Active vs. Passive Marketing

At Boundless, we break marketing down into two camps, Active and passive marketing. However, many people make the mistake of thinking that these two marketing techniques are interchangeable, but they couldn't be more wrong.

Active marketing is used to get your potential customer's attention and drive them towards the desired action. In contrast, passive marketing is designed to keep your potential customers engaged with you without any additional effort. Active marketing should be utilized when you want a specific type of customer or want to generate leads for future sales.

Passive marketing should be used when you want to contact current clients or maintain an existing relationship. Active marketing increases the chances of conversion, but passive marketing can be much more cost-effective. Let's look at some pros and cons of active and passive marketing.

Passive marketing pros:

• More affordable
• Higher ROI
• More flexibility
• Here for the long haul of your business

Active marketing pros:

• Achieve goals quickly
• Ability to personalize your message
• Easily adaptable
• Increased leads/revenue

Passive marketing cons:

• Long term focus
• Can not personable
• Has to be part of a holistic marketing plan

Active marketing cons:

• Time-intensive
• Not always cost-effective
• Has to be part of a holistic marketing plan

THE TAKEAWAY:

You want to make sure you're using both types of marketing. When you combine active and passive marketing, you're increasing the chances of conversion. Passive marketing is typically used when you're a new business. Passive marketing will establish your presence quickly and inexpensively. For example, listing your business on Google is free, and your business will reach many people when they search for what your business offers. However, it is passive, so you won't get as many leads, traffic, or sales as you would through active marketing. Active Marketing includes advertising campaigns that are more traditional, such as radio, tv ads, or paid ads on social media. So once you have your business represented with your passive marketing, you can start generating more leads/revenue with active marketing.

Using just active or passive marketing will not prove to be beneficial for your business. "If you build it, they will come" doesn't always work. Sometimes you need to build (passive marketing) it then bring them to see it (active marketing). Combining these two forms of marketing is one of the key ingredients to any successful marketing strategy.  If you feel like using active and passive marketing is a little confusing, you're right. There isn’t a one-size-fits-all marketing plan, so it can be very tricky. You can always outsource your marketing needs to a company like Boundless Media, and we will take care of everything for you.