The Two Faces of Online Marketing - Push Marketing and Pull Marketing

There are literally dozens of ways in which you can classify and categorize online marketing initiatives some of which are mere plays on words. Not this one. There is much pull and push going on in cyber space today and given the highly competitive nature of Internet commerce or any other activity on the Internet for that matter, marketing innovation continues to remain key. Let us first define both push marketing and pull marketing before we assess its role in cyber space.

What is Push Marketing?

Internet marketing is a highly effective marketing practice when compared with traditional marketing strategies also known as offline marketing. If executed wisely, your response rates can be three or four times higher than traditional marketing models. Push marketing, also known as marketer-initiated communication, takes place when you initiate a marketing dialog with your customers or prospects. The best example of push marketing is the push URL feature in live chat software as well as the chat invitation pop-up your chat operators can initiate when a website visitor is browsing your website. Other forms of push marketing include e-mail messaging, announce-only list servs, pop-overs and pop-unders on your web property, RSS feeds and even text message alerts delivered to your customers and prospects in an organized fashion. In push marketing, the service provider or vendor initiates the communication.

What is Pull Marketing?

Pull marketing, also referred to as consumer-initiated communication, takes place when consumers commence the engagement with you on a level playing field. Pull marketing also occurs when your customers and prospects respond to a marketing trigger placed on a neutral platform to which customers respond without any customized impetus. The best example of this is a Sponsored Story on Facebook, Adwords on Google, and context advertising on Linked In. In the broader context of live chat software, any communication initiated by your website visitors by clicking the live chat icon on your website qualifies as pull marketing. More often than not, there is a marketing under-current in live chat communication and any information communicated to website visitors through live chat is highly valued because it is both personalized and accurate.

Leveraging the two Faces of Online Marketing

There is obviously a direct connect between push and pull marketing because their combined impact provides the synergy that is so essential for marketing success. Your online marketing arsenal should comprise a little of both in an environment that is clearly defined and easy to implement. For instance, you should engage in push marketing through a robust opt-in e-mail marketing program. Use a monthly newsletter or an e-book as the hook. Similarly, you should identify a few high traffic portals in your niche that permit banner ads for an affordable fee. These are just two examples and the list can be endless. Getting found on the almighty Internet is no longer an optional activity for you as an Internet entrepreneur. It is both essential and critical. A well-articulated marketing plan can go a long way in your quest to achieve maximum ROI and expand your horizon one step at a time.