To help you understand better push and pull marketing strategy, we have decided to present you with an example. Recently, we have bought a new smartphone. However, before deciding which one to get, we browsed through Yelp and Google reviews to make a smart decision.
Once the search was narrowed down to a couple of models, we visited the store to examine particular devices in person. To put it simply, we were “pulled” into brands by their marketing, and then we were “pushed” into selecting the right smartphone by the marketing inside of the store.
So, basically, this is how these strategies work. While they have a lot of things in common, push and pull marketing tend to differ as well, and we are going to show you how.
Push vs pull strategy
Push marketing
Push marketing is strategy that specifically focuses on “pushing” products to particular audience. The goal here is to bring what you offer to your clients in your marketing. For instance, social media platforms are often considered to be “push” sources because they are excellent for launching new or niche products.
Additionally, known as direct marketing, push marketing is one form of general advertising. For example, when you go to a grocery store, you will naturally navigate towards “sale” signs, and this is a great way how shops and retail chains use push marketing.
On the other hand, if you are in a business for a long time, but you still need a bit of boost, then you can resort to this strategy as well. A lot of companies use a limited time offer for a product to execute push marketing.
Pull marketing strategy
As you can probably guess, pull marketing strategy is an opposite of the push marketing. It is best for the businesses which want to attract customer, or make them pay attention to their product. In this case, you want to create a network of reliable clients, by offering them marketing that they are looking for.
For example, if you are offering an internet-based service, then push marketing channels are exactly what you need. To increase traffic, you should start working on your blog and focus on differentiating your brand, by using specific keyword. Later on, SEO should become an integral part of your strategy because it’s what makes you visible on the network.
Additionally, Google and Yelp reviews will help you go through this campaign and pull customers to your business. While it might take some time to generate real customers and experience growth, pull marketing strategy focuses on long-term effects, and helps you build a network of reliable clients.
Disadvantages of push & pull marketing
Cons of push marketing
Before you jump in and start exploring various options, you should be aware of negative sides of push marketing. First of all, it takes a lot of time and money to keep long-term customers. On the other hand.
If you are working with a firm that will execute this type of advertising, then you will have to split the profit, which means less profit for you. Considering it focuses on short-term sales, building a reliable brand might be a bit challenging.
Cons of pull marketing
One downside of pull marketing is the fact that you might miss the targeted audience. If you want to connect to your clients, then you should know who they are, and what type of product or service they are looking for. For example, and athlete seeking to buy running gear and sneakers, might not be interested in an ad for heels.
To decide which method is best applicable to your business, think about how you want to approach your consumers.
