Most marketing can be classified as either push or pull: companies push their message out to prospects and customers through tactics such as direct mail, advertisements, and email marketing; and they also establish a presence in online directories, Web sites and search engines to pull customers in real-time when prospects are searching for information, products and services like those your company offers.

These two types of marketing can also be referred to as outbound and inbound marketing, or interruption and permission marketing. Or generating demand and serving demand.

Pull marketing - where customers find you - has experienced tremendous growth as multiple dynamic online resources have largely replaced traditional printed push media. In a recent study by MarketingSherpa reported in B2B Web Strategy, 80% of decision makers said they found vendors through research, rather than responding to a vendor’s campaign. The key to effective B2B lead generation lies not in simply blasting out your message but in placing yourself where you can and will be found when prospects are looking.