Let me say from the outset that if 'outbound marketing' tactics are working for your business, then keep using them.
If taking out an ad in Yellow Pages works for you, do it! If telemarketing generates leads, or sponsoring the weather on the local TV news channel builds your brand, by all means continue to invest in those channels.
But, it must be said the time has come for marketers to think more seriously about the concept of inbound marketing - that is, marketing activity that is focused on getting found by customers. In other words, attracting people to your brand.
Generally speaking, inbound marketing involves a combination of content creation, participation on the social web and SEO.
Interestingly this 'new' form of marketing communication - attracting people to your brand - is rooted in public relations rather than traditional marketing. It skews heavily towards engendering two-way interaction and building relationships, trust and reputation. This is classic PR territory!
Philosophical Differences
The infographic below - produced by Voltier Digital (hat-tip Mashable) - succinctly shows the philosophical and tactical differences between the two forms of marketing - inbound versus outbound.
This goes beyond opening a Twitter account for your brand but rather, requires a change of mindset compared to traditional means of 'communicating' with the marketplace.
One of the more effective exponents of inbound marketing is Hubspot. I wrote this post about the brand recently - Smart Marketing Defined in Less Than 40 Words.
My only caveat is that inbound marketing on the surface skews towards web-based activities, which is fine but I often like to add into the mix strategic 'face-to-face' communication such as events and brand experience marketing where relevant.
I think sometimes we forget that lot of online activity is also about 'offline' relationships.
SOURCE: Voltier Digital
