Marketing should be an integral part of any business. You could have the best product or offer the greatest services, but if no one knows about it, is it really the best or the greatest? If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make noise? To put it simply, marketing drives sales. By marketing your brand, product, or service, you garner attention which creates business. The more business attention you create, the higher the percentage you convert to sales, which means more revenue.
Marketing is no easy task. There is no simple solution that can guarantee a high success rate and those beautiful ROIs (Return on Investment). It is “dirty” work. Businesses and marketers need to invest in finding the right strategy that will work for them. Finding a solution that best fits your specific needs is a whole other can of worms. The ultimate goal is finding a strategy that can influence your target audience and turn them into buyers or customers. Often, you will need an experienced digital agency to help you with these strategies. *Hint *Hint.
Now that you know how important marketing is, let’s dive into two major techniques every business needs to consider: Inbound and Outbound Marketing. One tells you to reach out to your target audience, while the other tells you to build in a way that makes them come to you. Which one is best? Let us drop some free knowledge on you, and then you can decide which one you think works best for you.
Inbound Marketing involves attracting your target audience to your business. Many different mediums and techniques can be used to do this, but it is important to use a method that will attract your target audience. In simple terms, it is a passive way to promote your business, brand, or product. You put out great content or free information that answers frequently asked questions and make them come to you. This becomes more effective when you use techniques such as search engine optimization (SEO), social media marketing, and email marketing services.
Inbound Marketing is a highly effective way to promote your business online. You can use your content to attract specific audiences within your niche.
Outbound Marketing is more abrasive. To paint the picture, just imagine that one billboard that’s blocking your beautiful view. However, just because it is sometimes perceived as obnoxious doesn’t mean it is not effective. Outbound Marketing focuses on broadcasting the message to a broad audience and then hoping that it increases the percentages of leads and sales. In contrast to inbound, outbound uses what we in the digital marketing realm refer to as old-school or traditional marketing, with techniques such as:
Outbound marketing may be considered a dinosaur, but it is a loud, disruptive T-rex. Despite its age, it is still very much available and powerful for businesses and marketers.
Can they fuse? (Inbound vs Outbound) Of course, they can. You just have to learn the dance! You must understand the strengths and limitations of each approach. Inbound marketing is often the favorite due to its cost-effectiveness, but results from campaigns are slow. Marketing Expert Neil Patel states that you can start seeing the results of your properly strategized inbound campaign as early as 6 months. This is where the “obnoxious twin” shines, as it can produce results almost immediately.
Both methods have their strengths and weaknesses. Instead of placing all your eggs in one basket, it makes more sense to incorporate both methods. Use their combined strength to balance out each other’s weaknesses. When done right, this can get you instant results without being invasive.
Study the results and learn so you can tweak and improve your strategy. Understand how each of your different campaigns works. Note the areas where they fall short and think of ways to improve them.
Your business’s marketing success should not rely on a single marketing strategy. The secret to successful marketing is creating a strategy that combines elements of both inbound vs outbound campaigns. Stay up to date with trends and changes to keep your business at the forefront. Outsourcing your marketing needs to digital agencies like BK Creative is always a great idea.
If you want to know more about how BK Creative can help you deploy a successful marketing approach, call us at (+501) 635-5877 or use this contact form for a free consultation.