Marketing and advertising have become so commonplace that many don’t realise they are happening. Commercials in-between your favourite shows, ad reels before a YouTube video, billboards, and magazine ads are all parts of traditional advertising and marketing ventures. For years, marketing professionals focused on what types of messages they could push out to potential customers. This tactic was known as outbound marketing–and for years, it worked.

As personal computers brought us into the digital age, marketers began to experiment with the best way to get customers to them without participating in outbound marketing. Using search engine algorithms, keywords, and personalised targeting, inbound marketing was born.

Both inbound and outbound marketing strategy are critical to successful marketing outcomes. Working together, inbound and outbound marketing can create a cyclical brand growth that builds with each campaign. Learn the difference between inbound and outbound marketing, how the two strategies work together, and how to make the most of these forms of marketing.

What is Outbound Marketing?

Outbound marketing is what most people think of when they hear the term marketing. This type of marketing includes billboards, newspaper and magazine ads, direct mails, cold calls, junk mail, brochures, telemarketing pitches, radio ads and television commercials.

With increased access to communication platforms came an avalanche outbound marketing. The internet brought new ways to market to consumers, with pop-ups and display ads on every site, from personal blogs to news sites. Oversaturation and  technology like ad blockers, DVRs, and on-demand streaming have caused outbound advertising to be less impactful than in years past. Consumers simply skip or ignore marketing messages.

What is Inbound Content?

Inbound marketing means consumers are pulled in to engaging content a company shares. Marketers create blog posts, social media messages, white papers, newsletters, and webinars relatively devoid of a sales pitch. Inbound marketing gently nudges ideal customers through the marketing funnel by answering their questions and speaking directly to their needs with great content. Inbound content also includes search engine optimisation, keyword discovery, and paid search ads.

Differences: Inbound marketing vs outbound marketing

The most significant difference between inbound and outbound marketing is personalisation. Outbound marketing is akin to casting a wide net and catching consumers using best practices for writing, design, and branding. Also known as content marketing, the inbound marketing meaning is more of a philosophy than a tactic and hinges on creating personalised connections and content relevant to individual consumers.

Outbound marketing tactics are much more disruptive. Consumers experience outbound advertising but don’t necessarily seek it out. Inbound marketing is the opposite– relevant content works in the background until consumers make a point to access it. Finally, inbound marketing techniques focus on consumers’ needs and wants, while outbound marketing focuses on the product or brand’s needs.

How inbound marketing complements outbound marketing

It’s important to note that intrusive isn’t always a bad thing; it simply means a particular piece of content or ad is placed into a consumer’s purview without them asking for it specifically. For companies new to the market, switching branding or messages, or working to grow into a new market, outbound marketing is one of the best ways to establish brand recognition and familiarity among your target audience.

Additionally, outbound advertising helps establish where your target audience is most likely to consume your content. One consumer may mention they’ve seen your brand on YouTube. A second may say they’ve seen your brand on a display ad with his favourite blogger. In these outbound marketing examples, marketers can use this data to take the next step in inbound marketing.

To use the same examples, inbound marketing may consist of brand guest posts or link exchanges with the blogger as mentioned earlier, or it could mean a brand starts an educational video series. Either way, inbound market strategies were informed by outbound marketing.

The two strategies are bound together to boost overall marketing goals.

What is more effective: outbound or inbound marketing strategies

There’s no such thing as a wrong way to market since both traditional and online marketing are dependent on business goals. The effectiveness of outbound vs inbound marketing strategies comes down to a few factors:

Reputation

Outbound marketing has received a bad reputation in the last few decades. Manipulative marketing messages, in-your-face and over-the-top messages, and intrusive campaigns have soured some marketers on using too much outbound marketing. Inbound marketing is much more subtle, and because it’s targeted, customers usually appreciate it more.

Price

Inbound marketing is the best fit for the price. Inbound marketing efforts are about 62% less than outbound. Outbound marketing rates can be expensive across the board and increase the pressure on your marketing budgets overall. 

Time

Outbound tactics makes it much faster to see results, especially with retargeting paid advertising based on lookalike audiences (i.e., data collection from other similar sites). Inbound form of marketing takes time to ramp up and personnel time to sustain.

Inbound Methodology Basics

Because inbound marketing relies so heavily on personalisation and targeting, you’ll need to be sure you know who your target customer and how you’d like for them to utilise your content. Create a buyer profile with where your customer wants to read helpful content and what questions they’re asking. Next, create an SEO strategy with keyword research at the center based on the buyer profile’s needs. Finally, keep tabs on your metrics and measure as you go.

Whether you’re working towards an outbound strategy, an inbound strategy, or a blend of the two, you should keep one thing in mind: watching the data is the best way to ensure your marketing is the right fit.

As you’re probably all too aware by now, the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has caused seismic shifts in the world of business and retail. As recent ONS figures show, the UK saw its GDP shrink by a staggering 19.8% between April and June 2020, a sure sign that scores of business leaders around the country are feeling some serious financial strain.

