Key Takeaways
- Inbound and outbound video marketing serve different purposes, but the strongest strategies often use both together to support the full customer journey.
- Inbound video marketing is designed to attract and nurture audiences organically through educational, entertaining, or value-driven content that builds long-term trust.
- Outbound video marketing focuses on proactively reaching target audiences through paid distribution, direct outreach, or promotional campaigns intended to drive immediate visibility and action.
- The most effective video strategy depends on your goals. Inbound content is often better for brand awareness and audience engagement over time, while outbound content is typically built for faster campaign performance and lead generation.
- Brands that align messaging, creative, and distribution across both inbound and outbound efforts can create a more scalable video ecosystem that supports awareness, conversion, and retention simultaneously.
At its core, marketing is all about finding customers. However, if you’ve been marketing products or services for a while, you know the reality can be more complex than it sounds. How you find those customers is what it’s all about, and there are seemingly endless ways for you to find customers, generate interest, and increase sales.
Inbound video marketing and outbound video marketing are two strategies that can be effective, but they have different goals and constraints to consider. First, it’s important to understand the differences between inbound and outbound marketing in general.
Inbound vs. Outbound Marketing
Although they’re often pitted against each other, the truth is that inbound marketing and outbound marketing can both be effective. Here’s the difference between the two.
Inbound marketing is marketing that brings customers to you, using a “pull” approach rather than a “push” approach. It’s a popular strategy because it’s the least sales-y approach to gaining customers. By engaging with your target audience in informative and entertaining ways, your brand becomes who they will turn to whenever they are ready to make a purchase.
Outbound marketing, on the other hand, is associated with more traditional forms of advertisements. Instead of waiting for customers to come to you, customers are “pushed” towards your brand. Specific advertisements are used to target a wide audience, since most people viewing the advertisement won’t take action. Outbound marketing can be a great way to expose potential customers to your brand so they know who to turn to when they’re ready to make a purchase.
Why Use Video For Inbound and Outbound Marketing?
Whether you choose inbound marketing, outbound marketing, or both, there are many different approaches you can take. In the past, both forms of marketing were all about text and images. Although words and pictures can still be effective ways to market, video is a much better strategy to use in today’s world. Here are a few reasons why:
- Video is taking over Instagram and pretty much every other platform. Did you know that internet videos made up 69 percent of all global consumer traffic in 2017? Or that over 50 percent of people view videos online every day, and social videos get 1,200 percent more shares than text and image content combined?
- With video, you can say more in less time. You can share more in a few seconds of video marketing content than you can with a picture and supporting copy. This means that you can explain things more clearly, provide more information, and entertain your audience more effectively than you can with images and text.
- Videos are a great way to add a personal touch to your marketing strategy. With video, customers can put a face to your brand. You can build a more personal relationship with your customers and followers by addressing them through a video instead of relying on images and written text.
- Lastly, videos are more easily digestible, too. Not everyone can comfortably read and comprehend long posts. Instead of asking someone to commit several minutes to focus on your written content, they just have to sit back, relax, and watch a short video.
Inbound Video Marketing Tactics
Hopefully you’re sold on using video marketing for your business! Here are a few of our favorite inbound tactics, as well as how to make them work for your brand:
- Educational YouTube content: One of the best ways to convince customers to turn to your brand when the timing is right is to position yourself as an expert in your field. Think about what you can teach your target audience and create a how-to video, give an entertaining lecture, or do a demonstration. YouTube is the perfect place to distribute this content—not only is it a favorite entertainment platform for many people, but it’s also the second-largest search engine after Google.
- Organic social video posts: Vlogs and “Day in the Life” videos make us feel connected to the people we are watching. Create personal, authentic content that inspires or builds community. Use a relaxed tone and informal voice to connect with your target audience in a genuine way.
- Video shared via email newsletter: Videos are great in email newsletters too! Announce an event or a product launch, send along bonus content to your subscribers, or show them a sneak peek at something you have been working on. Try adding the camera emoji to your subject line to get more clicks.
Outbound Video Marketing Tactics
Outbound video marketing strategies can greatly increase click through rates, exposure, and interest in your brand compared to photo and text options. Here are a few ways you can make outbound video work for you:
- TV commercials: TV commercials aren’t dead! There are many ways to run a TV ad campaign, but in the 21st century, it’s great if you can tie it to a social media or online campaign. Make sure you post your commercial online too so it can be shared on multiple platforms.
- OTT ads: If broadcast ads aren’t your thing, OTT platforms offer another great channel for brand commercials. Consumers have adopted streaming platforms with great enthusiasm, and OTT ads offer similar targeting options as broadcast.
- Video billboards/OOH: Don’t just add a traditional billboard to a carousel of other companies’ images. Take full advantage of video billboards by creating moving advertisements. Create something that grabs their attention long enough to learn who you are.
- Paid social ads: Of all the options on this list, paid social ads are the easiest for potential customers to ignore online. Thankfully, using video instead of a static image helps you stand out from the crowd. You should also know what platform you’re using to display the ad so you know what kind of video to use.
Let’s Discuss Your Next Video Project
Ultimately, it’s not about whether inbound video marketing is better than outbound video marketing. Instead, it’s about understanding them both so you can use them both to their full potential. Combine multiple tactics and be willing to try new things.
If you need a place to start, contact one of our creative producers to get the ball rolling on your next video project. Lemonlight is experienced in making high-performance video assets for both outbound and inbound marketing needs. It’s free, so what are you waiting for?
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between inbound and outbound video marketing?
Inbound video marketing attracts audiences naturally through helpful or engaging content, while outbound video marketing pushes content directly to audiences through paid ads, email campaigns, sponsored placements, or direct outreach.
2. Which video marketing strategy is better for brand awareness?
Inbound video marketing is often more effective for building long-term brand awareness because it helps audiences discover your brand organically through search, social media, and educational content.
3. When should brands use outbound video marketing?
Outbound video marketing works well when brands need faster results, want to promote a campaign, launch a product, generate leads, or target specific audiences with paid distribution strategies.
4. Can inbound and outbound video marketing work together?
Yes. Many brands use inbound videos to educate and build trust while using outbound campaigns to amplify reach, retarget audiences, and drive conversions more efficiently.
5. What types of videos work best for inbound vs. outbound marketing?
Inbound marketing often benefits from educational videos, thought leadership, tutorials, and brand storytelling, while outbound campaigns typically perform well with product promos, short-form ads, testimonials, and conversion-focused creative.
Social Video
Video Marketing Strategy
Video Production Tips
