Outbound vs Inbound Marketing: What is the difference?

Many people mix these concepts, and nowadays with digital they can be a little more misunderstood.

But for a marketer professional, it is crucial to understand the difference between these terms.

They will help you define the kind of approach you want to take for your company to achieve x results, even the channels, the stakeholders in between.

So let's do it!

Outbound marketing: refers to any kind of marketing/ action where a company/ brand initiates the conversation.

When the company/ brand is responsible for sending the message to its audience.

Usually refers to traditional marketing strategies and the channels related.

For example:

Offline

• TV commercials
• Radio spots
• Mail Box advertising
• Outdoors
• Direct marketing (call center)
• Newspapers ads

Online

• Ads displayed on apps*
• Social media ads*
• Youtube ads (in the middle of videos)*
• Junk emails (spam)
• Ads on SERP*
• Banners in blog/ newspapers*
• Pop-ups

*(no segmentation, massive)

Some characteristics:

• Sales are the main focus
• Non-value content, just persuasive to sales convert
• Unidirectional communication/ no interaction
• Intrusive, aggressive, unexpected and no personalization
• Information transmitted without direct user's search/ interest
• Urgent CTA.

Inbound marketing: starts when a user first makes a search on the web to get a solution to a problem/ need; related to content creation and customer journey.

The company product/ service will be the answer.

But you have to find a way to make the user reach you "on their own" (the opposite of the Outbound marketing approach).

On the digital, we have a "persona" well defined to be persuaded in a very particular way since we want quality instead of quantity.

Instead of showing without permission like Outbound advertising, Inbound requires active search and user permission without being intrusive.

It focuses on the user's needs, designed to solve a problem/ need, building a bond of trust between the audience and brand.

Many times related to brand awareness or content creation, based on buyers' journeys.

For that, you just need to Inform and Entertain the user, at the same time you're "heating their minds" until convert in lead.

Usually refers to non-traditional/ digital marketing strategies and the channels related.

For example:

We need a situation to explain its applicability. Imagine you are searching for a motorcycle on the web. Your search for "best motorcycles" and you land in a Motocard article about the best motorcycles of 2020 (Attract with the content you needed), after that you click on a link about "Do you want to find the most important specs of x motorcycle model?", in that article, you will find a lot of information including prices and places to buy, in the end, you have a link to ask for a kit with more information on your email about that model (Interact showing the costs and collecting personal information and Delight with an offer).

• Social media
• Email marketing*
• Mobile Apps
• Landing pages*
• Linked content
• Special forms for more information/ special deals*

*(inserted in a content page warm-up, where you subscribe it).

Some characteristics:

• Attracting - Interacting - Delighting
• Identify the buyer persona, the buyer's journey and the sales funnel
• A solid presence in the digital market (brand awareness)
• Attract clients, create a qualified leads DB
• Well-oriented purchase process
• Customized level communication, medium-long term bond with the client (brand loyalty)
• Evolves an SEO specialist to optimize the content (organic position), a marketing specialist to set the actions and analyze all the data collected, a sales rep for the final conversion

Conclusions:

So Outbound marketing is the opposite of Inbound marketing.

Both have the final purpose of increasing sales.

Outbound wants as a short cut and don't have medium-long terms effects.

Inbound does it as a relationship with the audience, evolving them, creating positive medium-long terms effects (brand awareness).

But this won't mean that both can't work together.

For example Google Ads (Outbound approach) with segmentation (Inbound approach).

You can define a very efficient marketing strategy combining these two.

Just make sure you have your objectives well defined! ?? #socialmandim #inbound #outbound