Definition
Outbound marketing is a set of proactive activities consisting in reaching out to the customer, actively searching for him and building a brand image in the recipient's mind through advertising and promotional campaigns.
Trivia
- Outbound marketing is one of the most popular methods of promoting your brand and product.
- Outbound marketing is often perceived as intrusive, which is why it is sometimes referred to as "disruptive marketing".
- The opposite perspective is taken by the so-called inbound marketing, focused on attracting the customer's attention and being "found" by him.
Information
Communication in this model is one-way: the seller sends information to the recipient, who, as a result of the message, may become a buyer of the promoted product or service. Activities typical of outbound marketing include television and radio advertisements, cold calling, trade fairs, e-mails, various types of publications, and leaflets.
There are many challenges associated with outbound marketing. One of them is to conduct promotional activities in such a way that, despite their imposing nature, they are not rejected by a potential customer at the outset. The idea is that, for example, in the case of cold calling, the seller has time to present the product he intends to sell before the interlocutor hangs up, or, for example, that leaflets distributed do not end up in the nearest waste bin before they are viewed.
This model is risky and requires a great balance in terms of how much initiative you can afford before the message is perceived as disruptive and intrusive. For this purpose, appropriate competences of the seller are necessary, because the success of the entire project depends on his ability to present the product in the best possible light. Unfortunately, it often happens that the pressure exerted by the seller, for example to make an immediate decision, results in the recipient's resistance and permanent aversion to the product or brand.
Despite the difficulties mentioned above, outbound marketing is very popular. This is due to a number of benefits generated by active customer acquisition. Firstly, through wide-reaching activities such as advertising, general brand awareness in society is significantly increased. This also means increasing the chances of acquiring new customers. Secondly, the effects of many outbound marketing activities can be visible very quickly: a telephone call may lead (or not) to the sale of a product or service, good advertising may attract more consumers. Thirdly, outbound marketing is a relatively easy method - writing an advertising e-mail requires significantly less resources than building a brand image and developing an entire promotional campaign in social media.
Summary
Outbound marketing is an active method aimed at reaching customers through advertising and promotional campaigns. It is popular, but it is often portrayed in a pejorative light because it is perceived as intrusive and disturbing. Typical activities include advertising, cold calling, cold mailing and attending trade fairs. In direct promotion, success depends primarily on the seller's skills, because excessive pressure to make a purchase may have the opposite effect to that intended. Despite the difficulties, outbound marketing remains popular due to increased brand awareness, quick results and a great opportunity to acquire new customers.
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