Over the years, we have seen gradual yet significant development in the field of Marketing. Competition has become inevitable as users are constantly exposed to tons of advertisements. As a business owner, it is critical to come up with something different that can set you apart from the rest of the competitors.
It is also important to know that there are two types of marketing – inbound marketing and outbound marketing. Here, we will talk about the differences between the two, so that you can determine which marketing type will work best for you.
What is Inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing is a marketing strategy in which marketers grab the attention of their potential customers through interesting content. This marketing type is magnetic. With inbound marketing, the marketer sends out general messages to an uninterested audience. This strategy helps to attract an interested audience.
Most marketers prefer inbound marketing techniques because they help to attract the right audience by putting the work once. To get the best out of inbound marketing, the most important thing is content.
If you want to generate inbound leads and sales, you need to focus on creating helpful and quality content for your audience. Some examples of content include blog content, video content, downloadable content on the website, etc.
What is Outbound Marketing?
Outbound marketing is omit the opposite of inbound marketing. As mentioned above, inbound marketing is about getting the attention of potential customers by delivering helpful content. On the other hand, outbound marketing is about sending a message to people in an effort to make a sale.
Outbound marketing is also known as push or interruption marketing. With outbound marketing, the company initiates the conversation by trying to find the right audience and reaching out.
Although outbound marketing is quite hard to track and less profitable, companies still spend as much as 90% of their marketing budgets on it. However, relying solely on outbound marketing tactics is not advisable because inbound marketing tactics can generate far better results.
Inbound vs Outbound Marketing Statistics
- Inbound marketing generates three times more leads per dollar than traditional methods.
- Businesses that nurture leads make 50% more sales at a cost that’s 33% less than leads that aren’t nurtured.
- Content marketing gets three times more leads than paid search advertising.
- 47% of buyers view at least three to five pieces of content before deciding to speak with a sales rep.
- B2B companies that blog only once or twice a month generate 70% more leads than those who don’t blog.
- Social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing.
- 68% of inbound marketers and only 48% of outbound marketers classify their marketing efforts as “effective.”
- When asked which marketing tactic provides higher quality leads for the sales team, 59% of marketers responded inbound, and 16% reported outbound.
- Content marketing ranks as the most effective inbound marketing tactic for 20% of marketers worldwide.
Inbound vs Outbound Marketing Examples
Inbound Marketing
1. Search Engine Optimization
One of the best and effective inbound marketing strategies is search engine optimization or SEO. Through search engine optimization or SEO, you can rank your website on the top of Google SERP and drive high intent website traffic. Investing in SEO can help you get quality leads on a consistent basis.
2. Content Marketing
Content marketing is another great way of getting inbound leads. In the field of digital marketing, content plays a significant role. To get the best out of your marketing strategy, you need to deliver helpful content on a regular basis.
3. Paid Advertising
If you have a budget, you can consider running paid ad campaigns on Google, Facebook, and Instagram, just to name a few. Paid ads can deliver instant results, compared to SEO which may take some time.
You can run ads on Google, Facebook, Instagram, etc.
4. Blogging
When you publish helpful blogs consistently on your website, generating quality and high converting leads gets easier. Blogging about the topics in your industry shows the expertise you have in your field.
Outbound Marketing
1. Cold Calling
Cold calling is a popular marketing method, yet it is less effective than most digital marketing methods out there. In this example of outbound marketing, a salesperson makes calls to a database of people, with the intent of grabbing their attention and converting them to actual customers.
2. Content Syndication
Content syndication is when the marketer publishes content on a third-party website. The content could be a guest post, an interview, a thought leadership piece, etc. The use of content discovery platforms can be considered as content syndication.
3. Traditional Advertising Methods
Almost all traditional advertising methods, also known as above the line (ATL) advertising, are examples of outbound marketing. These include media such as television, radio, print advertising, etc.
4. Outbound Email
In this marketing tactic, sales representatives send emails to anyone that the company has identified as a potential customer, with the intent of building a connection. Through cold email outreach, the company tries to grab the attention of someone with no prior relationship.
Points of Differences
Inbound Marketing
- Pulls in interested audience
- Draws in customers
- Content plays a vital role
- Interactive and fluid
- Blogs, social media, opt-in emails are some examples
Outbound Marketing
- Pushes at the general audience
- Seeks out customers
- Content creation is not important
- One-way marketing
- Cold calling, television, billboards, magazines are some examples
Final Thoughts
Choosing between inbound marketing and outbound marketing can be tough since both methods have their own advantages and disadvantages.
In terms of effectiveness, inbound marketing usually has an edge over outbound because you grab the attention of your target audience through various marketing methods. It is deemed to be effective because you deliver value to your audience before trying to sell your product.
However, that does not mean that outbound is ineffective. Ultimately, what you can consider to be the best is the one that works for your business. Keeping a balance between the two is ideal, as mixing methods will allow you to experiment, measure, and repeat until you find the one that really works.
2 thoughts on “Inbound Marketing vs. Outbound Marketing, What’s the Difference?”
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