If you have a limited advertising budget, you may want to consider focusing on inbound
rather than outbound marketing. Following are the pros and cons of this form of advertising as well as a heads-up on what to expect from a successful inbound marketing campaign.

The Pros

Inbound marketing is much more affordable than other forms of advertising. In fact, many forms of inbound marketing (i.e. use of proper keywords, generating content, using social media) are completely free.

What is more, inbound marketing has a more lasting effect than outbound marketing. People are likely to forget about your business after your TV, radio, billboard and/or newspaper advertising campaign is over. However, your inbound marketing efforts remain in place indefinitely and can bring in customers months or even years from now.

The Cons

Unless you take the time to learn the basics of inbound marketing (or hire someone to handle it for you), your efforts may not be nearly as worthwhile as they could have been. Additionally, it is important to realize that inbound marketing is a long-term rather than short-term marketing strategy. It will take time before you see any results from your efforts.

The fact is that every business needs both inbound and outbound marketing. Inbound marketing is a long-term strategy that will continually bring in a steady stream of customers while outbound marketing will help boost sales right now and can even be used to give your inbound marketing efforts a needed boost. If your business needs a boost, assess your advertising budget and see how you can best reach your target audience and even encourage them to tell others about your business and what it has to offer.