The Benefits of Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing [INFOGRAPHIC]

Marketers are quickly coming to the realization that the age of outbound marketing, which includes TV and ads, direct mail, and telemarketing, is on the decline.

Inbound marketing, which is less costly and provides two-way interaction with customers, is proving to be an effective way to generate customer leads and increase sales.

Marketers that take the inbound route start conversations with customers by posting interesting and informative content, according to an infographic by Voltier Digital. Outbound marketing tends to find consumers by using advertising, and the marketers don’t aim to educate consumers.

The numbers are startling: 200 million Americans are on the Do Not Call list, 91 percent of emails users end up unsubscribing from company newsletters, and 86 percent of people skip ads on TV.

In the past two years, the average budget that companies spend on social media and blogs has doubled, and 66 percent of marketers “say their company blog is ‘critical’ or ‘important’ to their business.”

In addition, 57 percent of companies reported that they acquired customers through their LinkedIn accounts and company blogs. As for Facebook and Twitter, thosse numbers were 48 and 42 percent, respectively.

If inbound marketing seems right, just remember: content is king.