Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing: Finding the Right Strategy for You

With inbound marketing, your content works as a magnet, inciting the public to learn more. So, they make the first move. And what’s essential, consume it voluntarily. That excludes any TV ads, billboards, or cold calling. Otherwise, it is outbound marketing that interrupts the public’s attention. It pushes your message, hoping they buy from you, even if they do not ask for it.

And when you know the gap, you understand how to create a smart combination where both outbound and inbound marketing strategies work for you. Before we move on, let’s start with the basics.

Inbound Marketing Definition

First, an inbound approach can save you hours and money. No matter the size of your business, for it to work, it needs to be unmissable.

Next, it attracts attention. Why? It looks organic; it doesn’t clutter a user’s overall experience. Blogs, white papers, emails, or social media help hype it.

Although inbound PR trends are changing regularly, the following five work best in all cases. The top five include:

• Interactivity
• Personalized mobile content
• AI
• Automated ad
• Video promotion.

Your top five might look different as long as it works for you and has a brand voice. The more authentic it is, the better the response.

How Does Inbound Marketing Work and Why Is it Popular?

When dinosaurs were roaming the Earth, we had a TV, radio, or print that gave us information, entertained and annoyed us with long ads. Things have changed with the Internet. So did people. Their psychology changed, making them love to be masters of their destinies. Since then, B2B customers have practiced finding specific answers to their questions and do it quickly. And that’s where the outbound approach fails. 

So, how to make your inbound strategy work? Stop thinking about selling. The ultimate goal is to attract the public by focusing on their needs. As long as you have a solution that makes their everyday life easier, you win it.

Focusing on sales and branding through digital channels is a way to practice direct marketing. If you are more about building relationships through branded content, you sharpen an integrated approach. Both strategies work in collaboration with each other. Even so, as a marketer, you are likely to know which one works best for you.

Inbound Marketing Examples: Get Inspired to Create Your Own and Grow Your Audience

The biggest challenge with most great products (including services) is choice. And you do not have to utilize them all. Pick the tools that make your life easier. Techniques such as blog articles, videos, email campaigns, SMM, and landing pages have helped businesses to grow exponentially by attracting traffic, capturing leads, and driving sales. 

You may not always recognize the impact a movie has on you. When all three – visuals, music, and emotions – are shown, they do the job. It does subtly. The way the best films impacts you, the right combination of tactics does to your brand. 

For example, a blog

HubSpot’s Marketing Report 2021 is a perfect illustration of the inbound approach. So, what do they do? They made a free collection of insights and data that shed light on the current state of the market. As a free product, it gets the goal—attracts the target audience.

For infographics, see the example below

Since not all of us have the time or desire to sit down and consume thousands of words, some brands went the other way. They effectively utilized infographics in their strategy. And the best example is Amex (American Express).

The Small Business Recovery is the infographic that was widely shared with the target audience.

One might say, what new can we know about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses? However, the thing is not about the impact itself. It is a collection of insights and solutions, offering to help small businesses recover. Shared on the blog, it became a helpful resource for entrepreneurs on how to get back on track.

Now podcasts

Audiences can be too mentally fatigued to take in your content visually. And that is okay. In this case, podcasts are the best option. With a laptop, two microphones, and a colleague; you are in.

Learn from the best brands and how they effectively implemented podcasts in their strategy. For example, a podcast called “Fortune Favors the Bold,” helped to position Mastercard as a thought leader in the business world. And while they provided value to the listeners, they promoted their brand and products. In a way that feels organic, relevant, and easy to access at any time.

Outbound Marketing Examples to Keep an Eye on

This paragraph contains valuable data on how businesses handle outbound PR properly. As you know, the tactics might include TV advertising, print media, radio ads, cold calls; you name it.

Although it is known to be too forceful, it is still a great way to reach an ever-increasing number of target audiences quickly and effectively.

Example of using PPC advertising

PPC or Pay-per-click ads are one of the best and most popular techniques of outbound approach effort. And one brand that used that tool effectively is Peloton.

To reach potential customers, Peloton used PPC ads to attract customers who were searching for fitness and workout equipment. By using the right keywords, their ads have the highest position in the SERPs. Their ads looked visually appealing with clear CTAs that encouraged the public to learn more about the brand.

The way to use digital advertising

The choice of promotion tactics to do that has no end. You can use a search engine promo, display ads, email ads, video, or native advertising. As always, it is all about your target audience. When you know it, demographics, and geographical location, you win. Get inspired by how effectively Nike used it in its outbound strategy in 2021.

The company decided to bet on personalization. Each ad they used was specific and targeted at different segments of their audience. It depended on interests, behaviors, and demographics. And that helped. That way, Nike established itself as a leading brand in the sports industry.

They used all the advertising techniques that resonated with the public. More to the point, they used retargeting ads to re-engage the customers who didn’t make a purchase.

Don’t think the advertising strategy you use is helping you?

With time, it is smart to ask that question to rethink your strategy. You are not alone. Businesses and their audiences have changed, and so did the inbound approach. It became stronger and more critical than ever.

The good news is that you can contact a reputable PR agency to help refine your content strategy and set you up with an action plan. That shouldn’t be that challenging. There is always a way to ease your marketing efforts and improve wherever needed.