Digital Advertising vs Marketing: A Comparative Guide

Ecommerce accounts for about 16.1% of all U.S. sales. In the second quarter of this year, consumers spent at least $211.5 billion in online shopping, a 31.8% increase from the previous quarter. If you haven’t embraced digital marketing and digital advertising, you’re missing out on plenty of opportunities! 

Unfortunately, some business owners end up in a dilemma on whether to go for digital marketing or digital advertising. When you know the difference between advertising vs marketing, choosing the best-suited option is easier. Is there a difference between advertising and marketing?

Our guide delves deeper into the two terms. Keep reading for a comparison of advertising vs. marketing. 

What Is Digital Marketing?

Digital marketing is a term that refers to all marketing efforts through digital technologies. Despite the slight variation in its definition, digital marketing uses the internet to achieve its purpose. You need to know what marketing entails to understand digital marketing better. 

In its simplest definition, marketing refers to the set of activities and processes aimed at adding value for customers. It adds value through communicating and delivering a product. When you have all the marketing processes through the internet, then it becomes digital marketing.

Digital marketing incorporates:

• Online advertising
• Social media marketing 
• SEO
• Content marketing
• Online PR
• Email marketing

As such, digital marketing is quite broad as it encompasses several approaches. 

What Is Digital Advertising?

Digital advertising refers to delivering promotional content to your target audience through different digital and online channels. In short, digital advertising is merely having an ad for a service, product, or event on any internet space. It leverages several mediums such as email, social media, websites, affiliate programs, and mobile apps.

The primary types of digital advertising you’ll probably come across include:

• Pay-per-click
• Social ads
• Display ads

PPC is one of the most common online advertising approaches where advertisers pay when users click on the ad. Social ads are advertisements on social media sites. Display ads refer to advertising through mobile, video, static, pop-up, and banner, among other tactics.

Digital Advertising vs Marketing 

Digital marketing and digital advertising have an indispensable role in attracting new customers through the internet. In fact, many people use these terms interchangeably as they almost mean the same. If you’re unsure of how to go about the two concepts, consult with a digital marketing agency for the right balance of both. 

Here are some of the differences between digital marketing and digital advertising that you’re likely to come across; 

Digital Advertising Is a One-Time Activity; Digital Marketing Is a Process

The process of digital marketing starts as soon as you decide to start your venture, and it doesn’t end as long as you’re running the business. Market research is ideally the first step in business marketing. After this phase, marketers move to the refining stage, facilitating the creation of a marketing strategy.

With digital marketing, you have to start by identifying objectives to help you create buyer personas. You can then go ahead to look for opportunities while evaluating them to know the most ideal for your brand. The next step involves pushing the message to promote your product, with the final stage being tracking. 

Conversely, digital advertising refers to a single activity within the digital marketing cycle. It falls under the promotion stage. Its aim is to advertise a product or publish content for traffic and exposure.

You can’t have digital advertising without digital marketing since the latter informs you of how to go about the promotion. In comparing digital advertising vs marketing, you’ll realize that digital marketing informs online advertising. It will enable you to know the advertising budget, what, and when to promote. 

Differences in Digital Advertising and Marketing Features

Digital advertising is a disruptive way to market your product. Its disruptive nature is notable, especially on YouTube, where pre-roll adverts come while you’re watching a video. There’s always a ‘skip ad’ option as not everyone wants to view ads.

Advertisers have to keep being creative in their digital advertising as people view the ads as distracting. With more than 47% of consumers blocking ads, it’s high time digital advertisers thought of ways to make their promotional message more appealing. 

On the other hand, digital marketing is more targeted and focused. Digital marketing focuses on the needs of its target audience and tries to create value through content marketing. This approach is hardly dismissed unless it’s too broad, which makes it more like digital advertising.

Digital Marketing Focuses on Brand Development; Advertising Is More on Brand Awareness

The primary aim of digital advertising is to promote a brand and increase sales. Advertisement often takes a paid form, and communication is usually non-personal. With advertising, it is easier for people to know more about a brand since digital ads are often everywhere on the media.

Digital marketing focuses on developing the brand image. It influences how the target market perceives a brand when they hear about it or see the logo. 

Marketing Is Strategic; Advertising Is Tactical

The strategic nature of digital marketing makes it appear more involving and complex. It incorporates some patterns and decisions, making it more rooted in your brand strategy. The process of digital marketing from the planning to actualization shows that it’s strategic. 

Digital advertising is more tactical as it only focuses on the promotion of offers or products. Besides its short time frame, it can be replicated. Digital advertisers can end a campaign as soon as they meet their ad goals.

Understanding Digital Advertising vs Marketing Is Crucial for Business Owners

If you have been wondering about the difference between advertising and marketing, you’re not alone. Many people use the terms interchangeably despite their stack differences. While the two activities aim at increasing revenue, the processes aren’t the same.

When it comes to advertising vs marketing, the better option is leaving it to the professionals. Marketing agencies have the skills and experience to ensure that you use digital marketing and advertising in the right measure.

Our blog focuses primarily on businesses. Keep exploring to read more about marketing, blogging, social media, and careers.