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| What I got in the mail today |
When I get my mail I quickly scan through it for bills and then I throw out the "junk". When I listen to the radio and a commercial comes on, I change the station. I simply don’t own cable because I can watch TV on the Internet without commercials. Everyday the human population is targeted by many outbound marketing strategies.
First you might ask: What is an outbound marketing strategy?
According to Wordstream, outbound marketing is a traditional form of marketing where a company
initiates conversation by sending their messages out to an audience. Outbound
marketing consists of TV and radio commercials, direct mail, print
advertisements, email blasts, etc.
Then you might ask: What’s the
difference between inbound and outbound marketing?
BoldThink Creative defines inbound
marketing as targeting an audience by providing useful and quality content to
entice them to find more information on your products or services. In short,
for inbound marketing the consumer finds you and for outbound marketing you find them. Click here to find an info-graphic showcasing
the different types of inbound and outbound marketing tactics.
So, how does this tie into millennials? Outbound marketing strategies don’t work on the millennial generation. We see outbound marketing as intrusive and impersonal. We see it as company-focused and untrustworthy. Our attention spans are short, but our demands are high. We want marketing efforts to be personalized because we like to feel involved in the purchase. Outbound marketing strategies cause clutter in our everyday lives which doesn't impress us. So, why waste your time and money?
What to do:
Millennials make up 50% of today’s population. Change your marketing strategy so that it is driven by our generation. Start personalizing your approach and we will come to you.
You're absolutely right Katherine. Outbound marketing does not work on millennials anymore! But it will change eventually.
ReplyDeleteI too sift through mail and immediately toss any 'junk mail'. Hopefully moving forward marketers will realize the breadth and power the millennial generation has and understand they need to change their tactics. The outbound model of marketing is definitely broken and needs fixing!
ReplyDeleteWhile I agree that outbound marketing like junk mail may not be the most effective form of marketing for millennials, I do believe it still has its merits and still plays a significant role in marketing in given opportunities. Think about the super bowl this weekend - many of us just watch the game for the ads! A catchy commercial still gets stuck in our minds and do generate discussion. Cool post!
ReplyDeleteOf course- something like the superbowl catches much attention. But everyday how often do you sift through the many ads that are targeting you? Yes. In certain situations it still works. But, its becoming more and more irrelevant each day!
ReplyDelete