With millions of internet-users browsing the web each day, businesses want to get their hands on the best marketing methods to capture this growing population. SEO professionals swear by various processes, leaving those searching to promote their site overwhelmed. Although there may be hundreds of different ways to increase your site’s popularity, did you know that there are only two types of online marketing? Yes, when it comes to SEO, online marketing falls into two separate categories: inbound and outbound marketing.
What is Inbound Marketing?
Inbound marketing implies a more natural form of capturing your audience. In other words, rather than pricey ads bombarding clients, the site’s great content and conversations rate act as a magnet for web browsers instead. Inbound marketing typically results from your audience reaching YOU. This type of optimization may occur through:
- social media
- blogs, comments and posts
- images, videos and infographics on search engines
- shared content in the form of links
- word of mouth
Perhaps the greatest advantage of inbound marketing seems to be that it provides useful content that seeks to educate browsers and give insight on searched topics. Although creating interesting and useful content may be tedious and daunting, it can spark interest in web browsers and provide solid information to answer queries. Another huge plus is that Google promotes the quality content developed through inbound marketing.
What is Outbound Marketing?
Outbound marketing involves “inorganic” and often times paid advertising through the media to reach a business’s prospective clients. This style of marketing is generally achieved through the use of:
- promotions
- advertisements on web pages, radio or television commercials
- banner advertising
- press
- campaigns
Outbound marketing does not necessarily require heaps of money to target browsers. Other techniques which may be implemented to network with their audience include sending out information in ads or emails, or simply making phone calls.
One major benefit of outbound marketing has been that the advertising may be easily controlled and maintained while messages are tailored to specific audiences. Outbound advertisements give companies a chance to inform their clientele about their business and promote themselves. The downside remains that the content sent out to prospective clients lacks shareable information or new insight which may benefit these users.
The Future of Marketing
Both inbound and outbound marketing present themselves as major players in the advertising and marketing industry. But, if paying your way to the top doesn’t sound like an appealing plan for you, don’t worry. With the turn of a new year, it’s out with the old and in with the new, which may mean leaving outbound marketing methods in the past. Studies conducted by SEO gurus reveal that inbound marketing could be the new face of advertising.
One reason SEO may be shifting to inbound or “organic” marketing no doubt results from Google’s plan to encourage quality sites that uphold their integrity. This has been done through rewarding sites with great content and sharable information by increasing their page ranking while penalizing sites of poor quality.
In conclusion, each business and site is unique. Find out which marketing techniques best suit your business.