{"id":148906,"date":"2022-11-17T01:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-11-17T06:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/?p=148906"},"modified":"2023-02-20T07:39:58","modified_gmt":"2023-02-20T12:39:58","slug":"inbound-vs-outbound-marketing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/","title":{"rendered":"Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"intro-txt\">Inbound marketing is where you build brand awareness and interest with content. Outbound marketing is where you reach out to consumers to do the same&nbsp;thing.<\/div>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1035\" height=\"1600\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1-inbound-vs-outbound-marketing.png\" alt=\"Inbound vs. outbound marketing\" class=\"wp-image-148918\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1-inbound-vs-outbound-marketing.png 1035w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1-inbound-vs-outbound-marketing-275x425.png 275w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1-inbound-vs-outbound-marketing-768x1187.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/1-inbound-vs-outbound-marketing-994x1536.png 994w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1035px) 100vw, 1035px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>In this post, you\u2019ll learn how to decide which is better for your business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s start with the basics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"intro-tok\" id=\"intro_tok\" style=\"display:none;\"><div class=\"intro-title\">Contents<\/div><a href=\"#\" class=\"expand-dots\"><span><\/span><span><\/span><span><\/span><\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is inbound marketing?\" data-section=\"what-is-inbound-marketing\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is inbound marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Inbound marketing is a marketing strategy that aims to \u201cpull customers in\u201d with relevant and useful content.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The term was coined by Brian Halligan and Dharmesh Shah, founders of the SaaS company HubSpot. According to them, it typically involves three stages:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Attract<\/strong> \u2013 Bring in the right people.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Engage<\/strong> \u2013 Help them with their pain points and&nbsp;goals.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Delight <\/strong>\u2013 Help them find success with your product or service.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/2-inbound-marketing.png\" alt=\"Image showing how inbound marketing works\" class=\"wp-image-148920\" width=\"535\" height=\"640\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/2-inbound-marketing.png 1338w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/2-inbound-marketing-355x425.png 355w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/2-inbound-marketing-768x918.png 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/2-inbound-marketing-1284x1536.png 1284w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 535px) 100vw, 535px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Attract<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This stage is all about attracting potential customers to your website with useful content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to do this is to create content for topics your target customers are searching for. You can find these topics using a keyword research tool like Ahrefs\u2019 <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, here\u2019s how we can find topics for an online store that sells coffee products:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Brainstorm words and phrases potential customers may enter on Google<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Enter them into <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/keywords-explorer\">Keywords Explorer<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Go to the <strong>Matching terms<\/strong> report<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Switch the tab to <strong>Questions<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1154\" height=\"978\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/3-matching-terms.png\" alt=\"Matching terms report, via Ahrefs' Keywords Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-148922\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/3-matching-terms.png 1154w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/3-matching-terms-501x425.png 501w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/3-matching-terms-768x651.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1154px) 100vw, 1154px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Learn more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\"><em>Keyword Research: The Beginner\u2019s Guide by Ahrefs<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Engage<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Some people who visit your website will buy right away. But many won\u2019t. That\u2019s because they need time\u2014time to think about their problems, consider their situations, and evaluate solutions.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even if they\u2019re not buying now, you\u2019ll want to be there and continue to engage them. That way, your brand will be top of mind when it\u2019s time to&nbsp;buy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One way to do this is to build an email list. Encourage your website visitors to sign up, then send them regular updates. For example, we send a weekly newsletter that includes both our latest content and recommendations from around the&nbsp;web.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/4-ahrefs-digest.png\" alt=\"Ahrefs' newsletter\" class=\"wp-image-148924\" width=\"558\" height=\"595\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/4-ahrefs-digest.png 1240w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/4-ahrefs-digest-399x425.png 399w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/4-ahrefs-digest-768x819.