While they are similar and often used interchangeably, digital advertising and marketing have slightly different uses and purposes. It’s important to know the difference between them to understand their full advantages in furthering your business. In this blog, we’ll define digital advertising and digital marketing, explain when and how to use each of them, show you how to achieve the greatest success by leveraging both and tell you where to find experts to help you meet your company goals.
What is Digital Advertising?
Digital advertising is a marketing method that uses online channels to enhance target audience reach using assets created in-house or by an external company. From there, bidding occurs on ad space, and the assets are shared as a paid advertisement once a spot is claimed. With this paid spot, it allows advertisers to extend their brand reach and enhance profitability.
Digital advertising assets often include:
- Display advertising
- Video ads on streaming platforms
- Paid advertising on social media
- Paid search ads
- Audio advertisements
Digital advertising has the paid advantage of standing out amongst competitors and allows an immediate, broader reach. Using this method ensures your brand gets a leg up in a sea of similar products or helps the word get out regarding your unique service offerings.
What is Digital Marketing?
Digital marketing is the creation and distribution of assets on owned platforms and profiles. While similar to digital advertising, digital marketing differs because there’s no paid aspect. Digital marketing is more organic and offers natural engagement from consumers though the content can be similar in some ways. Most companies will create digital marketing campaigns but not every company will create digital advertising campaigns.
Digital marketing assets often include:
- Videos showing a narrative, demonstrating products, etc.
- Images giving brands a unique visual identity
- Email marketing
- Logo and brand asset creation
- Brand-related content creation
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
The benefits of digital marketing are that you naturally show consumers your brand in an organic way. However, the negative of this approach is that it’s hard for new brands and websites to stand out and gain authority fast. Digital advertising is a crucial way to resolve this problem.
When to Use Digital Advertising vs. Digital Marketing
So, when should you use digital advertising vs. digital marketing? In a nutshell, digital marketing is best used for initial set-up and long-term brand presence. Digital advertising is best used to gain attention quickly or get boosts in sales when you have a new product or service, a brand-new website or simply want a quick, convenient upsell.
How to Use Digital Advertising and Digital Marketing Together
It’s imperative that you know how to use digital advertising and digital marketing together because both practices are essential for your brand and profitability. Without one, you’ll have a harder time building your brand presence and standing out amongst your competitors.
Where to Find Digital Advertising and Marketing Services
To get the most out of your brand, you need to know where to find digital advertising services after your initial brand is set up with digital marketing. Our team at Mailbox Merchants can help you get started with the digital advertising part when you’re ready. We help you deliver the right digital message to the right audience at the right time using shared direct mail, Geo-Fencing targeting CRM lists, targeted demographic video ads and more.
Mailbox Merchants is the Northwest’s largest independently owned direct mail, multi-channel and digital marketing provider for local businesses. We marry the old and the new by tapping into the perpetual power of print media and using technology to strategically segment, target behaviors, and optimize performance through measurable marketing results.