Generally speaking, brick-and-mortar stores have suffered the most significant blows after having to shut their doors in line with lockdown rules around the world. Established e-commerce sites, on the other hand, have been saved from disaster by the increasing popularity of online shopping.

Another important thing to understand about the business landscape is that a broad shift to digital marketing was already taking place before the pandemic struck. This is because the twenty-first century has so far been defined by an exponential uptake of mobile devices around the world, increased social media usage, and the proliferation of innovative ways to capture audience members through online platforms.

Now, as the pandemic has forced people to hunker down in their homes and spend ever more time surfing the internet, it has never been more important for companies to keep their fingers on the pulse of digital marketing. The only way to carry a business through tough times, after all, is to remain flexible and adapt to the needs of the market.

Why businesses need digital marketing

As technologies have advanced in recent years, so has consumer behaviour. Increasingly, people are turning to the internet to shop around for goods and services. While building a strong customer base used to mean investing in the atmosphere of a physical store and relying on word-of-mouth recommendations, the digital landscape has created opportunities for retailers to find new customers in all areas of the globe.

One of the best things about digital marketing is that it can be done at a very affordable price. Rather than shell out thousands of pounds on billboards or television adverts, strategies such as search engine optimisation (SEO), pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, content marketing, and social media engagement allow companies to reach targeted audiences at very low cost.

If you’re a business leader who has not yet explored these strategies, you absolutely must embrace digital marketing during the COVID pandemic. Consumer behaviour is now overwhelmingly geared towards online channels and adapting to this new reality is, most likely, the only way your business will stay solvent.

Hidden opportunities to explore right now If you’re relatively new to digital marketing, the slow pace of business at the moment represents an excellent opportunity to learn some hidden tricks that the experts are using. These include:

1. Social Media Marketing

Businesses in need of marketing help should start by improving their social media accounts first and foremost. Social media platforms represent a key source of information for online shoppers and a well-tended set of accounts across sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will show off your credentials as a trustworthy company.

Businesses in need of marketing help should start by improving their social media accounts first and foremost. Social media platforms represent a key source of information for online shoppers and a well-tended set of accounts across sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram will show off your credentials as a trustworthy company.

Successful social media marketing involves strategies such as replying quickly and politely to enquiries (particularly those that express dissatisfaction with your service), posting content about your goods and services regularly, investing in paid ads across all platforms, and reaching out to influencers. Indeed, influencers represent the latest vanguard in digital marketing success and could help to supercharge your brand if you reach out to those with a significant following who are popular with your key demographics.

2. Content marketing

Content marketing is a great way to build a loyal following for your brand and boost SEO. It involves the regular publication of engaging content including blog posts, news articles, podcasts, videos, white papers, and more. The key to good content marketing is to build a buzz around your offerings rather than directly marketing goods and services to consumers. It may seem a little counterintuitive at first, but it really works!

Content marketing is a great way to build a loyal following for your brand and boost SEO. It involves the regular publication of engaging content including blog posts, news articles, podcasts, videos, white papers, and more. The key to good content marketing is to build a buzz around your offerings rather than directly marketing goods and services to consumers. It may seem a little counterintuitive at first, but it really works!

3. SEO

The point of SEO is to push your company website to the top of search engines such as Google through keyword research, optimising your website for usability, and publishing unique and engaging content on a regular basis. Indeed, content is key when it comes to SEO, so make sure you have some talented creatives on your marketing team to help get customers onside.

The point of SEO is to push your company website to the top of search engines such as Google through keyword research, optimising your website for usability, and publishing unique and engaging content on a regular basis. Indeed, content is key when it comes to SEO, so make sure you have some talented creatives on your marketing team to help get customers onside.

Embrace new ways to reach your target audience and grow your business

The digital era requires targeted marketing if you want to grow your business, even if you own a small business catering to local clients. Applications such as Google My Business are fabulous resources for businesses that want to go local with digital marketing, pop up on local searches, and draw in plenty of customers.

You will also need to analyse your success with applications such as Google Analytics. Once you know what works, you can start building a digital marketing strategy that pushes your business from strength to strength.

Allsopp Media is here to help

If you’re new to any of the strategies above, the urgency of the COVID-19 crisis means now is the time to wholeheartedly embrace digital marketing and make the most of potential revenue sources. We offer marketing help in business contexts and are ready and waiting to help build your brand. Get in touch with us today!

To the uninitiated, content marketing may seem like an excuse for marketing executives to churn out whimsical blogs whenever they have spare time on their hands.

In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. Digital content marketing has become vitally important in securing new customers, driving organic website traffic, and helping entrepreneurs build their brands. “But how and why is content so powerful?” we hear you ask. Don’t panic – we’ve put together a handy guide to address your questions.

