Advertising vs. Marketing: What Are The Key DifferencesAdvertising and marketing basically set out to do the same job. They are different, however. The tactics each one uses are unique and set one apart from the other with great clarity. Depending on how you label yourself, as either an adman or a marketing professional well tell people a lot about how you put your information out to the public.

Basic Similarities

  1. Promote Products and Services
  2. Increase Awareness
  3. Designed to Build Interest

The basic similarities of advertising and marketing lie in the fact that they strive to draw people’s attention to a product or service. Both work to raise awareness and encourage people to try the product. The individuals in charge of creating ads and marketing tools look at the basic demographic and try to determine the best way to reach out and grab their attention. They both look for the pitch that will make those individuals want to know more about what is being sold.

Main Differences

  1. Means of Delivery
  2. Main Audience

The main differences between the two are how the message is delivered and who is on the receiving end. Advertisements are generally widespread. They reach out to the masses through television, radio and printed media. Ads target anyone and everyone who picks up a newspaper or watches television. Ads appear everywhere a potential customer may be located.

Marketing professionals, on the other hand, target specific groups. They know their audience and use direct contact methods as a way of promoting their products. Emails, social media and blogs are designed to go to a select group of people. They are much less expensive than spam advertisements and do not act as intrusions. Marketing professionals know their audience and strive to connect directly with them. They don’t waste time targeting people who have no interest in their product.

Where They Meet

Advertising and marketing both have a place in the business world. Much of what marketing professionals are able to accomplish is the result of advertising campaigns that have gotten the attention of individuals who may not have otherwise heard of the product. Once a generalized advertisement has been sent out and responded to, the marketing professionals can place the person on a list of those who have shown an interest in the product or service. Bluntly put, both groups are in the business of informing others. They just do it in different ways using a different set of tools.

The Advantages of Blending Both

There are distinct advantages of blending both advertising and marketing. Where one leaves off, the other picks up and completes the sale. By using both tactics, a company can budget more efficiently and accomplish more with less funding. Effective advertising agents can reach out to the masses, while the marketing professionals use their specific talents to draw in the individuals who are truly interested.

The truth is, for as different as each one is, both work toward the same goal. Learning to use both of them effectively is what helps to keep a business growing and expanding. Instead of one or the other struggling for superiority, finding a healthy balance is the key to success. The company who can hire the right people for both positions is one who will meet or exceed the expectations of management.

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Robb Bailey

Co-Founder & CEO at PageLadder, Inc.
Robb enjoys growing a mean mustache every Movember and putting hot sauce on anything edible. You'll find him doing Content Marketing at his Inbound Marketing Agency in San Diego.
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