Utilizing online distributions methods to promote products is known as digital marketing. This approach is both time saving and cost effective. Digital marketing is done through items such as cell phones, SMS (Short Message Service), MMS (Multimedia Message Service), instant messaging, websites, emails, banner advertisement and digital billboards. Digital marketing involves some of the techniques utilized by direct marketing as well as Internet marketing. In digital marketing, traditional methods of promotions are executed digitally. It involves marketing in two forms which will be referred to in this article as pull and push digital marketing.

 Pull digital marketing requires the user to pull or extract the content directly. The customer has to approach the promotional matter and see the matter by himself. Examples are websites, forums and web logs. All these require clicking on a URL in order to view the content. The content that is being displayed doesn’t have to follow any guidelines. The only effort required is to display the content on a website or in a forum; and there is no additional cost of sending the information to the customer, but the customer has to make the extra effort of getting to where the content is published.

The customer doesn’t have to opt-in for this kind of promotion and the single message being viewed by all cannot be personalized. Customers who see the content cannot be traced unless tracking software, which often includes a click through rate (CTR) calculator, is employed as one method which provide details about the number of clicks the message (content) receives. This can be done by enabling the click through tracking mechanism during any given campaign and record the information you need.

Push digital marketing technologies require the effort of both the marketer and the customer. The marketer has to push or send the content to the customer and the customer has to make the effort of receiving it. This is a very effective method of marketing, and the return on investment (ROI) is certainly significant enough to justify the outlay of cash, as it creates brand recognition also; And that can pay dividends for years after the initial contact.

SMS, MMS, emails, RSS  and podcasting are  a few examples of push digital marketing. Since the content is sent to individuals, it can be personalized according to the intended recipient. In addition, whether the message has been opened and viewed by the customer or deleted, can be tracked and reported. Information related to the customer such as name and geographical location can be traced. But when sending this kind of message, certain criteria should be met as the SMS and emails sent are monitored.

If the marketer doesn’t follow the rules and regulations which govern this type of marketing, there is a possibility of messages getting rejected and blocked before they reach the targeted audience, and as a result the message may be considered spam. More punitive consequences involve marketers getting blacklisted temporarily or even permanently, depending the frequency of violations. The number or IP/URL address would be blocked and they won’t be able to send any messages at all. Messages sent to the RSS feeds require a mechanism for an application to reach when sent by an email marketing system.

Both forms of digital marketing should be used in order to achieve positive results. A smart marketer sends out emails along with SMS and uses multiple channels to market his products. The type of messages being sent should also be different from one another. They should not only be text, but animations, audios and videos.

There is a possibility of using pull and push message technologies in conjunction like the email sent to a potential customer could include an embedded link, URL or a banner ad which, when clicked on, downloads information. If there are significant groups of people to be reached via email, the email service provider can be hired to send loads of emails to the customers on behalf of the marketer who in turn will take measures to insure that the messages are not considered spam.

Although much of the marketing is opt-in, federal laws such as CAN SPAM Act, have been passed to protect online customers from unscrupulous marketers who would go to any extent (extreme?) to push their products, or hackers and spammers who have a bad intent i.e. harming a person's computer or installing adware, spyware or malware on people’s computers.

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