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 558px) 100vw, 558px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Delight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Each happy customer can spread the good word among their friends and family, therefore referring more customers to&nbsp;you.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But how do you \u201cdelight\u201d your customers?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The best way to do this is to have a great product. If your product doesn\u2019t help your customers solve their problems, it doesn\u2019t matter how many tactics you implement.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>You\u2019ll also want to guide your customers to make the best use of your product or service. For example, at Ahrefs, we have <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/academy\">tons of in-depth courses<\/a> that cover the nooks and crannies of using our&nbsp;tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1962\" height=\"1142\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/5-ahrefs-academy.jpg\" alt=\"Ahrefs Academy\" class=\"wp-image-148926\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/5-ahrefs-academy.jpg 1962w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/5-ahrefs-academy-680x396.jpg 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/5-ahrefs-academy-768x447.jpg 768w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/5-ahrefs-academy-1536x894.jpg 1536w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1962px) 100vw, 1962px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Inbound marketing examples\" data-section=\"inbound-marketing-examples\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inbound marketing examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Inbound marketing is mainly about creating and publishing content. So examples of inbound marketing typically boil down to the different types of content you can create, which include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Blog posts, e.g., this&nbsp;blog.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Videos, e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/AhrefsCom\">our YouTube channel<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Podcasts, e.g.,&nbsp; <a href=\"https:\/\/perpetualtraffic.com\/podcast\/\">\u201cThe Perpetual Traffic\u201d podcast<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Webinars, e.g., <a href=\"https:\/\/convertkit.com\/training\">ConvertKit\u2019s webinars<\/a>.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social media content, e.g., our <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/ahrefs\">Twitter<\/a> account.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>And more.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Inbound marketing: pros and cons\" data-section=\"inbound-marketing-pros-and-cons\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inbound marketing: pros and&nbsp;cons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Should you invest in inbound marketing? Let\u2019s look at the pros and&nbsp;cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pros<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are the advantages of inbound marketing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Non-interruptive <\/strong>\u2013<strong> <\/strong>Prospects find you in their own time and&nbsp;will.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Targeted<\/strong> \u2013 Prospects search for your content only when they\u2019re interested or have problems. This makes it easier to sell to&nbsp;them.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Staying power <\/strong>\u2013 Prospects can continue to discover your content as long as it ranks high on Google, is <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/internal-links-for-seo\/\">internally linked<\/a> to, or exists as part of your content archives (e.g., YouTube channel). This sends consistent traffic to your website without you having to \u201cactively\u201d maintain it.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Can be more cost-effective in the long term<\/strong> \u2013 Our blog gets an estimated 573,000 monthly search visits. If we were to buy that traffic via search ads, it\u2019d cost us an estimated $795,000 per month (or $9.5 million per year). Considering that our content team is &lt;10 people and we\u2019re not paid millions each in salaries, we can reasonably say inbound marketing is cheaper in the long&nbsp;term.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1410\" height=\"498\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6-organic-traffic-ahrefs-blog.png\" alt=\"Organic traffic for Ahrefs' blog, via Ahrefs' Site Explorer\" class=\"wp-image-148927\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6-organic-traffic-ahrefs-blog.png 1410w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6-organic-traffic-ahrefs-blog-680x240.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/6-organic-traffic-ahrefs-blog-768x271.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1410px) 100vw, 1410px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some downsides to inbound marketing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Takes time to work<\/strong> \u2013 You need time to create high-quality content. You also need time for Google to discover and rank your content. In fact, SEO takes around <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/how-long-does-seo-take\/\">three to six months<\/a> to&nbsp;work.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Challenging to do well<\/strong> \u2013 There\u2019s simply too much content these days. If you want to stand out, you need to create high-quality content that people enjoy reading. That can be a tall order if you lack resources.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"What is outbound marketing?\" data-section=\"what-is-outbound-marketing\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is outbound marketing?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Outbound marketing is a marketing strategy where a company actively pushes a message about a product out to prospects.