There is a lot of press around inbound/pull marketing right now, and it’s well-deserved. Blogs, social media, and other inbound techniques are extremely effective when done well. They also don’t require a significant investment (except for time…and it takes a serious time commitment to do inbound well). Even considering the time commitment, inbound/pull marketing should be a growing part of the marketing strategy for most businesses.
But, inbound marketing shouldn’t come completely at the expense of outbound/push marketing (email marketing, print advertising, direct mail, trade shows, etc). The outbound/push portion of your marketing efforts, still serve the important function of introducing your brand to potential consumers/clients. Sometimes your business will need a shot in the arm that only a mass impression vehicle can deliver.
Note: PayPerClick/Adwords reside somewhere in the grey area between push and pull marketing. I like to call PPC a gateway drug that will get you addicted to inbound marketing.
Oddly enough, the most relevant push/pull balance example I can provide is one of my favorite workouts. The workout I’m referencing is a push/pull circuit that consists of zero rest between sets. I go straight from a pull exercise (that features a pulling motion) to a push exercise (that features a pushing motion) with no rest between. The workout is great because my push muscles are resting while my pull muscles are working. Like a push/pull marketing mix, my body is reaping great rewards from the thorough coverage the workout provides.
Now, imagine if I completely removed the push portion of the circuit. If I did this, my body would be completely out-of-balance and begin to show major deficiencies. The same is true if you yank all of your outbound/push marketing efforts. A balanced mix of push/pull initiatives represents the healthiest approach. The bottom line: Businesses need the balance that a mix provides in order to see significant results from marketing efforts.
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