A Complete Guide to Outbound Marketing

Is outbound marketing right for your business? It certainly could be.

Take email marketing, for example. It offers conversion rates of up to 2.8 percent, and HubSpot’s recent State of Marketing report shows how email and social media are delivering the best returns on investment compared to other marketing channels.

But how do you decide which specific strategies are going to help you grow your brand?

If you’ve got questions about outbound, then you’ve come to the right place.

Key Takeaways

• Outbound marketing begins the conversation with your leads. This could be through PPC ads, direct mail, cold calling, digital advertising, or TV commercials. 
• Methods like cold calling have a 4.82 percent success rate, while 37 percent of people like getting direct mail.
• AI is transforming outbound marketing, enabling marketers to pick suitable locations, identify trends, and customize content.
• Outbound marketing is easy to implement, and methods like email marketing make it affordable for marketers with smaller budgets.
• Cold emailing, PPC ads, and outreach are all effective outbound marketing methods you can implement quickly.

Table of Contents

• Key Takeaways
  • What is Outbound Marketing?
• Why Outbound Marketing Is Important
  • Pros and Cons of Outbound Marketing
• Outbound Marketing Strategies
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy #1: Cold Email
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy #2: Search Ads
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy #3: Social Media Ads
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy #4: Outreach Marketing
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy #5: Content Syndication
• Taking Outbound Marketing Outside of Digital
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy Number #6: Direct Mail
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy Number #7: Trade Shows/Events
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy Number #8: Cold Calls
  • Outbound Marketing Strategy Number #9: TV, Billboard, Radio, and Print Ads
• Combining Inbound and Outbound Marketing
• FAQs
• Conclusion

What is Outbound Marketing?

Outbound marketing is where your business initiates conversations with your customers to attract them to your brand. For example, TV commercials, cold calls, paid ads, and direct mail are all examples. Then, there are more modern outreach methods like email marketing, influencers, paid social media marketing, and remarketing. The latest advances, like AI, also mean outbound marketing keeps evolving.

Outbound marketing reaches a larger, more random audience, and potential customers may see adverts wherever they go, such as while shopping, on TV, or in social media ads. This may seem intrusive to some, as your adverts are coming into people’s lives uninvited.

For that reason, you might hear it called ‘push marketing’ or ‘interruption marketing’, as it may disrupt the customer journey.

Inbound marketing, on the other hand, is when your customer initiates a conversation with you. For example, they visit your website, read an e-book, or download a white paper.

The goal of outbound marketing is to actively build authentic relationships through engagement, targeted communications, and putting your company in the right place at the right time. 

The thing is, though, outbound has a lower ROI, so you need to allocate your budget to the methods that work for your brand. However, it’s still a valuable marketing technique, and I’ll discuss its benefits next.

Why Outbound Marketing Is Important

Inbound marketing is great, especially for smaller and low-budget businesses, but if customers don’t know your products exist in the first place, they can’t search for something they aren’t aware of. 

An outbound marketing strategy guarantees you reach people so you aren’t shouting into the void. Blogs are great for SEO and catering to Google’s algorithm, but when you pay for a TV ad during a half-time break of a popular show, you know it’s going to be seen.

There are also other benefits to using this method:

• Active outreach: That means you’re getting your name out in front of a larger audience who might not have found your business otherwise, raising brand awareness.
• It’s affordable: Yes, it’s costly if you’re using TV or display advertising, but when done correctly, it can still provide a good ROI and is still relevant today as a complement to inbound marketing. There are also affordable options like cold email marketing, which is more likely to be within everyone’s budget.
• It’s easy to implement: Creating PPC campaigns and paid social media marketing is pretty straightforward. While you might not hit your target every time, you’ll gather plenty of data to shape future campaigns. 
• Lead generation: Who doesn’t want more leads? The more people know about your brand, the more prospects you get, and ideally, that leads to more conversions.

You can use outbound marketing to build your mailing list, too.

Pros and Cons of Outbound Marketing

We’ve already discussed some of the benefits of outbound marketing above, but let’s detail a few more along with the cons.

Pros:

• You can scale your outbound marketing. For example, you can expand a direct mail campaign during peak buying seasons or when your budget allows, or invest in tools for greater efficiency, like CRM systems.
• Display and TV advertising, magazine ads, email, or direct mail let you reach your clients in their preferred formats and reach vast audiences.
• Carefully crafted messaging can resonate with your ideal customer, increasing your chances of leads and conversions, and spur immediate action.

