Inbound vs Outbound Marketing

In the world of business, marketing is everything. Without good marketing, it would be very difficult to make your prospective customers aware of your existence. It’s critical, then, that you get your marketing strategy just right.

In the past, this typically meant blasting your message at anyone who would listen. Outbound marketing tactics like these have included billboards, TV commercials, radio advertisements, and cold calls, amongst other things. In recent years, however, inbound marketing has taken over. With this strategy, businesses anticipate the interest and needs of their target audience and allow their customers to come to them. This is often accomplished through blogging, social media marketing, video content, and a number of other SEO tactics.

At first glance, it would seem that the two have been duking it out for quite a while. Although the majority of modern businesses have embraced the power of inbound marketing, there are a number of brands that are still nervous about abandoning their “tried and true” outbound tactics. Upon closer inspection, though, it becomes apparent that there’s really no competition at all. When it comes to the “battle” between inbound marketing vs outbound marketing, inbound wins every time. Here’s how:

Meeting Customers Where They Are

With outbound marketing tactics, businesses must rely on the idea that their target audience is spending a lot of time engaging with TV, the radio, or answering their phones to take cold calls. The reality, however, is that many modern consumers are using video and music streaming services that don’t show advertisements. At the same time, the majority of people are shutting down their landlines and blocking unknown callers. The market is currently online. Businesses who choose to go with inbound marketing strategies are able to connect with their current and prospective customers where they’re currently spending the majority of their time.

Prepping Customers for Sales

When it comes to prepping your customers to make a sale, nothing beats inbound marketing. With outbound marketing, you’re pumping your message out and hoping that it sticks somewhere. With inbound marketing, you’re laying out the breadcrumb trail to help your customers walk right up to your front door and make a buying decision. All of the pieces are put in place to help your prospects research your brand, your products, and your services. By the time they reach out to you, they will already know exactly what they want and be fully prepped and primed to do business with you.

Customer Engagement

Outbound marketing focuses primarily on talking AT your target audience. You have a specific message that you want to share, and you’re going to keep talking until you make your point. Inbound marketing, on the other hand, is all about talking WITH your audience. This is your opportunity to really develop meaningful relationships with your prospects and to engage them with your brand. Not only does this allow you to learn more about your customers’ needs so that you can develop even better content, but it also makes for loyal clients and more referrals.

Feedback Loop

With marketing, it’s important to frequently evaluate your strategies, determine what is and isn’t working, and to revise your tactics. In outbound marketing, it can be difficult to really get a full understanding of what’s resonating with your audience. With inbound marketing, though, you can see what’s piquing your customers’ interest in real-time. By running analytics, “listening” to consumer conversations, and conversing with your audience yourself, you can pinpoint exactly where you’re succeeding and where you need improvement.

After all has been said and done, the “battle” between inbound marketing and outbound marketing really isn’t a fair fight at all. Start winning big with inbound marketing today. Give a shout to the team at Madison Taylor Marketing to learn more.