The major shift in marketing, from outbound to inbound, ensures that the power now lies with the consumer. They know what they want and they can find it online, through a basic search. They find you – when they want to. There are, however, a few instances where inbound marketing simply doesn’t work and we’ve listed them below.

When you sell a product or service that no one knows about they won’t be able to search for and, as such, find you. This can be the case when what you’re selling creates a whole new category of a product type.

As an example imagine you create a new type of watercraft. The product isn’t a solution to a problem but people would like to have it because it’s fun. You’ll have to stand out amongst all the sail boats, speed boats, jet skis and more and if avid water-sport enthusiasts have never heard about you they’ll be hesitant to buy your product – even if they do spot it online.

The area you operate in might be so overtraded online that it’s practically impossible to break through all the clutter – especially as a new competitor. You’ll make more of an impact if you use other methods first and, only later once you’re established, focus on inbound marketing.

If the level of required trust is extremely high you won’t benefit much from inbound marketing. Consider this: you’re looking for a new dermatologist; do you do a quick Google search and choose the top ranked one or do you ask family and friends for recommendations? Examples of professionals who require a high amount of trust include medical practitioners and anyone in financial services.

Word of mouth sometimes counts for more than a website does.

This seems impossible in today’s day and age – but there are people who don’t use the Internet often and definitely not for the purpose of making buying decisions. This includes the elderly community. There are of course exceptions but many generations, communities or cultures stick to more traditional means and base buying decisions on what they read in the newspaper or what they hear from friends and family. It might be difficult to understand if you have the least bit of tech knowhow, but it doesn’t make it less true.

If you work with very specific companies or clients – meaning your product or service is extremely niche – inbound might not work for you. If this is the case your potential clientele will be extremely targeted and you’re probably better off contacting them directly rather than hoping they’ll find you.

Imagine a company that sells airbuses. Writing daily blog posts about the trade and updating social media profiles won’t make more people buy airbuses.

The above are a few of the instances in which outbound marketing could work better than inbound marketing. Digital marketers are so militant about “advertising being dead” that most of us won’t even consider entertaining another notion.

The fact is that the world didn’t undergo a complete transformation and all of a sudden everyone spends hours a day online “surfing the web”. Sure, most people do but there is still a large part of the population who sides with outbound.

Search: