Push vs pull marketing strategies: What they are and how to use them?

By Strategically AI. Reviewed by Rebecca Hey.
Updated December 14, 2022
9 minute read
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Are you trying to get your business on the map? The first step to do this is drawing attention to your products or services. Push and pull marketing strategies are two powerful ways to do just that. 

Push marketing relies on pushing messages out to potential customers, while pull marketing focuses on drawing customers in. However, before you can use these two strategies for your marketing campaigns, you must understand the differences between push vs pull marketing.

We've put together a helpful guide explaining the strategies and how to use them to attract new customers. So, get ready to learn how to effectively promote your business and get the most out of your marketing efforts!

What is push marketing?

Push marketing, also known as "Direct Marketing" or "Outbound Marketing," is a direct business method that targets individuals and encourages them to take action. It's an effective way to promote products and services, increase brand awareness, and convert leads to sales.

An effective push marketing campaign starts with understanding your target audiences. You need to know who you're trying to reach and what type of message will resonate with them. Once you've identified your specific audience, you can create engaging content that motivates them to take action.

Instead of long-term relationships, push marketing is concerned with one-time volume sales that can be achieved by targeting a specific group of consumers.

This strategy is used in both the B2B and B2C sectors. Wholesalers and manufacturers try to persuade a retailer to carry its product by offering samples during an in-person marketing presentation.

While push marketing is a good choice on paper, marketing executives should be careful of using it as their only strategy. Because the push strategy doesn't emphasize building relationships, it isn't very effective in the long term.

However, this approach can bring in more customers than other strategies because it can reach those customers who otherwise wouldn't be aware of your company's products or services.

Do you want to implement this strategy into your business? Our expert team of B2B content writers can help. 

Examples of push marketing

You can carry out the marketing method in several ways across various marketing platforms. For example:

Direct mail

Through different email marketing software, you can send mass emails to their customers or subscribers. 

The approach works great for sending information about new products, discount coupons, and special deals or informing customers about company events through newsletters.

TV/Radio commercials

You may use TV/radio advertisements to promote a product or service. It's a direct approach to educating customers about a particular product. 

Billboards

Digital billboards grab attention. During a campaign, these are effective for displaying advertisements to the public. They're positioned in busy public spaces to maximize reach.

Direct marketing

A straightforward push marketing strategy is to display your products in brick-and-mortar and retail stores. Customers can check the products directly before making a buying decision. 

Pamphlets

Pamphlets are also considered one of the most common push marketing tactics. Usually, these brochures are distributed by the companies that market their products or services. 

They include information about products and soon-to-be-hosted events and campaigns.

Paid search ads

With paid ads, you can show your products or services higher in the search engines through paid search ads. Users will see them ahead of your competitors when they search with a specific keyword. 

What is pull marketing?

Pull marketing, or inbound marketing, focuses on drawing potential customers in and building relationships through content and experiences rather than pushing out advertising messages.

With this approach, you can build a base of loyal customers more organically. The ongoing interaction makes them feel like they're part of something special. The process can create brand loyalty and long-term success for your business.

Also, pull marketing can increase word-of-mouth referrals for your business. As customers become more familiar with your brand, they're more likely to share their experiences with friends and family. This can help spread the word about your business and can be incredibly powerful in generating leads and sales.

This method works best when buyers have time to evaluate options. They may buy without feeling rushed. Companies must also persuade people to acquire their marketed products.

Consumers won't have to buy a product just because it's in stock. Instead, a pull marketing plan will show them the actual value of your products or services, making them more ready to commit long-term.

This approach analyzes the company's aims and market potential instead of counting the sales of a single product.

Examples of pull marketing

Pull marketing builds relationships with potential customers through various marketing channels and strategies. 

Social media marketing

Social media platforms are an excellent way for businesses to market their product or service. They can use a pull marketing strategy to capture customers' interest and deliver an offer, even when they don't actively seek it. 

You can post on social media websites like Facebook and Instagram to reach new and existing customers.

Content marketing

Almost 70% of B2C marketers have an active content marketing strategy. Post articles and reviews about your product or service if you have a blog or website. You can also rely on guest posts to pull customers from different platforms.   

SEO

Search Engine Optimization is a pull marketing strategy for many businesses. An effective SEO strategy can push your content higher up in  the SERP, increasing visitors to your website and leading to potential sales. 