Cons: 

• Some outbound tactics, like cold calling, may seem intrusive if your message isn’t relevant.
• It’s costly: As mentioned previously, outbound marketing is expensive if you’re using methods like TV or display advertising.
• It’s difficult to measure results: When you focus on inbound marketing, you’ll have stats that help you get the hard numbers. With outbound marketing, the results are tougher to track unless you get customers to use a specific reference when they respond to an ad.
• Engagement can be low: It’s difficult to engage with consumers throughout their busy lives.

Outbound Marketing Strategies

Success in marketing comes through a combination of different strategies. Whether it’s inbound or outbound, there are lots of different ways to reach your target audience, and often it will take lots of different strategies to achieve your goals. 

Here are nine examples of outbound marketing tactics you can use to boost your brand.

Outbound Marketing Strategy #1: Cold Email

Cold emails are unsolicited emails you send out to prospects. You’re initiating the interaction, so it firmly fits in with the principles of outbound marketing. But it gets a bad rap because these emails sometimes look like spam when they appear in someone’s emails uninvited.

Well, what if your cold emails didn’t feel like unsolicited emails? What if they were highly personalized, respected your customer’s time, and actually offered value to them? That’s something different. For example, you might send a warmer email:

• Complimenting them on a recent success.
• Mentioning a specific product or recent product launch.
• Using their first name.
• Adding a personalized subject line.

To add value, explain how you can improve your prospect’s results like this personalized cold email:

Also, remember to A/B test everything: subject lines, signatures, call to actions (CTA’s), interval between each email, the time you send each email, and, of course, the copy itself.

Don’t forget, small details make a big difference. For example, 47 percent of people open an email based on the subject line, so make sure you’re optimizing every aspect of your outbound marketing.

Outbound Marketing Strategy #2: Search Ads

Paid search ads are a cross between inbound and outbound marketing. While the targeted user has likely actively searched for information related to your products, you’re still artificially placing your brand in front of them in a way more reminiscent of outbound marketing. These ads give you immediate online visibility, give you a measurable ROI, and help you generate leads for your offers.

The typical search ad looks like this:

Search ads are great for immediate success. For your best chance of achieving your goals, Google suggests you:

• Add your business name and logo.
• Include four unique image assets to show relevant images of your products or services.
• Use responsive search ads to deliver relevant ads that change according to user behavior.
• Write copy that includes the product or service’s benefits and add keywords to your ads and description lines.
• Keep your adverts consistent with your brand.
• Vary your headline length to appeal to different audiences.

Additionally:

• Clearly set out what you’re trying to achieve with your paid ads and make sure everything is streamlined toward driving action from your customers.
• Remember that small issues, such as a clunky checkout page can hurt your conversion rate and make a big difference to your ROI on your search ads, so check everything runs smoothly.
• Keep your landing pages on point (here’s how I make sure my landing pages are converting). 

And, finally, here’s my “Guide to Google Ads” to help you out.

Outbound Marketing Strategy #3: Social Media Ads

Billions of people are on social media every day; The average daily usage of social media is two hours and 30 minutes. 

In marketing, we talk a lot about reaching your customers where they’re hanging out, and the data shows this is overwhelmingly on social media. You’re missing out if you’re not running social media ads.

Social media is becoming more and more “pay to play,” increasingly making it an outbound tool. Paid social media is:

• more cost-effective than organic social media
• increases brand awareness
• boosts reach

The average reach for an organic post on Facebook, for example, is just 1.5 to 2.5 percent, so you need a huge following to make a difference with organic social media. Paid ads, on the other hand, allow you to immediately reach a highly targeted audience.

One of the most powerful aspects of advertising on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn is targeting. These companies have an incredible amount of data on their users and you can use this to be extremely targeted, serving your ads to the people they’re going to have the most impact on.

Here’s a Facebook ad from Glov Beauty as an example. It does a great job of driving sales with a discount, then details the benefits users will get from their purchase.

Outbound Marketing Strategy #4: Outreach Marketing

The basics of outbound marketing begin with reaching out to your ideal customers on your chosen channels. For example, you might launch an email campaign or run some PPC ads to connect with your audience.

Outreach marketing also refers to building relationships, but it’s important to connect with the right people. I’m talking about influencers, thought leaders, and large companies in your niche —those who can help you gain traction.

You could also contact niche journalists, combine your outbound strategy with some digital PR, and start posting press releases.

