There’s been a lot of discussion lately about inbound versus outbound marketing. Here are the top five reasons why inbound marketing is more effective than outbound, with some tips to help you implement these tactics into your text marketing campaign.
#1 – We Live In a High-Tech World
Traditional outbound marketing methods are becoming increasingly ineffective in a world that has become so technologically savvy. Email marketing, television advertising, cold calls, and even direct mail opportunities are being thwarted by spam block, TiVo, caller ID, and opt-out options at the post office. The average American is now turning to search engines, social media networks, and trusted blogs to find the services and products they need.
#2 – Pull… Don’t Push
Inbound marketing uses methods that allow you to pull prospective customers into your website or store, rather than employing the “pushy” methods marketers and salespeople relied on in the past. The idea is to “be there” and “get found,” rather than to push your way into view through pop-up advertising and other kinds of “obnoxious” marketing. This gives consumers more of a sense of control, which puts them at greater ease and makes them more likely to choose to purchase.
#3 – More Cost-Effective
The methods used in outbound marketing can be very costly and take considerable time to effect. An inbound marketing campaign can be launched for less than $100 and can facilitate reaching out to potential customers within minutes. Because it costs less for the entire campaign, and because inbound marketing is much better at focusing on a primary demographic, it also tends to cost less per conversion than other forms of marketing. Overall, the return on your investment for inbound marketing is much greater.
#4 – More Targeted
The tactics used for inbound marketing will guarantee more targeted results than you get with a traditional outbound campaign. For example, an outbound campaign that sends flyers by snail mail to people who live in the general region of a particular business will get some local business; however, an inbound campaign that targets locals who use local search terms in Google or Yahoo! along with specific keywords will put you in touch with customers who are already seeking what you have to offer.
#5 – Viral Marketing
Inbound marketing has a natural “viral” aspect to it. People who receive spam ads don’t generally tell their friends about the products or services featured in the ad; but people who randomly discover content via inbound marketing techniques often share it via social media or forward it by email. Once a marketing message goes viral, you’ll be getting new visitors and conversions for free.
Final Thoughts…
There are many advantages to using inbound marketing over old-fashioned outbound methods. Overall, inbound marketing will get you customers that are more loyal because they aren’t feeling the pressure of cold call sales, spam, and other “sneaky” marketing techniques. Consumers who seek out and find the products and services they need are much more informed than consumers who blindly click on pop-up ads. This makes them more likely to remain loyal and stick with your company for years to come.
Get started today by fine-tuning your social media networking efforts. Expand your social communities, learn how to properly measure the effects your work is having on conversions, and promote your pages through your website or blog.
Focus on creating high-quality, original, and relevant content that will help improve your rank and reach.
