Inbound marketing is a powerful tool for your small business. When it comes to marketing there are two forms you’re probably aware of, inbound and outbound marketing. Each one is different, but inbound marketing has a slew of unique benefits that can help your business grow in new ways.
In this article we’re going to cover the differences between inbound and outbound marketing, as well as the benefits you can expect by implementing an inbound marketing strategy.
Outbound marketing is a more aggressive form of marketing. It’s a more classic form of marketing and is referred to as mass marketing, essentially it employs methods like cold calling, direct mail, and other interruption based techniques.
Outbound marketing is more expensive and relies upon pushing your message out through a wide range of channels trying to reach the right segment of your audience.
Inbound marketing can be thought of as permission based marketing. That means you actually get the permission of your customer before you start marketing to them.
It’s a more subtle way to reach your ideal audience, as you begin by providing them with value upfront. This means of marketing offers a wide-range of benefits which we’ll cover below.
Communication with your customers is a crucial aspect of any successful business. Through using social media and blog commenting you’ll be able to interact directly with your customers.
This will allow you to build a relationship before a sale happens, which helps people become more invested and engaged with your business and what you’re offering.
A commercial you see on TV is a typical outbound marketing message. Most people just tune out the commercials or skip them altogether. However, when you’re using an inbound marketing technique to reach your customers they’ll actually happily receive your message.
Since inbound marketing is more selective you’ll actually be in front of the very people who want to receive your message. Making it less likely they’ll tune you out and more likely they’ll listen to what you’re saying out of curiosity.
Outbound marketing feels very pushy. On the other hand, inbound marketing feels more like you’re conversing with a friend. Since a lot of inbound marketing is permission based, people are more likely to look forward to what you’re offering.
Inbound marketing starts with providing value. From this initial connection a conversation is spawned and a relationship is built. Only then is anything about a sale suggested. It truly is a friendly way to market.
I hope this article has been helpful and you have a better understanding of how inbound marketing can help grow your business. If you’re interested in improving your marketing efforts then get in touch with C7 Creative today.
by Calvin Bryant
Digital Marketing Geek
