Outbound marketing uses traditional tactics to “push” messages to a large audience: TV spots, display advertising, “ cold calling” and Display for example. On the contrary, inbound marketing targets relevant audiences with online content to “attract” them into the sales funnel. On the other hand, inbound marketing targets better qualified audiences and is based on a more progressive content marketing approach through blogs, “opt-in” nurturing scenarios and native recommendations.
What is outbound marketing?
Outbound marketing is the older of the two marketing practices and also the one people think of when we talk about marketing in general. More conventional, it includes telemarketing, radio ads, direct mail, and TV ads. It also includes a digital aspect with banners and displays , pop-ups and pop-unders , as well as cold email marketing.
To put it simply, we could talk about “push” marketing since the concept is to transmit information to consumers even if they do not ask for it.
This method is becoming less and less popular with consumers. This saturation facebook database of online ads has given rise to what is called “banner blindness” and has seen the proliferation of ad blockers. This means that when a user sees an ad that interferes with the content they are consuming, they tend to close it immediately.
Outbound marketing isn’t going away anytime soon. Instead, advertisers are turning to smarter, more interactive techniques to get their message across to consumers. Out-of-home (OOH) advertising, including display advertising , is on the rise, and is expected to reach over $42 billion by 2024 . Display advertising is also expected to explode in the coming years, growing from around $340 billion in 2022 to over $500 billion by 2026.
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What is inbound marketing?
Inbound marketing is a newer concept. Rather than pushing ads and messages at consumers – the famous push marketing – this approach is designed to generate curiosity and engagement. This is called “pull marketing” or “content marketing”, the main tactic used in the practice of inbound marketing.
Inbound marketing relies on many different types of content to generate interest among target audiences: blog articles, social media posts, infographics, white papers, newsletters, e-guides, quizzes, surveys, etc.
The idea behind inbound marketing is to guide potential customers through the marketing funnel. By exposing them to relevant content and brand experiences, this approach helps boost engagement and brand awareness with the goal of conversion and retention. Here’s how the inbound marketing funnel works:
What is the difference between inbound and outbound marketing?
To reach and engage consumers, outbound marketing relies on the purchase of advertising spots, the acquisition of email lists, and the optimization of brand awareness.