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While outbound marketing constitutes completely different tactics, from cold calling to social media advertising, we can roughly break it down into these \u201cstages\u201d:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Audience targeting<\/strong> \u2013 Decide who should see your message.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Message pushing<\/strong> \u2013 Actively push the message out.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Following up<\/strong> \u2013 Follow up with the target audience (if there is no response).<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Audience targeting<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Audience targeting is where you decide who should see your message. For example, if you run a billboard ad in Times Square, you\u2019ve decided to target the people of New York&nbsp;City.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Even tactics like cold calling and cold emailing are not random. Companies usually procure a relevant list of numbers or emails (e.g., people who are customers of X company) to push their messages.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Message pushing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>This is where you create and push the message you want your target audience to see. For a social media ad, it\u2019ll look like&nbsp;this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/7-facebook-ad.jpg\" alt=\"Example of a Facebook ad from Ahrefs\" class=\"wp-image-148928\" width=\"500\" height=\"724\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/7-facebook-ad.jpg 1000w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/7-facebook-ad-294x425.jpg 294w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/7-facebook-ad-768x1112.jpg 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 500px) 100vw, 500px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For cold calling and cold emailing, it\u2019ll be your&nbsp;pitch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Following up<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>If there is no response to your initial message, you might want to consider following up. For example, this is a follow-up email I sent to check if someone was interested in contributing to a&nbsp;post:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1094\" height=\"518\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/8-follow-up-email.png\" alt=\"Example of a follow-up email\" class=\"wp-image-148929\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/8-follow-up-email.png 1094w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/8-follow-up-email-680x322.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/8-follow-up-email-768x364.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1094px) 100vw, 1094px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>For social media advertising, follow-ups can be done via <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/retargeting-campaigns-beginner-guide\">retargeting<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Outbound marketing examples\" data-section=\"outbound-marketing-examples\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Outbound marketing examples<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Here are some common examples of outbound marketing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Cold calls<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Cold emails<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Direct mails<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Billboards<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Print ads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Television commercials<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Social media advertising, e.g., Instagram ads<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>YouTube ads<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Outbound marketing: pros and cons\" data-section=\"outbound-marketing-pros-and-cons\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Outbound marketing: pros and&nbsp;cons<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Should you invest in outbound marketing? Here are the pros and&nbsp;cons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Pros<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>What are some advantages of outbound marketing?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Faster results<\/strong> \u2013 Generally speaking, outbound marketing tactics are much easier to set up and run. Therefore, you can actually get results faster.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Easier to track \u201csuccess\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 For example, you can easily measure the number of opens or replies for cold emailing, the number of impressions and clicks from social media advertising, or even the number of positive responses from cold calling. (There are exceptions, such as running a huge billboard ad in Times Square.)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Cons<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are downsides to outbound marketing too:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Interruptive<\/strong> \u2013 Prospects are not necessarily looking for your product or service, so you\u2019re basically disrupting their daily schedules to show your message. For tactics like cold calling and cold emailing, there is a risk that you could \u201cdamage\u201d your brand in the long term if you\u2019re spammy.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Blindness<\/strong> \u2013 People tend to tune out or ignore cold calls, emails, and advertising. They can also\u2014and increasingly are\u2014use tools like ad blockers and email solutions like <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gated.com\/\">Gated<\/a> to block out ads and unsolicited emails.