Marketing by its very nature is all about creating new buzzwords and generating interest, so what exactly is Inbound Marketing & Outbound Marketing and which one is best?
Outbound Marketing
Let’s start off with Outbound Marketing or what many would see as ‘Traditional Marketing’ – pushing a message onto potential customers through methods such as:
- TV and radio adverts
- Direct Email
- Banner & Pop Ups
- PPC
- Telemarketing
You know the type of thing that was completely acceptable 10 years ago but is now seen as a massive invasion of our privacy because we didn’t ask to receive the information.
Inbound Marketing
Inbound Marketing (or Content Marketing) on the other hand is currently massively trendy and is the way to ‘do Marketing’. Its all about content creation and luring the customer in with information that is relevant and of course beneficial to them. Perhaps most importantly it is content that they ‘want’ to receive. Think newsletter (subscribed to obviously), blogs, whitepapers and other helpful, ‘non salesy’ content which leaves customers feeling warm and fuzzy about a brand.
Which is best?
So, based on the above, Inbound Marketing is definitely the best, right? Well yes and no and it depends! Don’t dismiss Outbound Marketing just yet! Whereas in the past Outbound Marketing generally used a ‘scattergun’ approach, technological advancement now allow for Google ads and the like to be directed specifically to people based on their interests. Of course, for those companies with deep pockets it is still a great way of getting in front of massive audiences quickly and if we’re going to be honest how many Inbound Campaigns get the type of attention the John Lewis Christmas Advert gets each year? Inbound Marketing on the flip side is great for building long term relationships and brand loyalty but it’s difficult to monitor the effectiveness of campaigns and needs constant monitoring. So you can see both have advantages and disadvantages.
It’s important to realise what works for one company won’t necessarily work for another and there is no right or wrong answer. By experimenting with both Inbound & Outbound Marketing techniques and regularly reviewing your Marketing Strategy you will find the balance that works for your company.
If you would like to discuss how to get the best from your Marketing please get in touch.