Day and night, plus and minus, yin and yang - they all have something in common: one element cannot exist without the other. We know such an example also in the digital ecosystem. These are pushing and pulling forces by which we are trying to influence the behaviour of digital media users. Of course, the strategies differ because of the endlessness of push/pull opportunities.

Pushing forces

If we take pushing forces in a rhetorical context, they are advertising messages that address digital media users. These are all forms of display advertising – from advertising banners to video advertisements and the most advanced advertising forms, such as iPROM 360 (you can see it in the advertising campaign here) and iPROM Real-time Creative. These forms share the fact that the user sees them completely involuntarily, and they are used to upgrade the awareness of the brand and its offer.

Through their behaviour and media habits, digital media users can have an impact on the type of advertisements displayed, and your job is that by using precise definition of the target group and advanced targeting  you provide  them with a pleasant user experience (here is one example). In this way, your pushing forces will have a potential you will exploit with the creative design of the message and endless options in choosing the format. You must push digital media users to what they need and solve their problem which you detect from the data trace left online.

Pulling forces

If we also take these forces in a rhetorical context, they do not only address digital media users but also communicate with them. Pulling forces are based on demonstrated  interest in the offered resolution of a specific problem.

In practice this means the entry of associated key words in search engines and browsing different thematic content. You can strengthen your pulling forces by providing a favourable displaying position on search engines and useful, interesting information that users needs in different phases of the online shopping process.

Recently, to create and distribute their content, brands also turn to influencers who help them establish contacts with online users and attract them.

Hybrids?

A special place on the line between pushing and pulling forces in digital marketing is reserved for e-mail marketing. The fact that an online user has to have an interest in your offer and consequently subscribe to your e-news, puts email marketing among pulling forces.

Subsequently, this allows the brand to notify users on the special offer, which is characteristic of pushing forces. This is similar to remarketing as the digital media user has already through his/her response to the advertising message shown the interest, and thus it is reasonable to redisplay the message and inform him/her on new features or simply provide the offer he/she has been interested in, and thus ‘push’ him/her to the next phase of the purchase funnel (this strategy is presented on this example).

The key to success is combinatorics, and the path to success is unique to the brand

I know you want a recipe that would gradually enable you to ‘push’ your brand to consumers and to start effectively ‘pull’ the created interest; unfortunately it does not exist.

But I can say with certainty that the first step on the way to the goal is the knowledge of marketing forces and underlying methods. The second step involves gradual integration of channels and calibration of pushing and pulling forces in your strategy. The data indicating the success rate of your marketing mix should be your compass. Don’t forget: one cannot do without the other. Users must get to know you to be attracted by your offer.

If you take a quick glance at my writing you will notice that we have rich experience in handling both types of forces and also their hybrid forms. However, one of our key advantages is ensuring a strategic balance between them. You don’t believe it? Challenge us.