What is the Difference Between Marketing and Advertising?

Now, I am by no means a 'guru'. I like to think of myself as more of a 'reporter'. I hear what's going on, I research information and then I tell what I have learned. So, with that being said, I wanted to dive right in to this topic.

Marketing, as told by one of my mentors to me, is: "The art of inspiring and empowering others based on their wants, needs and desires, not your own." When I think of art, my mind visualizes beautiful sculptures, colorful canvases and breath-taking musical compositions. So when I visualize marketing as an art, I can almost see the transformation of lives.

Marketing is like a dance. You move in patterns, flowing with the music. In order to flow seamlessly, you must have a lead and then a partner. The lead guides their partner in a step-by-step sequence to achieve the essence of the music. It is almost romantic. Of course, Marketing is business-oriented, but there is a rhythm, a pattern, a sequence, to it.

When you begin Marketing for your business, you need to put the focus on other people first. As you focus on other people first, you begin to see what they need. You begin to hear what they are really saying. And, you begin to feel what their dreams mean to them. And, then the dance begins.

Now, take a moment and envision in your mind, a couple, dancing. Next time you watch Dancing With The Stars (for example), watch the way they dance together. Understand the hours of practice it took to get to the point that you are watching them, at that moment. Realize the mistakes that were made during countless rehearsals. Know that you will not always dance well right off the bat, but the more you Market, the better you become at it.

No one starts Marketing on Day One and can appear on Dancing With The Stars..NO ONE. I hope that you get what I am saying here. Sometimes, I see things in my mind and they don't always translate well in to words. :)

Now, let's move on to Advertising. The majority of us know advertising as commercials, advertisements, billboards, etc. An advertisement is a quick "LOOK HERE NOW" approach to relaying your message to others. I want to keep in alignment with the dancing here, so think of this: Have you ever watched a tap dance competition between two individuals? Tap-tap-tap-tip... goes the first person. Tap-tap-tap-tip-tip goes the second. It is more of a "here it is" type of action. That is what advertising is like.

Now, in order to balance out your marketing efforts, it is actually important to use both Marketing and Advertising for your business. Not everyone feels like doing the "Tango" at that moment you meet them. Perhaps they are more of the 'tap-tap' personality. When you use both methods, you reach a broader audience. You bring more people in to your Marketing Funnel.

What is a Marketing Funnel? Basically, a quick answer is, you bring lots of people to your website, and you market to them. Those that want to 'dance' will stay in the funnel longer. Those that do not, will move on. By having a Marketing Funnel, you are able to build a relationship with those people and get to know more about their wants,needs and desires. And, this usually leads to repeat 'sales' from customers as well. It can also lead to referrals and conversions (Tap-Dancers to Tango Partners).

So, anyway, I hope that I gave you a glimpse as to what the difference between Marketing and Advertising is, and how both are important to your online business. One thing I have been taught is to take one task at a time, get good at it and then move on to adding another. The same applies to advertising and marketing. Start with one method and work at it until you are comfortable enough to move on. This will benefit you in the long run, so there is no need to try to tap dance your way through the Tango. :)

Joy Marino is the Owner of TruHomeBiz.info and Creator of BusinessBasics101.ning.com My goal and mission is to help as many people as I can be able to bring from within them the talents/gifts/abilities that they have to reach the goals, dreams and desires of their hearts.

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