In traditional marketing campaigns, companies use tools such as TV commercials, direct mail, print ads, etc. to communicate with consumers. These actions are also called ‘intrusive’ ads – users do not necessarily show interest in the subject but are nevertheless interrupted by this type of ad and interact with it, even if passively.
With the advancement of technology and consumption of multiplatform content, this form of advertising has increasingly lost effectiveness. Call blockers allow users to ignore call centre calls. Spam filters automatically block bulk emails. Even in a traditional media like TV, advertisers have reported decreased efficiency. It is increasingly common for people to ignore advertisements in the intervals of their favourite programs when consuming content on their mobiles or tablets, or even to watch videos on paid streaming platforms without being interrupted by ads.
Inbound marketing is a group of actions that combines strategies focused on attracting and converting customers with relevant content. It caters to the companies’ need to better adapt to the buyer journey.
In inbound marketing, advertisers do not necessarily go after consumers, but produce interesting content using different communication channels, such as search engines, websites and social networks, to share it.