When it comes to marketing there are two different strategies, push and pull marketing.
It’s important that a business relies on both of these methods to effectively attract and retain customers so they come back time and time again.
A key debate in the world of marketing is whether email is classed as a push or pull marketing technique, and why.
In this blog we’ll be exploring what push and pull marketing strategies are, key examples of both, how they work in practice, and which category email marketing falls into.
At Discovery Design, we help businesses across a range of sectors from dental clinics, to automotive brands, to tech, reach their customers through the most effective channels. We have an in-house team of specialists who work across a range of services from paid advertising to search engine optimisation, helping to put your business in front of your end user.
Let’s start by discussing what push and pull marketing is.
What Is Push Marketing?
Push marketing is a form of advertising which sends some kind of communication to the customer which they don’t have a say in.
It interrupts their day and it’s not something they have chosen to see or engage with, i.e. you have ‘pushed’ it onto them, hence the name. This could be through a billboard, a pop up, or a banner ad as you’re targeting your audience with specific messages, promotions and offers.
For example imagine you’re driving along the motorway and you see a large billboard for braces. You haven’t chosen to see this and you haven’t gone looking for it (as you would with a blog post or an article), instead it’s been put in front of you. It disrupts your day as the brand wants to feed you this particular message or discount so that you’re encouraged to buy from them.
Why Is Push Marketing Important?
Push marketing is important as you’re actively getting your brand message out to your customers. Instead of waiting for them to find you (as is the case with pull marketing), you’re being proactive and building awareness from the outset.
Other reasons why push marketing is essential:
- Allows new brands / launches to be seen quicker – when you first launch a business or a new product, no one is looking for it straight away as they might not know it exists yet. With push marketing tactics, you can promote your new offering and get eyes on it much sooner.
- Build brand awareness – similar to the point above, every product or service needs brand awareness, as what you have to offer needs to be in the minds of your customers in order for them to buy it. By actively promoting this through push methods you can make sure more people know about it and the reasons to purchase.
- Complements pull marketing techniques – Push and pull marketing tactics don;t work in silo; one can effectively feed the other. For example by pushing your ad through a billboard, people are more inclined to visit your website and read a blog post or download a guide.
- Gives your brand visibility in a crowded market – unless you have a very niche offering, you’re more than likely competing in a saturated market. Wading for customers to ‘find’ you can be a long game, but with push tactics, you can take the message to them.
Push Marketing Examples
The below tactics are examples of push marketing as each of these things interfere with a persons day without them necessarily asking to see it.
- Billboards in busy locations to introduce businesses to a larger audience.
- Leaflets and flyers as both of these provide product information.
- TV and radio ads as these can be heard by a large audience to broaden the net.
- Exhibitions, events and trade shows as this allows businesses to show off their products/ services to a captured audience.
- Showroom sales as sales people can interact and connect with customers in person.
What Is Pull Marketing?
Pull marketing on the other hand is when you indirectly pull visitors in to get them interested and excited about your product or service. It involves providing high-quality, relevant content when users are looking for you.
As an inbound marketing strategy, it relies on your audience taking action and being in control as they must come to your brand looking for a solution. For example, if a user is searching on Google for something specific and then lands on your website, they have started that search and are actively looking for what you offer.
You haven’t pushed anything onto them as the intent is their own as they have initiated contact. Blog posts and guides are great forms of pull marketing as the customer is choosing to navigate through your website and to read your content. This shows a high level of interest and active intent from their side before you have tried to sell anything.
Why Is Pull Marketing Important?
Pull marketing is an important technique as by serving high quality content to users who are high-intent, you can build brand loyalty and a deeper level of trust. As you know these customers are already looking for a solution, this is your opportunity to show them that you are the solution over any other brand.
Other reasons why pull marketing is important:
- Customers are more likely to convert: As the customer initiates contact first, they already have high intent to buy or at least to engage. You haven’t gone to them – they have found you so they clearly know what they’re looking for.
- Cost-effective option: Unlike paid forms of advertising that can stop generating leads the moment you stop paying, organic content can continue to pull free traffic for years to come. For example a highly ranked blog post or video will still be served in response to the right search query.
- Builds trust: By creating high quality, relevant content that is positioned as a helpful resource rather than being sales-focussed, your brand builds deeper customer loyalty as you’re perceived as being genuinely helpful.
- Perfect for complex sales: For high-priced items or B2B services where customers are spending someone else’s money, they rely on deep research and education. Pull marketing guides them through their buyer journey by answering questions and reassuring them that this is the right decision.
Pull Marketing Examples
The below tactics are examples of pull marketing as each things rely on the customer making the first move rather than the brand.
- Search engine optimisation (SEO) as this boosts organic visibility by serving high quality content in response to user queries.
- Pay-per-click (PPC) advertising as this drives traffic and charges people each time they click on ad which matches their intent.
- Email marketing as audiences still have control by being able to opt in or out of communications.
- Social media marketing strengthens brand presence by sharing content that engages and builds relationships with followers.
- Content marketing which includes blogs, guides, and articles to help people make an informed decision.
How Is the Push and Pull Strategy Used In Marketing?
The push and pull strategy should be used cohesively as both of these tactics complement each other. Rather than seeing them as standalone tactics, business owners and marketers should see them as being able to support the other, by
Both tactics are powerful as things such as high-value blog posts, SEO, and organic social ‘pull’ prospects in and help build trust. Once they feel like the brand is knowledgeable and understands their pain points, they feel moe encouraged to voluntarily opt into the brand’s ecosystem (i.e. joining an email list.)
Moving onto pull tactics, once the customer has actively invited the brand into their circle (by initiating the contact), the business can use more sales-focussed tactics such as retargeting ads to drive immediate action and convert that interest into sales.
By combining the two approaches, companies can be perceived as both helpful but also sales-focussed, ensuring they don’t lose sales by always waiting for the customer to take the first step.
