Though it may seem that Social media Marketing and Social media Advertising are synonymous they are indeed two different elements, with advertising being a component of marketing. In simple terms social media Marketing refers to raising awareness about your brand while picking up the needs of your clients through social media networks.
In contrast, social media Advertising refers to the promotion of a company and its products or services through paid channels across social media.
In Marketing, customers were traditionally reached through four main channels: print, mail, television, and telephone. Businesses could utilize any or all of these four channels to convey corporate messages and escalate their branding efforts. During the twentieth century, print and broadcast media, along with good messaging and advertising, were the main marketing approaches.
However, as the world approached the twenty-first century, marketing strategies morphed to accommodate the advent of the internet causing Social media Marketing to spring up.
Social media Marketing allows two-way communication between businesses and consumers. It also enables businesses to gain knowledge on customers, their demographics and buying patterns and consequently use them to create more advanced and personalized products or services. Influencer marketing, where popular social media users are recruited to promote one’s brand, is a burgeoning strategy implemented in social media marketing at present.
When it comes to Social media Advertising, it is basically a business practice where a company pays to set its messaging or branding on social media. Businesses use advertising for promoting their products and services, as well as to build corporate culture and branding. Advertising, when executed properly and strategically, can increase consumer acquisition and enhance sales.
Social media Advertising creates a one-way communication channel through which businesses broadcast general messages to a widespread audience on social media platforms. Companies have complete control over advertising, unlike other means of marketing or even public relations. When a business makes payments for posting an advertisement, it acquires complete control over how the related content is promoted.
Moreover, Advertising is generally limited to the domain of paid media among earned, owned and paid media within the marketing industry. On the other hand Marketing controls Social media Advertising in paid media, communicates via owned media and interacts with consumers through earned media.
