INBOUND OR OUTBOUND? HOW ABOUT BOTH?5 Steps to Creating a More Balanced Approach to Your Marketing

Why not go both ways?

You shouldn’t be only an Inbound or Outbound marketer. Taking a middle

path, toward what we call the Complete or Balanced Marketer position, leads to higher ROI, deeper customer intimacy,

and a complete liberation from the dissatisfactions of marketing.

The Complete Marketer says…

Inbound is often described as pull marketing, and Outbound as push marketing. But like your hand opening or making a fist, if it only did one or the other it would be paralyzed.

When we asked, most marketers (84%) said both inbound and outbound tactics drive the business.

Read on to learn how you can find the Zen of a Complete Marketer

Attract

Top of funnel. Use inbound tactics like social media and pay-per-click ads to attract net new leads.

The Complete Marketer’s three mantras: 1. On social, listen and be helpful with

your responses

2. With SEO, write for people, not search engine algorithms

3. When blogging, consistency matters

Capture

A mix of inbound tactics complemented by excellent content and smart landing pages.

Gate high value content with forms, so the lead has a way to give you contact data and permission to contact them.

The Complete Marketer’s three mantras: 1. Gate only what has value; test

your assumptions

2. Does the landing page match the (PPC) promise?

3. Every journey has unique stages, ask only for the customer data that matches that stage

Nurture

Middle of funnel. You’ve got permission, so be proactive with outbound marketing to nurture the buyer along the journey. You’re educating the buyer, building a relationship, and gaining trust.

The buyer expects you to hit the correct level of activity at the right time – not too much, not too little. Not too early, not too late.

The Complete Marketer’s three mantras: 1. Keep your prospects engaged so you will be

top-of-mind when they are ready to buy

2. Tell them what they want to know, not what you think they want to know

3. Communicate, via automated programs, based on their behavior not on your quarterly goals

Convert

Bottom of funnel. Show them what it’s like to work with you. Reach out and provide proof: reviews, testimonials.

Make it easy to buy. Do onboarding right.

The Complete Marketer’s three mantras: 1. When the young eagle is ready, it needs a gentle

push to send it soaring. When your prospect is ready, based on lead score, ask for the sale

2. A testimonial told once is great, a testimonial told on video is even better and can be told forever

3. Remember, you are marketing to more than one person in an organization. Be strategic by adopting an Account-Based Marketing approach

Expand

Keep up the customer service, and pay attention. Make renewal painless.

Look for upsell opportunities and find creative ways to encourage loyal, vocal advocates. Overall, you are deepening the relationship.

The Complete Marketer’s three mantras: 1. Add an automated onboarding email program with

30-, 60- and 90-day drip programs and ensure customer success

2. Use outbound newsletters and inbound webinars to promote new features and practical tips

3. Score customer engagement to identify your likely brand advocates

Finding Balance

As you can see, it does take a village to attract, close, and retain a customer. It takes your marketing, sales, and customer success teams. And it takes a healthy balance of inbound and outbound tactics.

Wondering if your marketing efforts are balanced? Take this quick assessment to see which way you lean.

Happiness is not found strictly through inbound or outbound tactics, but through a balance of the two, finding order, rhythm and harmony.

- THE COMPLETE MARKETER

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Act-On Software is a marketing automation company delivering innovation that empowers marketers to do the best work of their careers. Act-On is the only integrated workspace to address the needs of the customer experience, from brand awareness and demand generation, to retention and loyalty. With Act-On, marketers can drive better business outcomes and see higher customer lifetime value. The Act-On platform provides marketers with power they can actually use, without the need for a dedicated IT resource.

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