Dazzle Issue 6

Are You In, Out or
Somewhere
in Between?
As you adjust and refine your marketing mix this year, you’ll want to consider which efforts
you currently use and reflect on their successes and shortcomings. Outbound marketing
has undoubtedly received its fair share of criticism as of late, being called a “blanketed”
approach with generalized messaging. On the other hand, inbound marketing has grown
in popularity amongst more and more content creators due to its highly personalized
approach. But does that make one or the other the “right one” for your business?
Not necessarily.
The trade show: It’s a classic meet and greet, “getyour-business-out-there”
event that traditional
marketers and those who’ve been around the
business block a time or two know quite well. Cue
the bold pop-up banners and steam-pressed table
linens, enticing giveaways and booth activities.
Years ago, trade shows were one of the best ways
to network with prospective customers and see
what your industry rivals were doing, even if that
meant channeling your inner sleuth to capture
some collateral from the competing booths
around the ballroom. Trade shows were (and still
are) about getting in front of a broad audience to
tell your story, qualify your prospects and grow
your business – whether the prospect was “all in”
for your elevator pitch or looking for the nearest
exit.
Think of such shows as traditional marketing
efforts, or what is now referred to as outbound
marketing. This type of marketing involves raising
brand awareness and marketing a particular
product or service through general media
advertising – much like what a business would
do at an industry trade show or tabling event in
the 1990s. Other examples of outbound include
print advertisements, television and radio ads,
billboards, cold calling and the like.
In addition to outbound marketing, there is
inbound marketing (also known as content
marketing), which was coined by HubSpot in
2005. This style of marketing was born out of
the growth of the internet and search engine
optimization (SEO), emergence of Google
Analytics, and consumers’ increasing use of
smartphones, tablets and other devices. To better
understand inbound marketing, consider the
following: You’re perusing a drugstore or specialty
shop to purchase a greeting card for someone.
Each holiday, celebration or situation has specific
cards with messages tailored to that observance.
Then, the messages are further personalized
for everyone from your mother to your pastor.
Similarly, inbound marketing involves drawing
prospective customers in with targeted messaging
and timely, relevant and seemingly personalized
content, much like the greeting card, which is only
meaningful and relevant to the recipient.
In all, inbound marketing stems from
understanding the buyer journey – or the steps
involved in making a purchase. These include
awareness, consideration, decision and loyalty.
Content is then crafted around that buyer’s
journey and can include blogs, whitepapers,
podcasts and targeted social media.
14 DAZZLE: ISSUE SIX DAZZLE: ISSUE SIX 15