The outbound versus inbound match is relaunched
Posted: Sun Jan 12, 2025 5:19 am
How does it work? Here's an example. It all starts with a search intent. On a search engine, you type a query on a topic that interests you. Oh miracle, on your results page, the first three links (excluding ads) take you to company blogs, very well-made web pages, which perfectly answer the question you were asking yourself. From link to link, you discover the brand with pleasure, you start to follow it on social media, you recognize yourself in it, its messages push you to get involved. It's the beginning of a beautiful story between you and the brand. You share the same values, the same interests. You feel like you've chosen the brand. It has perfectly succeeded in its inbound marketing strategy. The technique works well on a BtoB business, where sales cycles are long and complex.
In the 2010s, an inbound lawyer database -outbound marketing match began. The proponents of one or the other of the modes of action have not stopped arguing. Inbound almost won definitively in the face of the explosion of time spent on digital channels. Less intrusive, less expensive, more ethical a priori, inbound marketing is very attractive. But it is also more complex and above all much longer to bear fruit, sometimes one or two years for natural referencing.
Outbound, for its part, remains a formidable weapon in BtoC to quickly make a brand known. Luxury and mass distribution companies have understood this well. They continue to invest heavily in purchasing space on mainstream media and digital platforms.
Inbound and outbound have the same objectives (to make known, to make loved, to sell and to build loyalty), and use the same channels (digital is concerned in both cases). It is the way of doing things, the target audience, the investment and especially the time frame for results that differ. Outbound strategies give immediate results (a few days, a few weeks) while inbound requires time and a lot of work (from several months to a few years).
Also, a BtoB service company (training, suppliers) has every interest in investing in quality content (case studies, podcasts, webinars). On the contrary, a major grocery, luxury or automobile brand will benefit from maintaining powerful outbound actions (TV campaign, urban display) to succeed in a product launch for example.
In the 2010s, an inbound lawyer database -outbound marketing match began. The proponents of one or the other of the modes of action have not stopped arguing. Inbound almost won definitively in the face of the explosion of time spent on digital channels. Less intrusive, less expensive, more ethical a priori, inbound marketing is very attractive. But it is also more complex and above all much longer to bear fruit, sometimes one or two years for natural referencing.
Outbound, for its part, remains a formidable weapon in BtoC to quickly make a brand known. Luxury and mass distribution companies have understood this well. They continue to invest heavily in purchasing space on mainstream media and digital platforms.
Inbound and outbound have the same objectives (to make known, to make loved, to sell and to build loyalty), and use the same channels (digital is concerned in both cases). It is the way of doing things, the target audience, the investment and especially the time frame for results that differ. Outbound strategies give immediate results (a few days, a few weeks) while inbound requires time and a lot of work (from several months to a few years).
Also, a BtoB service company (training, suppliers) has every interest in investing in quality content (case studies, podcasts, webinars). On the contrary, a major grocery, luxury or automobile brand will benefit from maintaining powerful outbound actions (TV campaign, urban display) to succeed in a product launch for example.