Lead generation is the lifeblood of business today. Done right, it creates a steady and sustainable flow of clients, rather than leaving businesses to consistently scramble for their next sale.
To generate enough quality leads to keep your business profitable, marketing your services is not optional. Lead generation activities can be broadly categorized into two main groups: inbound and outbound marketing.
Inbound digital marketing strategies involve attracting leads to your business by creating resources that potential buyers will find valuable, such as informative videos and interesting infographics.
Outbound marketing tactics traditionally involve advertising your business on a variety of media aimed at proactively getting in front of an audience and informing them of your brand, products or services.
In other words, outbound marketing tactics are any kind of promotion where a company makes the initial first contact with potential leads. Outbound marketing examples include billboards, ads on television or radio, in print or online, and cold call-type sales emails.
Here are six real-world outbound marketing strategy case studies.
An email marketing campaign is a series of emails that a business uses to communicate with current and potential customers while encouraging them to engage with the company. Email marketing tactics have managed to stand the test of time, yet many marketers have failed to update their strategies to keep up with best practices and standards. It’s important to ensure you’re sending effective emails that warrant your recipients’ valuable time and attention.
Here is an example from an email marketing campaign from PayPal that achieves the primary goals of email marketing tactics. This is a great email because many of us have been in the awkward situation of splitting restaurant bills with friends. The email encapsulates this pain point perfectly and swoops in with the perfect solution.
Another key component to effective and successful outbound email marketing campaigns is consistency: ensure that solid, value-rich messaging is sent out on a regular basis, so that your recipients can expect something they want to read when they want to read it.
Billboards may seem like an outmoded form of marketing, but rest assured they are still working for many companies, and they aren’t going anywhere. What’s more, they are always getting more creative.
Unlike other forms of advertising, billboard ads are competing against extreme challenges, like consumers driving by at speeds over 60 miles per hour, open roads and distances that can make them illegible. To overcome these challenges, companies are leveraging creativity. They want their billboards to be attention-grabbing, legible from a distance and memorable.
In this example, the billboard achieves all those goals by breaking the mold of traditional billboard advertising — literally. Edina Realty played with the dimensions of the horizontal billboard to attract attention. The company not only had size working for them, but also 3D space.
Ideally, TV commercials are produced in ways that inspire consumers to not only remember the ad, but also the brand awareness and message. While many TV commercials are quickly forgotten, some are remembered only because they are catchy (think about the famous Wendy’s commercial: “Where’s the beef?”)
However, memorable isn’t enough. Unless commercials generate interest, leads and sales, they are not worth the investment.
Consider the debut of the Cadillac LYRIQ during the broadcast of Super Bowl LV in February 2021. Cadillac revisited the 1990 Tim Burton movie Edward Scissorhands to demonstrate the LYRIQ’s Super Cruise driver assistance feature. The ad won over critics and audiences alike, and winning the Super Bowl night commercial war is, well, like winning the Super Bowl. As for sales, the LYRIQ sold out within minutes when it debuted for reservations in September.
In a world where digital advertising is everywhere, it can be hard to believe that traditional outbound formats like print ads still work. But they do! In fact, done properly, they still play a significant role in brand awareness and lead generation.
Among the best-performing print ads of all time is this ad for a WMF Grand Gourmet knife. Its creativity and message are so memorable that it speaks for itself about its success. If you need a quality knife, you’ll certainly remember this one.
An estimated 46 million Americans listen to podcasts every month, according to a report by Edison Research and Triton Digital. As their popularity continues to grow, a number of companies are taking advantage to promote their products and services to an ever-increasing listener base.
What’s more, a growing number of brands are creating their own podcasts. As with all branded content marketing tactics, reaching the consumer on a personal level is the key to success. Just look at eBay: Open for Business.
One might think that a podcast created by eBay, the online marketplace giant, would be about auctions and how to list items for sale. The global auction house is instead using this modern medium to appeal to the American entrepreneurial spirit of making one’s own way, giving inspiration and even hope to those early on in their own business lifecycles.
Trade shows are a common venue for companies to generate highly targeted leads. These targeted leads can help businesses build relationships and improve sales. Yet, it’s all too easy to blend into the exhibit hall chaos and be overlooked by attendees. To stand out in the crowd of vendors and create a successful outbound marketing opportunity, you need creativity.
Axiz is one company that found a way to stand out and be remembered. It took its company mission of “building ecosystems” through innovative technologies and ran with it by building its trade show booth out of modular units. Not only is it a flexible design with an easy build-out, but the block design also provided a bit of whimsy and childhood play.
It’s easy to imagine many trade show attendees walking into the booth out of sheer curiosity, creating the opportunity to build a large list of leads of highly targeted consumers.
Outbound marketing tactics can be powerhouses when done right. They give businesses the opportunity to proactively get out in front of their potential customers with clear and compelling messages. The next time you’re ready to create new digital marketing opportunities, remember these six powerful outbound marketing case studies to expand your options and inspire creativity.