In our line of business we are often asked the question, “what’s the difference between inbound and outbound marketing?” Although there is not a definitive answer to this question, we can take a look at individual marketing channels and draw your own conclusions on inbound vs. outbound marketing. From this we can also paint a clearer picture of how he two play off each other.

Inbound Marketing Channels

• Blogs, Blog Commenting
• News Media/PR
• SEO and Pay Per Click
• Opt-in Email Marketing
• Community Building
• Inforgrpahics
• Social Networks
• Webinars
• Online Video
• Forums
• Podcasting
• Social Bookmarking
• Sponsoring and supporting local events

Outbound Marketing Channels

• TV, Radio, and Print Ads
• Trade Show Booths
• Outbound Sales Calls/Cold Calling
• Yellow Pages, White Pages, Magazines, Etc
• Banner and Display Ads
• Paid Email Lists

Hopefully this article helped clarify some of the differences between inbound and outbound marketing, and also gave you a better idea on how the two can play off each other in your marketing strategy. If used correctly outbound marketing can be just as effective as inbound marketing and their relationship is truly symbiotic in any successful marketing initiative.

If you would add and buzzwords to the inbound or outbound marketing list channels then please tell us about them in the comments section!