Marketing vs Advertising: What’s the Difference

This is often Question One so let’s address it right here and now. Here is an FAQ re Marketing versus Advertising and let’s get the confusion settled.

Let’s be basic: what’s the difference between marketing and advertising?

Some people will talk for hours about this and throw in confusing terms but life doesn’t have to be like that. If you remember that marketing is the overall process of finding out what your audience wants and figuring out how to give it to them, and that advertising is one part of it (running paid ads or creating free posts to get their attention), you won’t go wrong. 

Do you need both marketing and advertising?

This is where Google searching can quickly lead to confusion. Remember that advertising is a component of marketing, and then ask yourself how you can really have one without the other? If you want to know how to market your business, your strategy must include advertising - paid or unpaid - as that’s how you’ll draw attention to what you’re doing. 

What are the best ways to market your business?

Good question! The key here is go back to basics, focus on learning what your audience wants from you, and then running ads - and creating other content - that they’ll actually want to see. 

Could you give me some examples of real-world advertising?

Sure, a quick list of examples is all it really takes to start getting a feel for what we’re talking about here. These are just a few examples, there are hundreds, if not thousands, that would make a full list - and remember the advertising umbrella covers organic or free advertising as well as paid advertising.  

•       Instagram ads or posts that appear in the feeds of people you want to connect with  

•       Direct mail pieces that you pop through the door to advertise services 

•       Facebook ads or posts designed to turn followers into buyers and customers 

•       Emails that dodge the junk folder if put together the right way 

The list could go on and on, so by means of example let’s qualify the distinction between these types of activities and marketing with the next question…

Could you give me some examples of marketing components that aren’t advertising?

This is the key question to ask when you want to see where the distinction lies. Take a look at this: 

•       Setting pricing is a key part of marketing and has nothing to do with advertising 

•       Distribution allows you to meet the needs of your audience by delivering the product, and again, has nothing to do with advertising.

•       Competitive research is all about finding your place in the market by being unique, and takes in far more than just trying to come up with better advertising.

Put all of these together, plus a dozen other bits and pieces, and you start to see that advertising really is just a component of marketing; albeit a very important one. 

Can you help with effective marketing and advertising strategies?

Absolutely; in fact, that’s exactly what this site is all about. Let’s connect. Marketing101Essentials@gmail.com