Your outreach messaging might look something like this:

Does this type of marketing have value? Absolutely!

In time, this outreach leads to improved credibility (after all, these influential people are talking about your business), gives you more backlinks if they link to your content for an SEO boost, and delivers improved brand awareness because you’re reaching a broader audience.

Outbound Marketing Strategy #5: Content Syndication

Content syndication means republishing your content on different sites and in fresh formats. As a publisher, you can sign up with sites like Revnew or Outbrain to help distribute your content for a fee. 

Your content may be published in full, as an excerpt, or modified with different headlines, focus, or stats for a new audience.

If you don’t have the budget for syndication, you can D-I-Y it on sites like Medium, LinkedIn, and Quora, or you can republish your content in different formats and reach more people. 

For example, a long-form article could become an infographic, a LinkedIn post, and video content —all promoting your brand in different ways.

Here’s an example of content syndication for some of our recent survey results on LinkedIn, Threads, and Instagram:

The benefits of syndication include: 

• More backlinks, giving you more visibility and authority.
• More traffic and attention.
• Better brand awareness from getting published on high-traffic sites.
• And increased authority and credibility.

Taking Outbound Marketing Outside of Digital

We’ve been talking a lot about digital marketing strategies, but you don’t have to stick with these exclusively. While many of us discover new brands and products on the internet, some classic methods can be just as effective. Both techniques can complement each other.

Let’s look at a few non-digital methods you can add to your outbound marketing strategy.

Outbound Marketing Strategy Number #6: Direct Mail

First, I recommend “cutting edge technology” with emails, and now I’m telling you to send people letters through the mail?

Well, yes!

Although so much of our lives might have moved online, we still exist away from the internet, and we still receive mail. As it turns out, 37 percent of people enjoy getting physical mail, and 41 percent of 44-59-year-olds appreciate the personal touch. 

With direct mail, you can:

• Remain targeted with your approach and segment people based on past purchases, location, demographics, etc.
• Be creative so your ad stands out amongst the crowd.
• Include a way to track the success of the campaign (unique discount codes are a great way to see which customers are responding).

It might not seem like it fits with the digital age, but direct mail is still a useful outbound marketing strategy. Take this direct mail postcard example from Doordash:

Sounds like a great deal, doesn’t it? And you only have to glance at it to see the immediate value.

Outbound Marketing Strategy Number #7: Trade Shows/Events

Marketing may have shifted focus from the physical world to the digital one, but that certainly doesn’t mean getting out and meeting people is a dead art. One of the best ways to get your brand in front of a targeted audience is by attending a trade show. 

This can involve significant upfront costs (on average, $100-$150 per square foot of floor space) or $40 – 60,000 for a 20 x 20 display. But the exposure and new connections you make can be well worth it. 

For example, if you’re in the home improvement industry, events like the Home Design and Remodelling Show could be a fantastic place to generate leads:

Considering booking a stand at a trade show? Here are some tips to help you make the most from it:

• When planning for a tradeshow, make sure you’re setting goals (building awareness, gaining leads, etc) and managing your budget appropriately. 
• Planning is key. You need to consider travel, logistics, and where everyone will stay. Book ahead to avoid any last-minute problems. 
• Ensure you have plenty of business cards to give customers and ask permission to add them to your mailing list.
• Meet regularly: Hold regular meetings with your team so everyone knows what they’re doing and the goals.
• Start promoting: Give shout-outs about the event on social media so people know to find you there. Share pictures during and after the event, too.
• Create a buzz with giveaways, demonstrations, and eye-catching product displays. Make your displays interactive where you can with touchscreens or Q&As. 

One more thing: Learn from your data and feedback. Look at metrics like footfall (the amount of people visiting your stall), conversion rates, social media chatter, and lead capture. Use social listening, surveys, and in-person feedback to understand what you can do better next time. Then, follow up with personalized, segmented emails for content that connects with prospects.

Outbound Marketing Strategy Number #8: Cold Calls

Outbound doesn’t always have the best reputation, and cold calls certainly fit this picture. Like cold emailing, you may feel you’re intruding in someone’s space, and your prospect may not welcome this uninvited approach. Despite this, stats show that cold calling has a 4.82 percent success rate.

It’s easy to look at cold calling and think it’s all about numbers. Sure, outbound relies on volume, but the most important aspect is still quality, in this case, the quality of the conversations you can have. 

