Inbound vs Outbound Leads
What's the difference and which is right for you?
Inbound and Outbound leads are not created equal, and they shouldn't be treated the same in your prospecting efforts. In this brief article, we will break down these 2 distinct lead types to help you understand the key differences/benefits.
Inbound Leads
Inbound leads are generated through blanketed activities that are designed to engage a pool of potential customers. This can include activities like creating valuable content, running social media ads, and optimizing your website for search engines. When a potential customer consumes your content, interacts with your brand on social media, or visits your website, they become an inbound lead.
The upside to inbound leads:
Familiar with your brand
Less expensive to generate
The downside to inbound leads:
Less control over the target market
More time to generate/qualify leads
When a potential customer consumes your content, interacts with your brand on social media, or visits your website, they become an inbound lead.
Outbound Leads
Outbound leads are generated through 1:1 activities with potential customers that you suspect are a good fit for your service/product. This can include things like cold calling, email marketing, and direct mail. When you reach out to a potential customer who has not yet expressed interest in your product or service, they are an outbound lead.
The upside to outbound leads:
Pre-qualified with data
Faster to generate
The downside to outbound leads:
Typically unfamiliar with your brand
More expensive (valuable?) to generate
When you reach out to a potential customer who has not yet expressed interest in your product or service, they are an outbound lead.
Strategies
Companies should employ both inbound and outbound lead-generation strategies to keep their prospect pipeline full. The key to managing these leads is not only in recognizing inbound from outbound, but understanding how to effectively follow up.
Inbound Leads require follow-up designed to qualify the lead.
Outbound Leads require tailored follow-up designed for the lead to qualify YOU.
For more insights on mastering lead generation, automation, and AI for efficient growth, check out our educational content in The FinHive.
ANASOVA, Inc. is a Chicago-based software company that develops revolutionary lead-generation tools.
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