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"post-nav-link clearfix\" id=\"section1\"><a class=\"subhead-anchor\" data-tip=\"tooltip__copielink\" rel=\"#section1\"><svg width=\"19\" height=\"19\" viewBox=\"0 0 14 14\" style><g fill=\"none\" fill-rule=\"evenodd\"><path d=\"M0 0h14v14H0z\" \/><path d=\"M7.45 9.887l-1.62 1.621c-.92.92-2.418.92-3.338 0a2.364 2.364 0 0 1 0-3.339l1.62-1.62-1.273-1.272-1.62 1.62a4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.885 5.884l1.62-1.62L7.45 9.886zM5.527 5.135L7.17 3.492c.92-.92 2.418-.92 3.339 0 .92.92.92 2.418 0 3.339L8.866 8.473l1.272 1.273 1.644-1.643A4.161 4.161 0 1 0 5.897 2.22L4.254 3.863l1.272 1.272zm-.66 3.998a.749.749 0 0 1 0-1.06l2.208-2.206a.749.749 0 1 1 1.06 1.06L5.928 9.133a.75.75 0 0 1-1.061 0z\" style \/><\/g><\/svg><\/a><div class=\"link-text\" data-anchor=\"Inbound vs. outbound marketing: best of both worlds\" data-section=\"inbound-vs-outbound-marketing-best-of-both-worlds\">\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Inbound vs. outbound marketing: best of both worlds<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite being styled as opposite, inbound and outbound marketing are not mutually exclusive.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, the best companies use them together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s how you can combine both inbound and outbound marketing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">1. Capture leads using inbound and follow up using outbound<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine this: What if you can reach out via outbound marketing to people who\u2019ve already indicated their interest? Won\u2019t it be much easier to&nbsp;sell?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Well, you can. People who are searching for you or your content have already indicated their interest in your product or a pain point you solve. So rather than \u201cblast\u201d everyone with emails or ads, here\u2019s what you can do instead:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Do <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/keyword-research\/\">keyword research<\/a> to find topics that your prospects are searching for on Google<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Create <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-content\/\">SEO content<\/a> that ranks high for such topics<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Capture their contact information when they visit your&nbsp;site<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Follow up with the most promising leads, e.g., people who\u2019ve tested your free trial, visited a comparison page, completed your free course, etc<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>Here\u2019s an example of how it works. A prospect wants to learn how to audit their site for SEO issues. So they search for \u201chow to perform an SEO audit\u201d and discover <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/seo-audit\/\">our blog post<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the blog post, they learn that they can sign up for a free <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/webmaster-tools\">Ahrefs Webmaster Tools<\/a> (AWT) account and run an audit of their site. So they&nbsp;do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1264\" height=\"404\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/9-ahrefs-blog-post.png\" alt=\"Mention of Ahrefs Webmaster Tools in a blog post\" class=\"wp-image-148930\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/9-ahrefs-blog-post.png 1264w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/9-ahrefs-blog-post-680x217.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/9-ahrefs-blog-post-768x245.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1264px) 100vw, 1264px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>By signing up for AWT, they\u2019ve qualified themselves to be interested in an SEO tool like ours. So, if we had a sales team, we could easily reach out to them via email to see if they would be interested in upgrading to a paid account.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This is only one blog post. You can see how this easily scales up across the hundreds of pieces of content we\u2019ve created on the blog and on our <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/c\/AhrefsCom\">YouTube channel<\/a>, generating hundreds of leads we can potentially follow up&nbsp;on.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In fact, this is a core strategy of many SaaS companies. Generate qualified leads via inbound, then reach out via their sales teams to generate sales.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Learn more:<\/strong> <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/lead-generation\/\"><em>Lead Generation: The Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/em><\/a>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">2. Use content for building brand awareness<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Imagine getting a cold email from a HubSpot rep. Even if it\u2019s unsolicited, would you give it a few minutes of your time to see what they had to&nbsp;say?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I bet you would. That\u2019s because it\u2019s HubSpot. It\u2019s a massive brand. You trust that the email\u2014even if unasked for\u2014potentially contains something important.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>My point is this: Outbound marketing benefits from having a recognizable and known brand. People will choose whether to read your emails or tune in to your ads based on your&nbsp;brand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And one way of building a brand is to create relevant and useful content for your potential customers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If your prospects are constantly seeing you on the SERPs and if your content genuinely helps them solve their problems, your brand will be top of mind. And that can only serve to boost your outbound marketing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">3. Repurpose inbound content for outbound marketing<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Outbound marketing isn\u2019t always just about the sales pitch. It isn\u2019t a case of \u201cspamming\u201d until someone buys.