What is Inbound Marketing?

One of the latest business buzzwords – inbound marketing. Read on to find out what it entails…

Inbound Versus Outbound Marketing

Traditional marketing efforts focus on ‘getting out there’ – putting across your message via television, radio, print advertisements or internet banner ads, for example, or by sending out press releases and direct mails, hosting publicity events, and so on. Sending the message out through these channels has latterly become known as outbound marketing, to distinguish it from its younger cousin, inbound marketing – or the reeling in of prospects by gaining their attention with quality content. Inbound marketing includes search engine optimisation, social media marketing, blogging, video marketing, white papers, e-books and infographics.

The Advantages of Inbound Marketing

Outbound marketing is pricey – think about how much cash is required to run a TV or print advertising campaign, for example. Inbound marketing, on the other hand, is:

• Is more cost-effective for small businesses
• Is permission-based, rather than interruptive, and is hence perceived as less annoying and is less easily dismissed
• Is perceived as more credible than traditional advertising
• Has higher conversion rates, as it allows for nurturing prospects through the sales funnel (by education and informing them).