What is Outbound Marketing and is it the Best Use of your Time?

"We need to stop interrupting what people are interested in and be what people are interested in" - Craig Davis

Most marketing you think of when you hear the word is outbound. The goal with this kind of marketing is often to interfere with people’s habits or capitalize on their routines in order to make them aware of your work, and potentially open them up to changing directions (hopefully to your business). It’s sometimes referred to as “push” marketing, because the business is actively pushing their products out in front of potential customers. This is soliciting and cold calls at its worst, for sure, but it also includes things like billboards, flyers, paid ads, and even posting up at an expo - booth style.

While we believe outbound marketing has its place (especially with excellent market research and an orientation towards service- *hint* *hint*), we think the most value for your time and attention, as well as that of your customers, comes when you aren’t focusing on using whatever tools you have on hand, but instead using the best tools for the job.

Leaders are often workhorses, and outbound marketing can feed this tendency.

Action-oriented people feel good about getting things done, and even if a leader doesn’t like to put themselves out there on sales calls, they typically do believe in getting outside of their comfort zone and will often convince themselves outbound marketing simply must be done. Additionally, inbound marketing often takes more time for research and quality implementation. The pay-off however, is better (and chances are high, you will still have to get out of your comfort zone). If you need a way to think about it that works for a more challenge-oriented mindset, remind yourself that inbound marketing is about earning people’s attention, not interrupting it. It’s also about making the most of your own time so you can keep serving others well.

This blog was originally posted on the website for my SEO agency, STURDY SEO. You can find that page here

QR Codes: How to Use them Better in 2026

I'll be honest, my favorite part about marketing is definitely not the technical side, but everybody needs some practical information every once-in-a-while. QR codes have become pretty common and for a great reason. They create a choose-your-own-adventure type of marketing experience for customers, allowing them to bridge real-life and digital interactions with organizations. They are also incredibly useful. As somebody interested in user experience, I love when brands take initiative on making the customer’s life easier.

Currently most small businesses use QR codes to manage information transfer or for simplifying things like registrations. For tips on this, I would simply say don’t miss the opportunity to create a branded product. Branding builds trust, recognition, and belonging. As we have talked about before in the blog about personality types here, for some markets and people, this is incredibly important. Customization of QR codes is more possible today, so make the most of it. On your end, QR codes and other 2D barcodes can hold a lot of information. 2026 will bring with it more ways to track data from QR codes more effectively and securely and it will also come with more QR code agility. If you are a small business, this is important, because it is also time-saving. Make sure you look into dynamic QR code options in 2026 as they become more accessible.

Aside from the backend differences and branding, I encourage you to get creative about how you are using QR codes next year. With more customization and agility comes an ability to personalize. If you are a small business, you can now create exclusive content, loyalty rewards programs, and individualized services using QR codes. Often times, what seems like a small upgrade is actually game changing for those willing to try new things out. Go for it.

How Do People Use Your Website?

Myers-Briggs, astrology, the enneagram —sometimes I wonder why humans are so obsessed with personality quizzes, but when I consider it from a neurological perspective, it seems logical we would want to classify ourselves in order to better make sense of our own behavior (or that of others). Even before scientific studies were so prevalent, observational data has been collected across a variety of cultures and centuries of human societies. As with anything, when some patterns are consistent across such a broad spectrum of data, they probably hold some truth, even if we aren’t sure why. What does this have to do with your website or social media calendar?

It would be unwise to completely dismiss these tools from the table when considering your market. Look at personality tools like quick guides for the user on the other side of your browser. Which personality type does your marketing tend to attract and how do those people tend to interact with the world? Use this information to funnel your focus and what you invest in with design and content. As an example, if your brand is geared towards people who love to explore, they are likely curious and into novelty. Make your product discoverable on other platforms that would appeal to their natures. Keep your content fresh.

If your audience is more of a homebody, they probably value safety. Make sure their information is secure. Focus on building a more steady, loyal (and maybe small group?) online community. What about the rule follower or planner in the group (Enneagram type 1 anybody)? Communicate clearly and often, and don’t be too cheeky. Make sure your navigation is obvious on your platforms and try to include calendars when possible. These are the people that want to know when their item has shipped, for instance.

Obviously these aren’t the only categories to explore, but you get the idea. Which personality test can you NOT make all about you, but instead use to understand your clients instead? How can you serve this group more fully now that you better know what they need?

Give them the Fun: The American Market Appreciates Indulgence

In some countries, like Russia, Portugal, Italy, China and India, restraint is not just a virtue, but a way of life. Generations are raised with the undercurrent that fun and enjoyment are excess or occasional gifts meant to spice up life - at least for the majority of the people who live there. In indulgent countries, like Mexico, Sweden, Australia, the UK, and the United States, fun is virtually viewed as a right.

If America was a person, she may not be the life of the party (that’s definitely Mexico), but she’s absolutely an extrovert. She likes a challenge and loves to work hard, but she also feels fulfilled with many kinds of friendships, some of which are casual and care-free, and struggles to thrive under systems with a need for too much discipline or self-control. While of course there is a spectrum of values in the population, the average American is more indulgent in nature than the majority of the world.

If you can understand this as a small business, maybe you can even learn to love, work with, and even mature it into a deeper version of itself. Online, Americans are often the connectors. They use the internet for the loose socialization they appreciate in reality and explore other countries and spaces frequently. They are quick and open to sharing fun information, trends, and humor.

Americans are less likely to judge your business for candidly expressing itself and more appreciative of direct, honest discussion. Their general ability to connect quickly also allows you to add variety to your marketing without too much fear of losing your audience. They are used to diversity and, in general, find fast ways to relate.

The ability to savor the pleasures in life is often preceded by an optimistic disposition. It may be hard to believe at times, but this is actually true of America. We are optimists. Even in the midst of struggle, we like partaking in joy, humor, and friendly comedy. No matter what your niche is, keep in mind all Americans want to have fun. It’s your job to find what’s fun for your market.

Uncertainty Accepting, an Underlying Current in your American Market

So far, I have touched on equality and independence, and now I will move the heuristic discussion on to the metric of Uncertainty Avoidance (UAI). If you want to dive deeper into the psychology of different markets, I learned the majority of these topics from The Web Psychologist, Nathalie Nahai. You can find her website here.

Despite what the media may have us believing, the USA (as a whole) actually ranks pretty high in our willingness to accept uncertainty. This makes sense because we are, after all, a nation of immigrants with a higher genetic propensity for dopamine seeking behavior (see The Molecule of More by Daniel Z. Lieberman and Michael E. Long). We appreciate flexibility, innovation, the entrepreneurial spirit, and we tend to turn our nose up at rigidity in institutions, laws, or structures. In practical terms this means we like websites and platforms where we can explore (think Reddit and search bars). We also like to interact with information how we please, instead of being forced to approach a brand in one way. Give your audience at least a couple of options, such as blogs, YouTube, podcasts, social media, or websites.

As a small business, you don’t have to do everything, but the American market appreciates the ability to dive deeper when their interest is peaked, so make sure at least one of your offerings gives them the ability to do that in some way. It can be relational (getting to know you or your business more intimately) or more complex insights into ideas (educational blogs or videos for example) or both!