The two terms might seem very similar, but digital advertising and digital marketing are two different disciplines. Both are a great way to get your brand noticed online, but there’s a subtle difference that you should be aware of.
We’ve put together this guide to both strategies. You’ll learn the difference, as well as the benefits of both. As you might expect, they are closely related to each other. It’s a great idea to keep both in mind when building your brand, as they work together to help you achieve success.
Digital Advertising
Digital advertising lets people know about your company. It has a sales focus and is designed to increase your website’s traffic and generate conversions.
This is the online equivalent of newspaper and magazine adverts. It displays your brand and your message to an audience. This can be in the format of a banner or video. There are many different forms that digital advertising can take. You could even use a game or poll to catch a user’s attention. These types of advertisements are often seen on websites and social media, and are referred to as display ads.
Pay per click advertising also comes under the digital advertising umbrella. These adverts usually appear in search engine results, and can be right at the top. You pay for each click that a user makes on your link, meaning you’re only paying for traffic that goes directly to your website.
The cost of digital advertising varies by format and competition. Some advertising packages will be tailored to what you want the ad to achieve. For example, if you want a certain amount of clicks, sign-ups or interactions, you can pay for that. Your advert will then run until it has reached that goal.
Digital Marketing
So, what makes digital marketing different to digital advertising? While advertising focuses on sales, marketing is more directed at brand development. A good digital marketing strategy involves a huge amount of research and planning. Marketing focuses on finding out your company’s values and how you want to interact with your audience.
It’s best to have developed your digital marketing strategy first, and use that to inform your advertising campaigns. Marketing will help you to decide how you want to brand to appear online, which audiences you want to target and how to relate to them. You’ll also decide on your company goals and values. These things can – and should – evolve over time, to keep up with the ever-changing demands of internet users.
Your digital marketing strategy might involve a plan for how you’ll use your social media platforms. For example, you’ll decide on a company voice, the topics you want to cover and how you want your profiles to look. This can work in synergy with your digital advertising efforts.
Do You Need Digital Advertising & Digital Marketing?
Every business that’s got a presence online needs a digital marketing strategy. Without it, you risk not being seen by your target audience.
Digital advertising can be considered as being less of a requirement. This is because it’s not the only way to drive traffic to your website. You could replace an advertisement strategy with an SEO strategy, for example. Your digital marketing strategy can be used to guide you. Your market research will tell you what the best way is to increase your website traffic and build brand recognition.
Remember that a good marketing strategy must evolve over time. The internet is constantly changing. There’s algorithm changes and new product developments happening all the time. Staying up to date has never been more important. If you miss one minor update, you could get left behind.
To summarise, both digital marketing and digital advertising will build your brand and get your business name out there. It’s important to have a good understanding of both to achieve online success.
Written by Alice Farley
