Although it can be said that “new media” (what some refer to as interactive media) is no longer new, there is still a sense that we all have much to learn about the tools it consists of and the lexicon it has created. For example, I only recently encountered the term “power of pull” thanks to an article I read called 7 Blogging Mistakes the Small Businesses Make. Authors John Hagel III, John Seely Brown, and Lang Davidson probably captured the concept best in their book The Power of Pull: Small Moves, Smartly Made, Can Set Big Things in Motion.

“Pull allows each of us to find and access people and resources when we need them, while attracting to us the people and resources that are relevant and valuable, even if we were not even aware before that they existed.”

In relation to the article I mentioned previously, the power of pull is a rather new way of viewing the business/client relationship—one in which providing your customers with valuable, interesting content (information) takes precedence over a 30 sec sales pitch or advertisement. In a larger sense, pull allows us as individuals and as businesses to “harness and unleash the forces of attraction, influence, and serendipity” in such a way that both entities achieve their potential.

The more value you provide, the stronger your pull.

While it may sound like metaphysics to some, the power of pull has always existed in some form or another since the beginning of advertising. Big picture: it refers to the promise of enhancing one’s sense of self-worth and (on a larger level society) by utilizing the tools/content you provide... only slightly less deceitful. Ever notice how much happier people seem on those car commercials you see on TV? The difference between that and pull is you’re not offering to sell the solution (not outright at least)—instead you’re establishing yourself as a source of value, giving people the tools and knowledge they need to make their own decision.