4 Ways Inbound Leads Are Different From Outbound Leads

The words “inbound” and “outbound” are distinctively different; thus, it should come as no surprise that inbound and outbound leads are very different.  While they can be similar in multiple ways, there are major differences that marketers need to consider when planning campaigns. Here are some major differences between the two:

1. Outbound Leads Are Dying

Not literally, but you get the point.  As companies rely more on inbound marketing for lead sources, there are less outbound leads to come by.  In addition, the buying process is changing significantly as a result of our high tech world.  With millions of ads to be encountered everyday, consumers are much better at tuning out your outbound campaigns.  Conversely, when they do need something, they are surely to look for a solution on the Internet making inbound marketing an ideal choice of strategy.

2. Inbound Leads Know More About Your Company

With outbound leads, you have to assume that the lead knows little to nothing about your company at the first touchpoint, which means your sales team has to spend a significant amount of time educating the lead.  On the other hand, inbound leads found you because they want to learn more about solving their problems. They’ve likely already downloaded your content, read your blog and have a taste of who your company is.  With inbound leads, salespeople have to do a lot less convincing because inbound marketing campaigns have already done a great job of convincing them your company is worthy in content.

3. Salespeople Like Inbound Leads More than Outbound Leads

Leads generated by outbound marketing campaigns like telemarketing, direct mail, and trade shows are thought to be less valuable by sales, according to HubSpot’s 2014 State of Inbound.  This makes sense considering they have to spend more time educating outbound leads about your company.  Inbound marketing helps shorten and simplify the sales process, which makes for a happier sales team at the end of the day.

4. Outbound Leads Are More Expensive

Outbound leads cost 61% more on average than leads generated by inbound marketing campaigns. This is probably one of the most important differences between outbound and inbound leads because, not only are inbound leads higher quality, they also help you get the most out of your budget.

Final Takeaway

You may be thinking, “Wow, it really sounds like she is rooting for inbound leads”, and you are right.  What else do you think an inbound marketer would recommend?  However, outbound leads shouldn’t be completely ruled out.  Actually, integrating outbound marketing campaigns with inbound marketing campaigns can reap many benefits. At the end of the day though, inbound marketing will produce better ROI for your company.

Outbound vs inbound leads - what differences do you notice within your company? Does one generate more ROI than other? Share your comments!