Inbound Versus Outbound Marketing: The Online Marketing Tools of the Week
While most business people are familiar with the terms inbound and outbound marketing, many people don’t understand the differences between the two or how it relates to your success. Once you realize the benefits of inbound marketing versus those of outbound marketing, your content writing services will be able to develop a strategy that implements the best aspects of both.
Inbound Versus Outbound Marketing
Before moving forward, it’s critical to understand the primary differences between inbound and outbound marketing. In basic terms, inbound marketing refers to all methods of reaching your target audience where and when they want it. For instance, an email newsletter qualifies as inbound marketing because individuals need to sign up to receive it and it is delivered right to them in their email. Outbound marketing, on the other hand, is typically mass produced marketing that reaches out to your target audience, such as television and radio commercials, roadside bulletin boards and direct mail.
Outbound Marketing Leads Are Down
While outbound marketing strategies are still viable when used correctly, the number of leads you can expect to generate through these methods is significantly lower than what you can expect from inbound marketing. Today’s consumers are more likely to respond to information they can find when they need it, not advertisements that are always there. Many people have learned to ignore many of these other methods of advertising. However, there are still some industries that benefit greatly from the use of outbound strategies. Overall, it’s best to create a marketing plan that uses a good mix of inbound and outbound marketing tactics.
Inbound Marketing Is More Informative
Most outbound marketing techniques are short and to the point, which doesn’t tell viewers much about your company. One of the benefits of inbound marketing is your marketing content writer will be able to share a lot about your business and help your customers really understand who you are and what you stand for. When you make these connections on a personal level, you are more likely to attract loyal customers who will recommend you to their family and friends. Writing a blog or creating downloadable content will help convince your readers you are the right choice to satisfy their needs.
Inbound Leads Are Easier for Your Sales Staff
Your sales staff is used to working with prospective customers to convince them to turn to you to resolve their problems. However, they enjoy working with leads that don’t require a lot of attention or hard work to convert. This is another of the benefits of inbound marketing strategies. Because customers come to the sales staff already well informed about what your business offers and what you stand for, there is less work associated with converting those leads into sales.
Outbound Marketing Is More Expensive
Another reason many businesses are moving away from the outbound marketing tactics is due to the higher cost of these methods. Think about how much it costs to produce a commercial and run it on your local television or radio stations. What about the price of renting billboard space, creating the advertisement, printing it and installing it? While you might reach a large number of people using these techniques, the percentage of people who will need your products and services within that group is significantly lower. This makes the value of the marketing much lower than the returns you can expect with lower-cost inbound marketing strategies. However, this doesn’t mean you should abandon all outbound marketing. Mixing a few of these tactics with inbound options will help you cast a wider net without surpassing your overall marketing budget.
Inbound marketing may be a relatively new player in the business field, but these strategies often outperform their outbound counterparts and cost less as well. While there are many benefits of inbound marketing, it’s important to realize the use of outbound marketing tactics isn’t yet dead. Instead, it’s important to work with content writing services that can help you decide how much inbound and outbound marketing will help you generate more leads and convert more sales. The proper blend of techniques from each of these areas will help you reach the right people and ensure your marketing remains effective.
If you’re looking for a marketing content writer to help you develop your sales strategies, contact us. We can help you develop your inbound marketing to ensure you reach your target audience where they want to be found.
