Inbound marketing is perhaps the most attractive form of marketing for people in the B2B space who are not fond of cold calling or unsolicited outreach. Simply put, it’s about creating marketing that attracts relevant leads and encourages them to reach out to your business.
That was the short version, but let’s dive a bit deeper.
An example of inbound marketing
Inbound marketing involves a range of initiatives—such as search engine optimization, content marketing, and paid advertising—that attract relevant leads.
An example is actually this very site of mine.
For years, I’ve written blog posts that are found through social media and especially search engines. My videos are discovered on YouTube, and I also offer a newsletter people can subscribe to.
All of these marketing initiatives work together in my inbound marketing strategy. Combined, they help me attract relevant prospects for my consulting business. These prospects receive valuable content that positions me as an expert. The goal is that they eventually reach out to me.
The difference between inbound and outbound marketing
At the beginning, I mentioned cold outreach, which is likely the most traditional form of sales within what’s known as “outbound marketing.”
Outbound marketing is when you actively try to get attention for your product. This can be done by making cold calls, sending direct emails to companies you want to work with, or simply trying to sell directly to the customer.
Inbound marketing works in the opposite direction. Here, the goal is to attract potential customers by providing relevant content and gradually getting them interested enough to contact you.
It’s worth mentioning, though, that a common tactic within inbound marketing is to measure how much leads interact with your content. Some salespeople then reach out when those leads are considered “warm.”
So inbound and outbound marketing shouldn’t be seen as strict opposites. In fact, they are two strategies that complement each other and often work very well together.
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