What is the Difference Between Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing for B2B? (Part 2)

by gabriel_sales | Nov 5, 2013

This is part-two of a two-part blog describing the difference between inbound marketing vs. outbound marketing for B2B. Click here for part one. 

Inbound marketing refers to instances when your prospect finds and reaches out to you on their own. In the B2B space, there are three main strategies to help make this happen:

1.  Content marketing

Content marketing involves publishing digital marketing content in the form of blog posts, white papers, YouTube videos, etc. and then getting that content in front of your prospects by pushing the content. By creating content for each stage of your buyer’s buying cycle—from discovery to consideration of alternatives, etc.—you help guide your prospects to the close.

2.  SEO

SEO simply refers to getting to the top of Google’s (and other search engine) results pages. Buyers today have access to a wealth of commercial information, and 89% of buyers use search engines to research their purchase decisions (www.firepolemarketing.com).  As a marketing tactic, SEO means creating and optimizing both your website and your marketing content so your prospects can easily find it when they use search engines like Google.  To learn more about SEO, click here.

3.  Social media

Social media platforms are a new and effective way to increase exposure and generate new leads. As most of your prospects are already on social media, this is great way to encourage participation and interaction. By regularly publishing blog articles and posting updates in the various social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, etc.), your name stays in front of your prospects and they can easily engage with you anytime they have the need.

Depending on your product/service, industry and length of buying cycle, a different mix of inbound and outbound techniques may be appropriate. While many outbound techniques are waning in effectiveness, for many in the B2B industry, they are still essential. Inbound tactics have recently seen a huge spike in effectiveness; Hubspot recently found that social media has a 100% higher lead-to-close rate than outbound marketing. However, each company is different and it often takes a lot of research and testing to find the most efficient and effective blend.

To learn more about the sales and marketing trends you will need to thrive in 2014, click here. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us.

What is the Difference Between Inbound & Outbound Marketing for B2B?

by gabriel_sales | Nov 4, 2013

For B2B companies, the world of marketing is becoming increasingly complex.  Traditional marketing functions like branding and positioning are falling to the wayside and CRM and marketing automation are taking their place.

To help get your head around the different strategies for marketing in the B2B space, here is a basic overview of the difference between inbound and outbound marketing.

Outbound Marketing

B2B outbound marketing refers to marketing efforts directed from inside the company to prospects that may or may not be expecting to be contacted. For B2B companies today, there are three main strategies for outbound marketing:

1.  Cold calling

Perhaps the most traditional of B2B marketing tactics, cold calling is still frequently used today. It is still the most effective way to pinpoint and target people; however, people pick up the phone much less than they used to—making this tactic half as efficient as it was four years ago.

2.  Email campaigns

Email marketing campaigns are great way to introduce your company to prospects and keep your name top of mind over time. Most business people now check their email inboxes multiple times a day, so this is perhaps the best outbound tactic for finding new leads. The most effective email marketing campaigns focus on how your product/service can solve a particular problem.

3.  Referrals

One of the best ways to get an executive to listen to you is to tell them you have been referred by someone they know. This creates an immediate connection and gives your prospect a reason to give you their full attention. While referrals are more rare, they tend to have higher conversion ratios.

To continue reading, click here.