According to data compiled by Hubspot, 63% of companies surveyed [1] stated that generating traffic and leads is their top marketing challenge. We can vouch for that; of the prospects we meet and clients we work with, they face the same challenge more than any other.

We hear of inbound and outbound marketing but for non-marketing folk, those people running the business or driving sales, what does each term actually mean and what’s right for you?

Inbound marketing is the process of attracting the attention of prospects (your target audience) before they may even be ready to buy. The main aim is to create a desire to buy your product or service, rather than pushing it. Think of a social media advert, for example. Maybe you weren’t looking for a new coat advertised by a top retail store, but you bought it because the advert was attractive and displayed in your social media feed.

Outbound marketing refers to any kind of communication where a company initiates the conversation and sends one or multiple messages to a target audience. An email campaign followed by a telesales campaign are both examples of initiating outreach and encouraging your prospect to buy your product or service.

What’s best for you? In our opinion, it’s a balance of both. To engage with future customers, you must attract with inbound marketing and drive action with outbound marketing. A marketing plan will help you do this by scheduling the various inbound and outbound ‘touchpoints’ i.e. all of the different ways you will communicate to your audience. And according to various reports online, it takes between 6 and ten touchpoints for your message to sink in – so get cracking on consistent and regular marketing campaigns!

We’re here to help you. With many years of marketing experience, we work with clients in lots of different industry sectors at a strategic level, through to the implementation and management of campaigns and reporting. Contact us to discover what you can learn.

[1] https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics