sales performance platforms with easy prospecting tools
Cons:
- Reliance on second and third-party data formats with reported inaccuracies
- Less specialization in B2B data
- Price point is high for contact quality
- No services to action the data so you will need to bring the data into your own database for opt-in and nurturing actions.
Pricing model:
- License model is dependent on how many credits you need, aka the number of contacts you need to download per month. Contracts start around $15,000 a year for 1 seat and 5,000 bulk credits.
- Auto-renewal contracts
Recommended picks:
- Watch: ViB x ZoomInfo – Conversation Intelligence for Marketers
- Watch: Art & Science of Sales Engagement Platforms
9. Linkedin Sales Navigator
LinkedIn Sales Navigator is a sales intelligence software solution for sales professionals and teams offered by LinkedIn. It features a powerful set of search capabilities, visibility into extended networks, and personalized algorithms to help reach the right decision makers.
The platform enables virtual selling by allowing salespeople to build and maintain relationships with prospects and buyers at scale through lead generation, prospecting, and outreach.
Contact database and target industry:
- 800M+ business professionals
- Covers all industries, countries, B2B and B2C
Solutions:
- Advanced search for leads and companies
- Lead recommendations
- CRM integrations
- InMail messages
- Sales insights
Approach to sourcing leads: Linkedin’s network data
Pros and key features:
- Reliable, real-time data
- Range of data filters
- 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level connection visibility
- Expanded access to Linkedin InMail
Cons:
- Contacts on Linkedin might express less interest in B2B procurement as the platform is primarily designed for career support and networking.
- No industry specificity or niche focus
- Price point is high
Pricing model:
- License model is per user and starts at $99.99 per month or $159.99 per advanced license
Recommended picks:
- How to Write B2B emails? 10 Tips and Templates
- Watch the 7 messaging secrets to “sell the meeting” and book more discovery calls
10. Leadfeeder
Leadfeeder is a B2B contact tracking and data enrichment platform that helps businesses identify and connect with potential customers who have visited their website.
The Helsinki-based startup does this by tracking visitors on their clients’ websites and provide supplementary visitor information, such as their company, location, and the pages they visited. This information can help businesses prioritize and follow up with the most promising leads.
Contact database and target industry:
- B2B data focus
- Data is industry agnostic, and instead based on each customer’s current website traffic
Solutions:
- Website tracking via the Leadfeeder Tracker script
- Sales platform and integrations
Approach to sourcing leads: Data is pulled from publicly available sources
Pros and key features:
- Provides real-time information on website visitors
- Leads delivered will already have some brand awareness
- Emphasis on GDPR compliance
- Value for money
Cons:
- Will not provide you new, unknown contact data since it relies on identifying, and enriching the known information for the traffic that is landing on your website.
- Intent data relies on third-party data sources that might be less accurate over time
- Less integration options
Pricing model:
- Pricing is based on how many companies they can identify and enrich.
- Monthly or annual license model starts at $198/month for up to 100 companies and scales up to $1050/month.
- Free limited version available
What’s the best way to get started with a B2B data provider?
We hope this guide gives you a good understanding of the factors to consider when choosing a B2B data provider or demand generation agency, such as industry specialization, type of data provided, performance and experience, lead sourcing approach, and pricing model.
Our best tip is to experiment with different providers to see what works best for your marketing needs. In fact, with these top 10 providers specializing in different areas, it can be beneficial to include more than one in your marketing mix.
And as a trusted provider with access to valuable zero-party data, ViB is a great choice to consider. Don’t miss out on ViB’s trials to jumpstart your 2023 growth today.
