Have you ever thought of changing your company’s existing marketing strategy? Which marketing strategy- inbound or outbound marketing strategy is the most confusing thing. Both despite having distinct applications, benefits, and challenges, are used by businesses to help them improve their sales and revenues.
Read this blog – inbound marketing vs outbound marketing to explore the key differences between both of them along with getting an overview of the same. Post reading this blog, you will be able to make the right decision.
All About Inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing is a marketing way that focuses on trying to position yourself ahead of when your potential customers are looking for similar offerings. This kind of marketing is relatively new, instead of pushing ads and messages onto consumers, inbound marketing creates curiosity and engagement among the customers. Thus, inbound marketing is also termed as pull marketing.
Inbound marketing uses different kinds of content to engage and interest target audiences. The targeted customers are engaged through blog posts, social media, infographics, email newsletters, white papers, e-guides, quizzes, etc. Paid search and native advertising are some other kind of inbound marketing tactics that help people find and engage with marketers’ content.
Inbound marketing starts with customers looking for products and services, or content to get an answer to their query. The content you have posted should explain how your products or services will resolve their issues, answer key questions in their niche industry, or satisfy their needs.
Inbound Marketing Examples
Inbound marketing is done through ways out of which the most popular inbound marketing strategies include:
- SEO focused content. Businesses post content in blogs, eBooks, checklists, infographics, videos, etc. to educate customers about their offerings.
- Regular social media posting.
- Engaging email campaigns for opt-in lists
- Organizing webinars and other content types that are worth the information
- Referral links from other related websites
Advantages of Inbound Marketing
Some of the advantages of inbound marketing are written below:
Organically Increases Brand Awareness- Inbound marketing is designed to organically target potential customers by providing them the useful content they are looking for. It also presents your brand as a valuable resource.
Improves credibility: For gaining the trust of your customers, there is no better option than inbound marketing as it has a personalized approach. This kind of marketing provides key information that users are looking for online.
Continuous Engagement: Well-structured and researched content encourages further engagement with your brand through the buyer’s journey.
Disadvantages of Inbound Marketing
- Takes Time and patience: Inbound marketing takes time to give the desired results.
- The businesses might get dominated by their competitors.
What is Outbound Marketing?
Outbound marketing is a traditional marketing kind where organizations start contacting potential customers, or leads. The most common ways used by businesses for outbound marketing consist of direct mail, cold calling, email marketing, ads on billboards, print ads, event sponsorships, tradeshow, etc.
This marketing pushes information to consumers, even in case they might not ask for the information. So this marketing style is known as “push marketing.” One of the main features of outbound marketing is its proactive nature. Businesses using this marketing style push their message out to a broader audience.
But today outbound marketing is not limited to traditional marketing ways only, rather used by modern businesses as well in the form of pay-per-click advertising and spam emails.
Outbound Marketing Examples
- Cold calling or cold emailing
- Direct mail
- Booths at trade shows or conferences
- TV, radio, or print ads
- Sponsorships
- Billboards
Advantages of Outbound Marketing
Check out the benefits of outbound marketing mentioned below:
Scalability: Outbound marketing offers scalability, it lets businesses expand their efforts to target a large number of audience and drive sales.
Fast results: Outbound marketing has the ability to achieve quicker results. This marketing style gives quick results in terms of reach and impressions
Better targeting: Outbound marketing lets businesses target customers living in specific demographics and geographic regions. This way businesses can improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
Disadvantages of Outbound Marketing
Expensive: Outbound marketing is expensive as compared to inbound marketing as it includes the production and distribution of advertisements costs.
Less engagement: Outbound marketing is less engaging and interactive as it has one-way communication.
Lacks Customer’s Trust: This marketing style is less credible and trustworthy due to the missing personalized approach.
Inbound Marketing vs Outbound Marketing – The Difference
Mentioned beneath is the tabular data providing the differences between inbound marketing vs outbound marketing:
| Feature | Inbound Marketing | Outbound Marketing | ||
| Approach | Attracts interested customers by drawing them in | Pushes messages to customers regardless of interest. | ||
| Content Creation | It is written based on the customer’s needs. | Create content based on the product needs. | ||
| Marketing | It is also called New Marketing/Pull Technique. | It is also called Push Marketing Technique. | ||
| Cost | Inbound Marketing is cheap. | Outbound Marketing is expensive. | ||
| Customer Interaction | In Inbound Marketing, the marketer has to take customers’ permission. | In Outbound Marketing, the marketer interrupts the customer. | ||
| Communication | It facilitates two way communication. | It has one way communication. | ||
| Search Ranking | It includes organic search ranking. | It includes paid search ranking. | ||
| Examples | Some examples of inbound marketing include blogs, social media etc. | Some examples are tv ads, display ads, etc. | ||
| Measurability | Performance can be tracked with digital marketing software. | It is challenging to quantify physical advertising attribution. | ||
| User Experience | It improves user experience. | It interferes with user experience. | ||
| Audience | It targets a specific audience. | It is for the general audience. | ||
| Purpose | It is done to improve brand awareness or visibility among customers | Outbound marketing is used for introducing new products. | ||
| Strategy |
|
Persuade customers to purchase through tactical messaging. |
Inbound Marketing Vs Outbound Marketing? Choose the Most Appropriate
If you are managing your business and looking for the most suitable marketing strategy then you must know the details of these approaches and how they can work to drive sales. Businesses can also use the blend of inbound and outbound marketing while targeting audiences and increasing sales. One thing all businesses must consider is that they must continuously track the changing market trends and craft marketing strategies keeping this in mind.
No matter what marketing strategy you use- inbound or outbound, make sure you have hired the experts who can give you the best results.
Kodehash – customized the Right Marketing Strategy
At Kodehash Technologies, we understand the significance of choosing the perfect marketing strategy for the growth of your business. Our team of marketers is dedicated to designing and deploying a tailored marketing plan using a combination of inbound and outbound marketing techniques. Whether you want to target new customers with engaging content or expand your reach through targeted advertising, we will design a suitable marketing campaign.
So, revamp your marketing strategy with Kodehash’s assistance. Contact Kodehash today and discover how our innovative and unique marketing solutions can elevate your brand!
Inbound Marketing vs Outbound Marketing: FAQs
- Why is inbound marketing considered better than outbound?
Inbound marketing has a low cost. It typically costs almost half less than outbound leads. Also, the majority of business decision-makers prefer knowing about a brand through articles instead of an ad.
- Is SEO inbound marketing?
Yes, SEO is an example of inbound marketing. It utilizes search traffic to design content tailored towards a certain audience. With SEO content, businesses can make their offerings accessible to their target audience and improve their sales.
- How can Kodehash help my company?
By teaming up with an expert marketing agency like Kodehash Technologies, businesses can have a more customized marketing plan and ensure the complete utilization of all the resources. The experts working with us create strategies keeping your budget, target audience, and business goals in mind.