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Tuesday 2 February 2016

Outbound on the Outs

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.