If the customer has never heard of your product but finds it through a search engine and likes what they see, they may buy it.

Push vs pull marketing: what are the key differences?

Pull and push marketing are methods of advertising that make your business seem more desirable to customers. There are some key parameters to identify the differences between them. 

Goal

The primary goal of push marketing is to sell your product or service. But pull marketing focuses on building a relationship with the customers.

Length of time

Push marketing takes place over a short period, but pull marketing is a long-term strategy implemented over months and years. 

Marketing platform

Push marketing focuses on traditional methods like radio, TV, or print ads to reach a large targeted market. They work best for companies that use a "broadcasting" marketing style and are therefore looking for mass market appeal. 

A pull marketing method targets customers through social media, blogs, and email. Since it avoids short-term sales, the primary focus is to create a stable customer base through these platforms.

Product type

Pull marketing is best for everyday goods and services people need. Push marketing works best for selling unique goods and interest-specific groups.

Cost

Pull marketing is less expensive because it targets customers through online and social networks. Push advertising is costly because it targets a mass audience and uses multiple media to reach that audience.

Push vs pull marketing strategies: when to use

Both methods work for new and established businesses. However, it's important to understand when to use which strategy.

When to use the push strategy

  • During the product development phase
  • When starting a new business
  • For brand recognition
  • To introduce a new product or service
  • When there is fierce competition in the market

When to use the pull strategy? 

  • To facilitate brand identification and draw consumers' visibility and engagement
  • If you want a long-term business development
  • Maintaining dominance in a specific market segment
  • Increasing client retention and loyalty
  • Boosting sales and income without breaking the bank on advertisements

Utilizing both push and pull marketing strategies

In the days of competitive marketing, only one strategy can't take you all the way. You must use both push-and-pull marketing strategies to build your customer base and generate more sales.

These marketing tactics are two sides of the same coin you can't ignore. Combining them can take your brand to the next level.

Amazon is the most famous example of using both push and pull strategies. They place their warehouses close to metropolitan areas and major cities. This makes them a pure push marketing company because they meet customers' demands when selling their products. 

Meanwhile, they use a pull marketing strategy by building a website to sell things. They promote their products through listings and honest customer reviews. 

Which one is more effective: push or pull marketing?

They're both effective but in different ways. So, which one should you use?

The answer depends on your goals. If you want to spread awareness of your product or service, push marketing is the way. This strategy involves pushing out messaging to a targeted audience, such as email campaigns and social media posts. It's great for getting your message out quickly and efficiently.

On the other hand, pull marketing is more focused on building relationships with potential customers. It involves creating content tailored to your target audience's needs and interests. The approach can include blog posts, webinars, and other educational content. The goal is to draw customers in and create an engaging experience.

Everything depends on your goals, budget, and target audience. If you're looking for quick results and a short-term burst of activity, push marketing is the way to go. But if you're looking to build long-term relationships and loyalty, pull marketing can help you achieve that.

A successful marketing strategy should use both push and pull tactics to balance short-term and long-term goals. This way, you can ensure that your message reaches the right people and keeps them engaged.

However, pull marketing has an edge because most people dislike aggressive campaigns and forceful sales. Also, customized marketing initiatives produce better and more engaged prospects and a higher return on investment.

For these reasons, pull marketing is the future of promotion, sales, and marketing, and modern businesses should focus more on it.

FAQs about push vs pull marketing strategies

Are Google ads push or pull?

Google ads are pull-based. They show ads only when users are actively seeking information. This pulls the user in and allows them to find what they want. 

Which companies use a push strategy?

Nokia is a good example of using a push strategy. They promote their services and products through a retail company, Carphone Warehouse. 

Does Tesla use a push or pull strategy?

Tesla uses a push strategy. They promote their services and products through a retail company and television and radio ads.

Final word

Despite their differences, both push and pull strategies work well with proper planning. They are essential in developing a solid business strategy. When choosing a marketing strategy, remember that each can be used separately or together to achieve success. Rather than sticking to one, assess your products or service and the potential customer base to determine the suitable marketing method. 

If you're looking to maximize your marketing efforts and get the most out of your content, why not see what a professional content writing agency can do for you? The right approach can help pull in more customers and push your business to new heights.

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Rebecca Hey
Founder of Strategically.co, we’ve created over 10 million words of impactful content, driving organic traffic growth for more than 300 businesses.
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