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Offering value upfront can be helpful in converting prospects into customers. For example, here\u2019s a <a href=\"https:\/\/blog.hubspot.com\/marketing\/best-guest-post-pitch-example\">cold email sent to HubSpot<\/a> from Bryan Harris:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"995\" height=\"565\" src=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/10-bryan-harris-email.png\" alt=\"Bryan Harris' email to HubSpot\" class=\"wp-image-148931\" srcset=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/10-bryan-harris-email.png 995w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/10-bryan-harris-email-680x386.png 680w, https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/10-bryan-harris-email-768x436.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 995px) 100vw, 995px\"><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Instead of pitching his services in the first email, Bryan offered value. He created a demo video for HubSpot to show what that could look like for it. He didn\u2019t ask for anything in return either\u2014all he wanted was to gauge its interest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>And it worked\u2014Bryan got the contract to work with HubSpot.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In this example, Bryan created the demo video from scratch. But you don\u2019t have to. If you\u2019re already creating content, you can easily <a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/repurposing-content\/\">repurpose it into new formats<\/a> that you can offer prospects. For example, you can put together an ebook from your published blog&nbsp;posts.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Of course, the exact piece of content you should create depends on who you\u2019re reaching out to. But the point stands\u2014if you\u2019re doing inbound marketing, you can simply repurpose the content for your outbound marketing efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Keep learning<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Check out these resources to learn more about inbound and outbound marketing:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-marketing\/\">What Is Inbound Marketing? A Beginner\u2019s Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/seo\">SEO: The Complete Guide for Beginners<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/content-marketing\/\">Content Marketing: A Comprehensive Guide<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/video-marketing\/\">The Simple (But Complete) Guide to Video Marketing<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/ppc-marketing\/\">PPC Marketing: Beginner\u2019s Guide to Pay-Per-Click Ads<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/account-based-marketing\/\">The Beginner\u2019s Guide to Account-Based Marketing (ABM)<\/a>&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/blogger-outreach\/\">Blogger Outreach: How to Do It at Scale (Without Feeling Like a&nbsp;Jerk)<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Any questions or comments? Let me know <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/siquanong\">on Twitter<\/a>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In this post, you\u2019ll learn how to decide which is better for your business. Let\u2019s start with the basics. Inbound marketing is a marketing strategy that aims to \u201cpull customers in\u201d with relevant and useful content.&nbsp; The term was coined<span class=\"ellipsis\">\u2026<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\">Read more \u203a<\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":146,"featured_media":148934,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"wp_typography_post_enhancements_disabled":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[73,390],"tags":[],"coauthors":[339],"class_list":["post-148906","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-content-marketing","category-marketing","odd"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing: What&#039;s the Difference?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Inbound marketing is building brand awareness and interest with content. Outbound marketing is reaching out to consumers to do the same.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing: What&#039;s the Difference?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Which is better?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"SEO Blog by Ahrefs\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/Ahrefs\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-11-17T06:00:00+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2023-02-20T12:39:58+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fb_inbound_vs_outbound_marketing.png\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1200\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"630\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/png\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Si Quan Ong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:description\" content=\"Which is better?\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@siquanong\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ahrefs\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Si Quan Ong\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#\/schema\/person\/e09e43a1a939a6723fb3c1ebd243f2e7\"},\"headline\":\"Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing: What\u2019s the Difference?\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-17T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-20T12:39:58+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/\"},\"wordCount\":2124,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fb_inbound_vs_outbound_marketing.png\",\"articleSection\":[\"Content Marketing\",\"General Marketing\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/\",\"name\":\"Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing: What's the Difference?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/inbound-vs-outbound-marketing\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/ahrefs.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/fb_inbound_vs_outbound_marketing.png\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-11-17T06:00:00+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2023-02-20T12:39:58+00:00\",\"description\":\"Inbound marketing is building brand awareness and interest with content. 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