What is content marketing and how influential is online content in an increasingly digital world?

Content marketing refers to the creation and publication of online content across a range of formats. Types of content in digital marketing strategies often include – but are certainly not limited to – blogs, infographics, videos, podcasts, interviews, eBooks, white papers, and games.

The purpose behind the strategy is to inform new and existing customers about your brand, products, services, expertise, and any upcoming campaigns or offers. In short, digital content marketing exists to hook people’s attention, therefore encouraging them to invest time and money in a given company.

Publishing great digital content is also an effective way of pushing your website up the ranks of search engines such as Google and Bing. High-quality, informative content brimming with relevant keywords will be favoured by search engine algorithms, therefore increasing the level of traffic to your website, boosting leads and, ultimately, increasing revenue in the long term.

If you’re in any doubt as to the mighty power of online content in today’s digital world, take a moment to absorb some striking statistics. According to a HubSpot’s latest list of marketing statistics. 

Clearly, the influence of online content has never been more potent.

How important is content in a digital marketing strategy?

The power of digital content can sometimes be underestimated as its successes are not always directly measurable. If a piece of your brand’s video content goes viral and racks up thousands of views, for example, you may be left wondering whether it actually impacted your sales revenue at all. What’s more, many marketers are reluctant to craft time-consuming blog posts or long-form research articles if they can’t be sure of their success.

While newcomers to content marketing may find these things frustrating, however, it is important not to lose sight of the fact that content is fundamental to building a strong digital marketing strategy. Here are three reasons why:

1. Content is vital for search engine optimisation (SEO)

With Google currently processing a staggering 3.5 billion search queries every day, you need to make sure your website appears high on their rankings. This is where SEO comes in. Optimising your website to exploit search engine algorithms involves including keywords relevant to your industry, boosting the speed and usability of the site, adding backlinks, and avoiding posting duplicate content.

With Google currently processing a staggering 3.5 billion search queries every day, you need to make sure your website appears high on their rankings. This is where SEO comes in. Optimising your website to exploit search engine algorithms involves including keywords relevant to your industry, boosting the speed and usability of the site, adding backlinks, and avoiding posting duplicate content.

2. Content is educative and creates a loyal customer base

Content that educates potential customers about your goods and services will encourage them to trust your brand. When making a purchase decision, most people want to fully understand their available options and compare the goods and services of different companies. By including education blog posts, ‘about’ pages, videos, tutorials, and more, you will give your business a competitive advantages.

If you work in a sector that is constantly changing and updating, keeping customers informed about the latest developments will help you to secure a loyal customer base who have faith in the expertise of your teams.

Content that educates potential customers about your goods and services will encourage them to trust your brand. When making a purchase decision, most people want to fully understand their available options and compare the goods and services of different companies. By including education blog posts, ‘about’ pages, videos, tutorials, and more, you will give your business a competitive advantage.

If you work in a sector that is constantly changing and updating, keeping customers informed about the latest developments will help you to secure a loyal customer base who have faith in the expertise of your teams.

3. High-quality digital content pays for itself

Developing compelling content is one of the most effective marketing strategies if you want to reap a significant return-on-investment. Just think about how much more attention people pay to Instagram posts, online blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos compared to more traditional marketing strategies such as billboards, television adverts, and physical mail. It makes clear sense to invest your time and effort into channels that are likely to reach people and, if you have quick-working creatives on your team, it doesn’t have to be expensive.  

Developing compelling content is one of the most effective marketing strategies if you want to reap a significant return-on-investment. Just think about how much more attention people pay to Instagram posts, online blogs, podcasts, and YouTube videos compared to more traditional marketing strategies such as billboards, television adverts, and physical mail. It makes clear sense to invest your time and effort into channels that are likely to reach people and, if you have quick-working creatives on your team, it doesn’t have to be expensive.  

How does content marketing support digital marketing more broadly?

Top content is vital for supporting other strands of the digital marketing world including:

• Social media: Social accounts that feature click-worthy content are more likely to attract followers. It’s a symbiotic relationship that is both simple and necessary for boosting digital success.
• SEO: You can’t include backlinks or
• Analytics: Analysing the success of your content marketing is a necessary way to gauge the progress of your digital strategy at a broader level.
• PPC: Pay-per-click advertising is sometimes seen as the opposite of content marketing, but it is a great way to promote content and implement slick calls-to-action.

Start you content marketing journey today

So, as this guide has clearly demonstrated, digital content represents the very foundation on which digital marketing strategies are built and should be treated with the attention it deserves. By planning out a focussed and diverse content marketing strategy, you will start to build up a loyal fanbase whose engagement with your brand will facilitate the growth of your business.

How Allsopp Media can help

Are you ready to see your business thrive? Allsopp Media is here to help you plan and implement digital campaigns that work for you and your customers. Thanks to our team of digital content and marketing experts, we can help your business find new audiences and grow into something amazing.