Inbound vs Outbound: Which Marketing Agency Strategy is Best For You?
A typical marketing agency strategy consists of exposing individuals to thousands upon thousands of advertising messages through TV and radio advertisements, magazines and newspapers, and everything digital like blogs and social media posts. A marketing agency in USA, today has to go through a vigorous level of competition if they want to get their target market’s attention.
Overtime, with new trends foraying into the industry. The marketing agency strategy has been pared down into two major methods: inbound and outbound marketing. Though a lot of companies employ both strategies to suit their requirements. Some like to rely on one more than the other.
Of course, you need to dive into copious research when seeking the best strategy to suit your needs since the impact of your chosen approach would impact the results for years to come. Hence, we have crafted this article to help you understand inbound and outbound marketing better and make a sound choice that will help you achieve your business objectives and increase your return on investment.
Let’s start with inbound marketing…
The inbound marketing agency strategy
Though inbound marketing is a relatively hot off the press concept it seems to be catching on fast. Because of its unique and somewhat unique methods of drawing in customers. This is typically made up of content marketing tactics delivered in the shape of:
- Social media
- Blog posts
- Articles
- White papers
- Infographics
- Webinars
- Podcasts
- Interactive workshops
All of these and other similar content-based activities are performed to humanize the brand to the customers.
You can think of inbound marketing as a more informative portion of marketing, that is more focused on benefiting the customers rather than the business. This is also why it has been able to accumulate insurmountable success since it is able to hook customers, while positively impacting companies’ income statements by devising interactive engagement schemes. The reason even customers find the space to accommodate inbound marketing methods is because it is not pushy or intrusive like outbound marketing methods.
Instead, it pushes the marketing agency in USA, to figure indirect, more subtle ways of interacting with the customers to stimulate their interest and drive them to take action.
The inbound marketing methodology
Nobody likes to be engulfed in a tsunami of advertising messages where they are forced or coerced into making a choice, they would never make in the first place. Telemarketing calls, door-to-door marketing are some examples of promotional activities that can cause the customers to run the other way. This is where inbound marketing can swoop in and lay out a strategy that is propagative but does not hound the customers.
An inbound marketing agency strategy is to entice the customers with quality, engaging content that gives way to interaction and freedom to take action. These strategies are dispersed around us – they are subtle and far less pushy instead choosing to poke at the target demographic’s curiosity rather than bulldozing them with their product. The way inbound marketing works is that it uses smart algorithms to find and aim at individuals looking for a solution to their problem, and then present that magic bullet doused in information that would appease the target market.
Inbound marketing strategies uses a wide assortment of marketing tactics such as email marketing, infotainment posts, digital marketing, and content marketing like blogs, eBooks, and social media posts. Whether it is a product or service, an inbound marketing agency, in USA, aligns itself with their customers’ “problems” so that their product or service is “needed” rather than pushed on.
How inbound marketing can help your business
Inbound marketing agency strategy relies heavily on content to attract customers. Through cookies, SEO, and other similar techniques companies present their solutions to their target market in the form of websites. Blogs and relevant content. These, more compassionate, tactics help turn visitors into customers and have them coming back again the next time they want to acquire your product or services.
Impressive, interactive, and intriguing content is at the core of inbound marketing. This is the type of content that makes customers want to stay on the website. This is also the content that turns them into quality leads and loyal consumers. High quality content instills trust in visitors and readers. Convinces them to provide essential information that turns a visit into a transaction.
Content like success stories (testimonials) and case studies of others finding an incredible. Beneficial solution to their problem can even turn loyal customers into promoters. Where they share their experiences through reviews, surveys, and forums.
The reason inbound marketing strategy has picked up so much traction over the years is because the saturation of the marketplace along with a gradually brewing customer frustration made it necessary for brands to look for better ways to approach their target demographic. Not only that, but a cost-effective method that allows you to get the most out of your marketing never hurt anybody.
We believe that the brilliance of inbound marketing will be leveraged for better profit margins in the future. With the customers getting on the brand’s side.
Outbound marketing agency strategy
Previously outbound marketing was simply known as marketing. Though it can be incredibly effective. Outbound marketing has developed a reputation for being “interruptive” and “coercive” by pushing content onto the audience and forcing them to make an instinctive choice. Typically, traditional marketing approaches consist of:
- Radio ads
- TV ads
- Billboards
- Newspaper and magazine ads
- Cold calling
- Telemarketing
- Banners
- Door-to-door marketing
While this was, once, the only way to get the people’s attention. Outbound marketing has fallen out favor with the customers overtime. The population does not completely ignore its tactics outbound marketing does seem to produce a lot less of an affect on people as compared to other approaches.
The outbound marketing methodology
At one point in time outbound marketing had a more noble cause. Which was to reach out to the customers and let them know that the brand existed. However, overtime outbound marketing turned assertive using tactics like interruptive messages, cold calling, and telemarketing. Not only that, TV and newspaper ads have lost their charm over time thanks to saturation and technological advancement.
Technology today has enabled people to identify promotional calls on smartphones which can be disconnect right away. Ad-blockers allow for a more seamless scrolling, and numbers can be archive. The population has become so exposed to ads on digital platforms that they have developed a phenomenon called “banner blindness”. This is where web users typically ignore ads put up on roadside banners, purposely or unconsciously.
People are now more in control of what they want to see and be expose to. Platforms like social media has enabled us to raise our voices in objection to what we don’t want to see, with technology companies obliging in our favor. Acquiring information has become far easier, as opposed to attending expensive seminars and events.
Though outbound marketing might still have its perks. Still promotes awareness of a brand on a massive scale. Inbound marketing agency strategy trumps these tactics by providing information and subtly persuading consumers on a brand’s product. A clever fusion of both the tactics can be incredibly beneficial for a brand. Granted that they are judicious about the agency they work with.