Push Vs. Pull Marketing: What You Need to Know

Businesses at different stages of growth may need different marketing strategies to attract customers. Most marketing falls into one of two categories: push or pull marketing.

As the name implies, push marketing – also known as outbound marketing – is used to search for prospects. It pushes out messages in an effort to create demand for products and services, often through paid media such as advertising.

Meanwhile, pull marketing – also known as inbound marketing – tries to draw in consumers who are already in the market. It usually tries to guide people’s purchase decisions by using search engine optimization (SEO) to steer their searches online and by creating content that helps people decide to purchase particular products or services.

Many businesses focus on creating a multichannel strategy that incorporates a combination of both push and pull marketing approaches.

When to Push vs. Pull

Push and pull marketing can both be effective strategies. Which approach makes sense for a company depends on its stage of growth and its strategic goals.

Push marketing brings the product to the customer. Push marketing is often used when companies are relatively new and need to build brand recognition. These companies tend to invest in marketing that makes consumers aware of their products and services by leaning into a variety of advertising options, such as radio and television commercials, email offers, printed coupons, in-store displays, and billboards.

Push marketing is also used when companies have something new to promote as they are adapting to changing conditions, whether they are rolling out a new line of business, improving their products to stay ahead of competitors, or entering into additional markets.

For example, a clothing manufacturer may use push marketing when launching a new line of sweaters for the upcoming winter season to encourage retailers to stock the items and pique the interest of shoppers.

Push and pull marketing can both be effective strategies. Which approach makes sense for a company depends on its stage of growth and its strategic goals.

A company may also consider push marketing if it is looking to attract new customers who may not have heard of a business yet, spurring quick sales to attract investors, establish a new position in the market, or recover from an economic downturn. For example, early in the COVID-19 pandemic, many retailers invested in upgrading and advertising their curbside pickup services for online orders to notify consumers who were wary of browsing in stores that they were providing an alternative way to purchase products.

Pull marketing draws the consumer to the product. Rather than directly targeting consumers, pull marketing draws prospects in using a variety of brand awareness tactics, such as creating content that is optimized with key search words to make it easier for shoppers to find a company’s products or services. Pull marketing is appropriate for companies focusing on more strategic, long-term objectives, such as accelerating revenue growth or developing a loyal customer base.

Many pull strategies focus on building community and advocacy, turning users into brand ambassadors who publicly sing the praises of a company’s products and services. For example, some companies will offer a referral bonus or an incentive such as a discount on future purchases as part of their pull marketing plans to spur positive word of mouth among existing customers.

Pull marketing requires being aware of the consumers that are in the market for a certain type of product or service and providing relevant information that encourages existing customers to make more purchases or new consumers to try a particular brand. For example, while streaming services offer introductory rates to entice new customers, many will also offer upgrades to existing users by bundling channels or providing their services ad-free.

Types of Push and Pull Marketing

Many companies will use a combination of push and pull strategies as part of a comprehensive media plan. The right approach depends on the message they are sending and the audience they are targeting.

Push strategies often rely on:

Media Advertising

Broadcast, print, and online ads are the best-known push marketing channels. Pay-per-click (PPC) ads on platforms are a cost-efficient way for small businesses to reach interested shoppers, since the advertiser only pays if a customer clicks on the ad.

Promotions

Email coupons and free samples offered in-store are meant to generate traffic and increase sales, especially in the retail industry.

Direct Mail

For some businesses, flyers and catalogs have given way to emails, but direct marketing remains a popular channel for reaching consumers.

Public Relations

Brands may enlist a public relations team to seek news coverage about their newest products and services with the goal of reaching a wide audience.

Pull marketing relies on:

Social Media

Social platforms have become a prime channel for pull marketing messages. Many companies interact with their customers on social media, and some form partnerships with influencers, including sponsorship deals, to build their brand’s social media credibility.

Content Marketing

Companies of all sizes now offer information to consumers that’s not strictly promotional, but is meant to inform them – such as how-to content and blogs – and that helps to build closer ties between the brand and its customers. Content marketing cuts across a wide swath of media – print, video, and social, among others – and covers a wide variety of topics. For example, a hardware store can post how-to videos about home improvement projects that explain and promote the use of its products.

SEO

An online search is often the first step for shoppers, both while making online purchases and when shopping around for items they intend to purchase in-store. Businesses now try to pull in shoppers to their websites by including popular search keywords in their content and linking to their sites. For example, a travel agency might make sure to include the phrases “Caribbean cruises” or “Grand Canyon vacation” prominently in an article on its site to attract travelers who are browsing for vacation deals.

Customer Reviews

When deciding whether to purchase a variety of brands, consumers often gravitate toward the products with plenty of positive customer reviews. These digital referrals are such a powerful influence, companies often provide customers with incentives, such as a discounted stay at a hotel, for leaving a glowing review online. 

The Takeaway

Push marketing reaches out to consumers with targeted promotional materials to create demand, while pull marketing builds brand buzz that brings in customers. Pushing out messages to encourage sales is a marketing strategy often used by relatively new companies that are establishing a customer base, while pull marketing is appropriate for companies seeking long-term growth by nurturing an ongoing relationship with customers. Many companies can benefit from both types of marketing and may combine elements of each approach to achieve their strategic goals.

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