Inbound Marketing vs Outbound Marketing: The Real Difference

Outbound marketing is about interruption. Inbound marketing is about discovery.

But so what? We have all been interrupted and had it lead to something wonderful. We have all turned to Google or social media and discovered things that are completely useless or misleading.

So why is inbound marketing a better way to market?

The difference is friction.

Outbound Marketing

Outbound marketing interrupts what you are doing and asks you to change. If it is an email promotion for an upcoming webcast or a banner ad showing how much money your business can save, a marketer is interrupting you and asking you to move on to something else. Friction is resistance to that movement.

This is why context is so important in advertising that asks you to take an action, from making a call in response to a DRTV ad to clicking on a banner to scanning a QR code. The bigger that movement or change is, the harder your marketing needs to work to overcome resistance to change.

Inbound Marketing Removes the Friction

In sharp contrast to outbound marketing, inbound marketing has no friction. No one was interrupted with your message. If it was posted by a friend on Facebook or at the top of organic search results, it was an organic part of the experience they were directing.

In inbound marketing, discovering your content is natural. To marketers accustomed to shouting for attention, this should come as a welcome change!

But Pushing is Easier Than You Think

Pushing to overcome the friction sounds like hard work… until you try to get someone else to push your content without payment!

Creating content worth discovering and then ensuring it is found through search, social and other independent recommendations isn’t easy. Because of this, many marketers, although enamored by the idea, have been slow to embrace inbound marketing, and that spells opportunity for those willing to make the change.

Two additional posts that can help you get started:
10 Ways to Kickstart Your Inbound Marketing Program
Become An Inbound Marketer Without Creating (or Curating) Content

Your Turn

What keeps you from making the switch to inbound marketing, or have you already made it? Share your perspective on the biggest challenges in the comments below or with me on Twitter (@wittlake).

Photo Credit: Pushing the Car by davosmith on Flickr

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