Is Outbound Marketing Dead?

There has been a slow but inescapable trend in marketing for years or even decades. During this time there has been a shift from “outbound marketing” towards “inbound marketing”. I use inbound marketing as a proxy for other terms as well such as “content marketing”, “permission marketing”, “new marketing” “modern marketing” and a few other buzz terms. The definitions may vary slightly, but they’re essentially variations on the same theme:

Potential customers find you, rather than you (the marketer) directly approaching them.

Modern marketing wisdom

The contemporary conventional wisdom on appropriate tech marketing methods goes like this:

People are insanely busy these days and already multi-tasking to the max. They are constantly inundated with marketing offers of all kinds which causes folks to tune them out. No one answers their phone anymore. Direct email gets largely stuck in SPAM filters, ruining your domain reputation along the way. Even those email messages that aren’t marked as SPAM are quickly deleted. Everyone now understands that “sponsored links” in search results are just Ads.

Due to all of this, traditional outbound methods such as direct email, online advertising, etc. no longer work as a result. The “answer” is to use inbound marketing methods, defined as driving traffic to your website or social profiles via search engines, content (such as blogs and videos), and social media posts. Since these users have found you, rather than vice versa, they are by definition more attentive and better-qualified targets.

So is the above thesis true or false? When I originally wrote about this issue, my view was still split. Sadly, as time passes, the above argument rings truer and truer. Of course, this discussion is still ongoing among marketers. As I stated above, it isn’t a new topic. At its root, it’s an argument about Push vs. Pull marketing. These concepts have been around nearly since the beginning of marketing as a science. The terms push and pull are a bit dated and aren’t as in favor as the hot new buzzwords.

The fundamentals of marketing remain in place

But beyond changes in terminology and massive technological changes, the basics of marketing methodology haven’t changed much over time. At any rate, the preceding paragraph about moving to heavy utilization of inbound methods undoubtedly makes a lot of sense today. This is even more true every day, as I alluded to above. There is no denying that getting boatloads of prospects to find you is always a good thing, and critically important in 2024.

But the death of outbound marketing is being a bit overstated. The Internet has enabled pull/inbound methods to grow to a degree that was not previously possible. In addition, many Internet-based outbound methods have been dramatically overused, due to near-zero costs. This has created a backlash against many forms of outbound marketing, such as direct email and robocalling. Software and hardware tech company marketers should leverage online inbound methods to the greatest degree possible. But is that all you should be doing?

Of course not, in almost all instances. Some companies may be able to fill their pipelines using only content marketing and other inbound methods. But not many. This shouldn’t be an either/or discussion. In almost every market situation, both inbound (pull) and outbound (push) should be used. They should not be seen as competing methods. These methods each serve a different purpose and are very complementary. Let’s take a look at why:

Different psychographic profiles of tech prospects

Software or hardware buyers/prospects are not homogeneous groups in any market. They come in all shapes and sizes. They include early adopters, mainstream buyers, late adopters, etc. As a result, these buyers respond to different stimuli and have different buying styles. Many want to be totally in control and never have any “invasive” outbound marketing targeted at them. But for every person offended by any offer directed at them, others are happy to receive a timely, well-targeted software or hardware offer that saves them money and time. This is especially true for busy folks and others who hate the shopping process. Outbound marketing can offer a real advantage in accessing these prospect profiles.

Different stages in the software & hardware buying process

This is a key point that someone relatively new to marketing may not understand. For prospects in the active research or buying stages, inbound marketing usually works great. Since they are out searching for your product or service, there is a good chance they will “find” you. This assumes you’ve done a good job on inbound marketing activities. But what about those target prospects that aren’t yet in active research or buying mode? Should you just be ignoring them? I think not.

First, you want to get a leg up on your competition and get your message to them as early as possible. By doing this, you’ll be on their short list of vendors to check out when they are ready to buy. But the right offer can also turn that distant prospect into an active buyer, without so much as a look at the competition. What happens to your odds of a sale if yours is the only marketing message they see? They go up dramatically, of course. Outbound marketing is much more effective than inbound in this particular scenario. It often can provide “exclusivity” with the prospect.

Outbound marketing or inbound marketing: timing vs. budget

From a marketer’s perspective, outbound and inbound marketing can fulfill different needs. Inbound marketing may provide a solid, day-in-and-day-out flow of leads and revenue. Outbound marketing can provide a more instantaneous bump to your numbers. Think PPC advertising vs. SEO. An inbound marketing technique like SEO is probably the more powerful activity in the long run. However, more proactive methods like direct email, outbound telesales, and  PPC advertising can start creating business almost instantly. (I view PPC as a hybrid outbound/inbound method, by the way). This outbound bump can be very useful during slow periods to “smooth out” your numbers. Or when you’re just getting started, during a busy (but competitive) holiday buying season, or to give extra emphasis to a new product introduction.

Targeted tech marketing offers

Since you have greater control over when a prospect will be exposed to an offer, it’s easier to create urgency. As an example, think time-limited offers. Urgency is a critical timeliness component that is more available via outbound marketing. In addition, targeting can also be easier with outbound methods.  Direct outbound marketing, in particular, can be highly targeted if good lists are available.

Inbound + Outbound Marketing: Push and pull on the same prospect

Lastly and very importantly, this shouldn’t be an either/or argument, as I stated earlier. When discussing inbound and outbound marketing, we’re still referring to push and pull by other names. As any good marketer knows, push and pull work together. The number of total marketing impressions on a particular prospect matters; more impressions increase your odds of a sale. This is fundamental brand-building. As an example, it’s well documented that having both PPC ads and appearing in organic search results converts better than either alone. So don’t choose between inbound and outbound marketing! Use best practices in both methodologies to optimize your marketing results.

What do you think? Will all your investments going forward be predominantly toward inbound marketing activities, or is there still room in your budget for outbound methods? I’d love to hear your plans and opinions. Please post a comment to weigh in on this discussion.

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