Inbound refers to trying to pull your audience towards your brand and company. It is about attracting those people who are already interested in your product or service so that they seek you out and engage.
With inbound marketing or sales tactics, potential customers find you through many different channels such as blogs, search engines, email subscriptions, word of mouth, and online reviews/recommendations. As a business professional, you are attempting to find ways to create the conditions where people are drawn to your brand via your content, with the objective of turning them into a customer.
The strength of inbound marketing lies in the «user intent» = the leads who have the internal drive to take action to find your product. This action is based on their own needs, and how and when they want to proceed with a sale or conversion, therefore great inbound marketers provide efficient and effective routes for your audience to come to your brand «by themselves».