WORKING IN CONCERT: BALANCING INBOUND AND OUTBOUND MARKETING STRATEGIES

Knowing what marketing tactics to invest in is an ever-evolving discussion. There is no singular approach that will allow you to reach all of your audience in one fell swoop. That’s why it’s critical to know your core audience, what matters to them, and how they communicate so you can meet them where they are.

For those marketers out there, we know it’s all about harmony. How can you combine your inbound and outbound efforts to maximize your reach and drive efficiency? Let’s first break down what we mean by inbound and outbound marketing and then dive into ways to blend these forces.

Inbound marketing was first coined by HubSpot to label the approach centered around value-rich content and experiences that draw your audience to you. Your brand presence, the quality of your content, and market reputation all drive your inbound efforts. Your customer isn’t always ready to buy but being top of mind as the brand when they are, means you’ve reached peak levels of the inbound game.

Outbound marketing focuses on initiatives that help drive your products or services to spark interest or further drive your value in direct approaches where you go to your audience.

The core differences between inbound and outbound approaches are often referred to as attraction versus interruption. Inbound is centered around attraction, where you aim to build trust to be seen as an industry advisor and showcase your value through content. On the other hand, outbound is all about interruption. How can you capture your audience’s attention and get them to understand the value for them or their business.

Now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, let’s focus on how you can balance your inbound and outbound approaches for maximum impact.

5 WAYS TO BALANCE YOUR INBOUND AND OUTBOUND STRATEGIES

1. Leverage Your Inbound Content Through Outbound Motions

I’m all about repurposing content. A great way to combine your inbound and outbound strategies is by curating high-value content pieces and then sprinkling them throughout your deployment tactics.

Develop a library of long-form pieces that showcase your solution benefits and your product lines, and then make slight variations based on your personas.

Now that you have a suite of content, map out your distribution channels for options on where you can leverage that content in more digestible, snackable pieces.

As an example, you could take a whitepaper from your website’s inbound form and repurpose it across multiple outbound channels in more short-form content pieces like a flipbook for your email communications, a printed infographic for an in-person event, and as a LinkedIn carousel with the option to download the full asset on social media.

A lot of effort goes into creating long-form content pieces, so repurposing that content in many forms and across multiple channels increases your chances of awareness and maximizes your investment.

2. Factor Retargeting Into Your Approach

Not all prospects are ready to purchase immediately; that’s why it’s your job to be top of mind when they are. Retargeting website visitors or those who have downloaded content with paid social ads can help keep your brand recognition at the forefront.

Understand your personas and where they visit for information, like associations they are members of or industry newsletters they interact with. Incorporating a subject matter expert (SME) from their trusted publications for information allows you to continue building recognition. For example, host a webinar with an SME from a well-known association in your personas space. Repurpose the webinar content into an eBook and blog on a related topic that you then share in your follow-up email to registrants, across social media, and in your website resources, sprinkling a quote from the SME for added visibility.

3. Create Personalized Experiences Blending Your Strategies

Develop a push–pull strategy using your outbound tactics to generate awareness and interest and then drive further engagement through the funnel with curated inbound content specific to the industry, pain-point, or other targeted factor to create a more personalized experience in your prospect’s journey.

Leveraging testimonials or success stories from customers whom your prospects can relate to adds an additional layer of comfort. Combining targeted positioning and messaging of their business challenges, alongside a proof point of someone who experienced their same difficulties, is a winning approach to continue earning trust.

4. Pair With A Complementary Solution

Partnering with other solutions that have the same target audience is a great way to expand your reach and continue building your market presence.

A great example of a way you could deploy this tactic within your marketing strategy could be to form an alliance group. Teaming up with solutions within your audience’s space provides additional exposure and promotional reach from multiple databases and channels. For example, you could co-host a solution showcase with multiple vendors where all vendors are required to do promotional outreach. You could also pair up for a special incentive if you bundle your offers together, leveraging paid and organic social and email marketing efforts.

5. Stay Authentic

Probably the most important thing to consider when crafting your inbound and outbound collaborative efforts is to remember to be authentic. Don’t send mixed messages to your audience across your channels, or it will negatively impact how your brand is perceived and your value proposition. Stay true to your brand and what you stand for.

There is no perfect mix for a long-term marketing strategy. It should continue to evolve over time and be prepared to pivot based on your performance analysis of your programs and their generating efforts.

MARKETING IS NOT A ONE-SIDED INTERACTION

Another key thing to consider when building out your tactical plans is to keep in mind that marketing should not be a one-sided interaction.

Marketing is a lot like Love is Blind (or really any reality dating show). There are 3 things that all marketers should remember when constructing their go-to-market plans.

First impressions matter: Your inbound marketing tactics have to cover a wide net of prospects, so make sure your content is easy to understand, conveys that you understand their problems or pain points, and doesn’t overpromise on your solution value/delivery. If all you do is talk about yourself, there probably won’t be a second date.

Not everyone is a match: You aren’t going to be the right fit for everyone, and that’s okay. Take the time to understand their pain points and ask relevant questions to see if you are a match. If not now, maybe their needs will change over time and when they do, you want them to have a fond memory of your interaction.

Experiences are different for everyone: There is no one single journey for your prospects. This means not everyone is willing to read your 20-page document or be ready for a product demo. Customize your follow-up and approach to meet them where they are in their buying or learning journey.

For PEOs, having a marketing approach that factors in both your inbound and outbound efforts and how they can work in concert is critical. There should be shared goals and alignment with your marketing and sales teams for optimal success in securing new business and extending the relationships of your current client base.