Many Australian small and medium enterprises grapple with the best way to find new customers. Two common approaches – pull and push strategies – offer distinct routes to lead generation. Understanding their differences, and when to use each, is crucial for maximising your marketing return on investment.

‘Push’ strategies involve taking your message directly *to* potential customers. Think traditional advertising like radio ads, print media, or even cold calling. More recently, this includes display advertising and some forms of social media advertising where you’re actively interrupting someone’s browsing experience. The aim is to ‘push’ your brand and offering in front of as many people as possible, hoping to generate interest. It’s effective for building initial awareness, particularly for new products or services.

‘Pull’ strategies, on the other hand, focus on attracting customers *to* you. This is achieved by creating valuable content and experiences that address their needs and pain points. Search engine optimisation (SEO), content marketing (blog posts, videos, guides), and social media marketing focused on engagement are all pull techniques. When someone actively searches for a solution you provide, your business appears – they’ve been ‘pulled’ in by your expertise and relevance.

Here’s how they compare for Australian SMEs:

• Cost: Push strategies generally require a larger upfront investment, especially for broad-reach advertising. Pull strategies are often more cost-effective long-term, though they require consistent effort.
• Lead Quality: Pull leads tend to be higher quality. People actively seeking your solution are further down the buying journey. Push leads often require more nurturing.
• Measurability: While push advertising is becoming more trackable, pull strategies offer more detailed analytics. We can precisely measure website traffic, content engagement, and conversion rates.
• Australian Consumer Behaviour: Australians are increasingly savvy and often tune out intrusive advertising. A strong pull strategy, built on trust and value, resonates better in this environment.

The most effective approach isn’t necessarily one *or* the other. A blended strategy often delivers the best results. For example, a targeted social media advertising campaign (push) can drive traffic to a valuable piece of content (pull). As we move into 2026, focusing on building a strong online presence through pull strategies will be increasingly important for sustained growth.

To determine the optimal mix for your business, we recommend starting with a thorough analysis of your target audience and their online behaviour. Understanding where they spend their time and what information they’re seeking will guide your investment in both push and pull tactics.