Outbound marketing: Become top of mind with consumers

Let's start from scratch. Outbound marketing involves marketing where companies initiate the conversation and reach out to potential customers who are not necessarily looking for a solution to a given problem. Outbound marketing deals with using push methods that push one's products or services towards potential customers.

It also means that the market is a battleground for businesses, where it's all about being as loud and aggressive as possible to capture potential customers' attention. The methods of outbound marketing involve all forms of traditional marketing where the company unsolicited takes the first step. Let's take a closer look at some examples of outbound marketing.

The most common forms of outbound marketing are TV and radio ads - some other examples are:

In outbound marketing, the company makes contact with potential customers with whom they have not had contact before. Cold emails are unsolicited emails to potential customers with whom the company has not interacted before. Here, companies will typically contact a relevant target group that might be interested in their product. The key is not to be put off if you don't get a response from everyone - it takes a lot of cold emails before you see results. 

Like cold emails, cold calls are unsolicited calls to potential customers with whom the company has not interacted before. However, few people appreciate being disturbed by a stranger, so it can be tempting not to make the call. However, cold calling can be an effective way of generating sales if you have identified a relevant target audience.

Anyone who has tried handing out flyers or received a flyer on the street knows that no one is really interested in them. We've all been handed a piece of paper by a stranger, and like the polite people we are, waited until they were out of sight before crumpling it up and throwing it in the nearest bin. It's true that handing out flyers to random people on the street is not the best use of your resources.

However, it can be effective if done in the right place, where your target audience is. You also need to give your target audience a reason NOT to throw your flyer away. It can be a good idea to give the flyer value - for example, it can give access to exclusive content, a month's free subscription or a 25% discount.

If you think newspapers and magazines are a dying medium, you're absolutely right. People simply don't buy physical magazines to the extent that they used to. However, physical magazines are still mostly popular within niche groups. If your target audience reads specific newspapers, print ads can be an effective way to reach them.

It can also be difficult to measure your ROI with this type of marketing, rather than on social media where you can easily track whether users are coming from a Facebook ad. It is therefore a good idea to make use of a special offer like a coupon to be clipped. That way you can track where users are coming from.

Many companies still use billboards - with good reason. Big and wild billboards can be an effective way to create eye-catching and brand awareness. However, it takes more than just being creative to catch passers-by in the middle of their daydreams or busy everyday lives. Billboards need to create enough awareness that people notice them, remember them and talk about them.

Outbound marketing has long been the most popular form of marketing among businesses. However, this came to an abrupt halt with the advent of the internet and social media. Users no longer have to rely blindly on companies' advertising. They can search for information and compare offers themselves before making a purchase. This was the start of the popular and cost-effective inbound marketing.

For many, outbound marketing seems outdated and cumbersome. Just as there are still advantages to the method, there are also a number of disadvantages to outbound marketing:

• It is difficult to track your ROI (Return On Investment).
• There are many ways to block ads.
• It can be disruptive and intrusive - and give you a bad reputation.
• This is often a high cost - and a low return.

Despite outbound marketing having some drawbacks, you shouldn't write it off completely. The method produces quick results, allowing you to add adjustments to your product or service early in the process.

Overall, inbound marketing is a more cost-effective form of marketing, but it takes time before you see real results. Outbound marketing requires a larger budget, but in some cases can produce faster results.

Despite the disadvantages listed, don't be fooled. Outbound marketing is still relevant for many businesses, and it can be an effective way to get new customers and quick results. It is relevant to remember that outbound marketing is not beneficial for all businesses.

If you are curious about whether outbound marketing is relevant for your business or if you could use a sparring partner in the process of preparing traditional marketing, please do not hesitate to contact us. Webamp is an ambitious and data-driven digital marketing agency that specializes in creating online success. We can help with both SEO, Google Ads advertising, social media marketing and much more!

If you need help with outbound or inbound marketing, or are just curious about this strategy, contact Webamp on 70 60 50 28 or info@webamp.dk.