This is why there’s a push away from scripted sales pitches towards approaches like SPIN selling. SPIN selling involves asking the prospect a series of questions to determine their needs to help solve their problems. These questions generally fall into one of 4 categories:

• Situation
• Problem
• Implication
• Need-Payoff

If you’ve read my inbound marketing articles, then you know this is something I talk about all the time.

If you’re thinking about using cold calling as part of your outbound marketing strategy, then make sure you master the basics of cold outreach first.

Outbound Marketing Strategy Number #9: TV, Billboard, Radio, and Print Ads

Online marketing has transformed how businesses advertise, but traditional advertising is far from dead.

There are lots of online places where you can advertise your business and continue to grow your brand. TV and radio ads may require more investment than other forms like paid ads, but they still bring big results.

Most U.S. viewers watch both regular TV and digital streaming, and U.S. adults watch almost three hours of TV daily.

And older age groups tend to watch a lot more TV, according to Statista:

And let’s not forget billboard and digital out-of-home advertising (DOOH) like screens in airports, malls, and bus stops.

These are on the rise, with market volume expected to hit $24 billion in the coming years, while Emarketer expects double-digit growth in DOOH all the way through to 2027.  

What’s fuelling this growth? AI and data analytics. 

These tools make DOOH campaigns more effective. They use predictive analytics, analyze historical data, spot current trends, and even consider things like weather and traffic so you can find the best times and places for your DOOH advertising. 

It also enables personalization.

Hannah McDonald, Content Production Lead, NP Digital, explains:

“If they aren’t already, marketers will soon be able to use AI to create audience lists with more data and details than ever before. Since AI can sort massive amounts of data in a fraction of the time, we can get down to the nitty-gritty of who is engaging with or likely to engage with a brand.

Once that’s established, teams can duplicate and optimize core content and messaging materials. With AI, marketers can produce customized content that speaks to the customer they’re targeting. Of course, it will still be up to the marketers to develop the brand and creative guidelines that will be the base of all outbound materials. But once they build that stuff, there’s huge potential for adapting it to better engage with different customer personas”.

Traditional media consumption might be changing, but it’s still there—and therefore, it’s still a big opportunity for marketers. Ensure you understand your target demographics and showcase your brand with creative messaging, and you can still see an excellent return on your investment.

Combining Inbound and Outbound Marketing

As we detailed earlier, there are some main differences between inbound and outbound marketing. Inbound marketing is when a customer comes to you first, and outbound is more about pushing your message to potential leads, but the two can work together.

For example, people might sign up for your mailing list or a white paper, but you start the conversation with an outbound marketing strategy through advertising, cold calling, or email.

Although they’re very different strategies, you can mix them up to reach more people by:

• Direct Traffic: Use outbound advertising, such as promotional and explainer videos, websites, and social channels, to guide traffic to your inbound advertising.
• Attract-convert-engage: Try using an attract-convert-engage model. Create awesome inbound content, such as blogs, landing pages, and free downloads, and then follow up with personalized direct mail, educational content, and calls to nurture the lead
• Show off testimonials: Weave social proof from your inbound marketing, such as testimonials, into your outbound advertising. This helps build trust.

FAQs

What is the difference between inbound and outbound marketing?

Outbound marketing relies on the business initiating the interaction, whereas inbound marketing relies on the customer searching for your brand.

Is social media inbound or outbound marketing?

Social media can function as both inbound and outbound marketing. Paid social media ads are outbound, whereas organic reach is inbound marketing.

Why is outbound marketing effective?

Outbound marketing is often effective because it’s immediate. You’re taking a proactive approach and building brand awareness by putting your brand in front of people and initiating interactions.

Is outbound marketing dead?

No, it is very much alive, but strategies like greater personalization and AI tools mean it’s evolving. Many businesses still use outbound to achieve a good return on their investment.

What are examples of outbound marketing?

Examples include paid search ads, social media ads, cold emails, cold calls, trade shows, and TV, radio, or print ads.

Conclusion

Marketing is competitive; sometimes, you can’t rely on people coming to you. Instead, you’ve got to put your name out there and guarantee you’re getting exposure. In these cases, cold emails, search ads, social media ads, trade shows, cold calls, and traditional media ads can make a huge difference. 

Outbound marketing is still relevant today and works well alongside your inbound marketing to grow your brand. 

Remember, inbound marketing principles apply to outbound as well. You still need to understand your target audience, and you’ve got to be able to provide value and help solve people’s pain points. 

If you can successfully do this, outbound marketing can be an important part of your strategy.