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B-to-B Insights : Are You Going In or Out?

Explore inbound and outbound marketing channels, and see which produce better leads for your company

October 2009 By Robert W. Bly
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Which works best for B-to-B lead generation—inbound or outbound marketing? Inbound refers to prospects contacting marketers "out of the blue," because they are actively interested in specific products or services. Conversely, outbound marketing requires marketers to reach out and touch prospects proactively, e.g., with a postcard, telemarketing call, e-mail or magazine advertisement.

The question of which marketing—inbound or outbound—generates the best leads can't really be answered authoritatively, because it's too broad. If we say the winner is "inbound," does that mean every type of inbound communication produces better leads than every type of outbound communication? Such is not the case.

A better way to approach the question is to examine each inbound and outbound marketing channel and evaluate the quality of leads produced on a case-by-case basis.

In the table to the right, I list the major marketing communication methods of B-to-B lead generation, indicate which I consider inbound vs. outbound (you may disagree with some of my choices), and rate them on a scale of 1 to 5 (1 = low, 5 = high) for quality of leads and ROI. Quality of leads mainly measures whether the marketing communication attracts prospects who fit your customer profile, have a need for your product or service, and are predisposed to buy from you instead of your competitors.

ROI measures whether the leads turn into orders, generating revenues far greater than the time and money spent to obtain them. Note: These ratings are my own and to a degree subjective, based on three decades of experience in B-to-B marketing; they are not based on statistically valid research.

Organic Search

The biggest controversy in lead generation is traffic generated by organic search. Some marketing writers erroneously tell us organic search leads are the best leads. They reason that prospects would not search your keyword unless they were researching product purchases. Therefore, organic search brings you good prospects: those in shopping mode.

The quality of organic search leads depends, however, on the keywords being searched. Searches performed on broad keyword terms (e.g., "limousines") attract visitors who are in the early stages of product research and therefore not hot leads. When a search is performed on highly specific keywords (e.g., "used Lincoln Continental limousine for sale in New York area"), the prospect is most likely further along in the research process and closer to making a buying decision.

 

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