{"id":35105,"date":"2022-09-29T18:49:19","date_gmt":"2022-09-29T13:19:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.techjockey.com\/blog\/?p=35105"},"modified":"2023-08-04T13:21:41","modified_gmt":"2023-08-04T07:51:41","slug":"marketing-vs-advertising","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.techjockey.com\/blog\/marketing-vs-advertising","title":{"rendered":"Marketing Vs Advertising: Which Will Work for Your SaaS Product"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

While most people use the term marketing and advertising interchangeably, there is a big difference between the two. Marketing is a lot more than just creating ad campaigns, it’s about creating a strategy that builds a relationship with your customers and drives business sales<\/a>. Advertising is just one tactic that can be used as part of your marketing strategy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The difference becomes even more evident when it comes to SaaS products. SaaS products<\/a> are unique as they require ongoing marketing to drive consistent demand.\u202f<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, what will work for your SaaS product: Marketing vs Advertising? Keep reading to find out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/span>Difference Between Marketing and Advertising for SaaS Companies<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Marketing is a long-term approach to enlighten, engage and convert prospects into customers while advertising is a short-term activity to drive in leads and sales. Before we get into the differences. let\u2019s understand marketing vs advertising in detail, but first start with their definition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marketing:<\/strong>\u202fMarketing is a set of activities and processes carried out to build brand value and communication. It is a long-term, continuous approach to explore, create and deliver value to potential customers. It even includes things like attractive packaging, extended return period, moneyback guarantee, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Advertising:<\/strong>\u202fIt\u2019s a paid, public announcement of a persuasive message by the SaaS company of its product to their potential and existing customers. Advertising is targeted to a specific group in a specific area. It is a part of marketing carried out by SaaS companies to make sales or generate leads.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that we understand the two concepts, let’s explore the marketing vs advertising difference<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. Marketing is about strategy, while advertising is just a tactic<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    Your marketing strategy should be built around your goals and objectives. It should consider your target market, customer requirements, competitor analysis, business objectives, and how the organization is planning to get there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Advertising is just one way to execute your marketing strategy. It just involves targeting the right product to the right buyer in the right market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Example:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Canva<\/a> and Microsoft<\/a> provide premium version of their software to students and educational institutions for free. This makes sure that the students have good hands-on training on their SaaS. When these students land into the corporate world, they prefer these tools for marketing<\/a> they are comfortable with and end up buying the same. This is long-term marketing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    However, running Facebook ads by targeting office managers, small business owners, decision makers and other potential buyers is advertising.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Suggested Read: How Can SaaS Companies Drive Growth with Word of Mouth Marketing<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Marketing is about building relationships, while advertising is about making sales<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

      Marketing for SaaS companies is about understanding your customers and building a relationship with them. It’s about providing them with value and creating a connection to make the client\/customer aware of the products and services you provide.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Advertising, on the other hand, is about driving sales. It’s about creating an ad that will persuade the customer to click on the ad, fill the lead for or to buy the product.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      Example:<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

      If a company is selling online accounting software<\/a>, it involves identifying the pain points of the accounting process, finding solution to the problem, communicating the solution, advertising the product, providing learning resources and training, taking feedback, improvising the software and so on.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

      While advertising involves showing ads to accountants and auditors through social media, search engines, blog posts or news websites, and generating enquiries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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      1. Marketing is a long-term investment, while advertising is a selling expense<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        Marketing is an ongoing investment by a business that is strategically implemented over the long term. It’s a way to build your brand and create loyalty among your customers. It helps companies to grow exponentially and boost ROI in the long run.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        Advertising is an expense that companies incur to drive sales in the short term. It’s a way to increase revenue and keep the business going. However, direct advertising has a low impact on the long-term growth of the business.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        1. Advertising is one-way communication, marketing is a two-way engagement<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
          \n
          \"Advertising<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

          In advertising, the marketer creates the message and sends it to the target audience by making their product visible. Digital advertising involves capturing leads and user requirements. However, advertising doesn’t involve two-way communication, collecting feedback or guiding them through the buyer’s journey.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          In marketing, the firm interacts with the customer, guides them through the journey, collects feedback, to create two-way communication. The aim is to understand the customer\u2019s needs and build a communication channel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          A compelling marketing plan involves multiple advertising strategies. In short, marketing is a wider term than advertising, and is a long-term approach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

          Suggested Read: 14 Digital Marketing Apps & Tools You Will Need<\/a><\/strong> | How to Advertise on Facebook: Visual Facebook Ads Guide<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

          <\/span>A Quick Comparison of Marketing and Advertising<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
          Differences<\/strong><\/td>Marketing<\/strong><\/td>Advertising<\/strong><\/td><\/tr>
          GOALS<\/td>Search engine rankings<\/td>Product placement<\/td><\/tr>
          \u202f <\/td>Higher conversions<\/td>Lead capture<\/td><\/tr>
          \u202f <\/td>Brand awareness<\/td>\u202f <\/td><\/tr>
          KPIS<\/td>Number of leads and conversions<\/td>Impressions and CTR<\/td><\/tr>
          \u202f <\/td>Organic search appearances<\/td>Number of leads<\/td><\/tr>
          \u202f <\/td>Social engagements<\/td>Bounce rates<\/td><\/tr>
          BENEFITS<\/td>Increased search engine rankings<\/td>Drives sales<\/td><\/tr>
          \u202f <\/td>Long term exponential growth<\/td>Quick returns<\/td><\/tr>
          \u202f <\/td>Drives brand awareness<\/td>Brand engagement<\/td><\/tr>
          \u202f <\/td>Awareness for higher conversions<\/td>\u202f <\/td><\/tr>
          CHALLENGES<\/td>Difficult to measure through metrics 
          Requires long-term investment<\/td>          		Costly to scale Less effective in long run<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

          <\/span>Marketing Vs Advertising Examples<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

          Here are some of the most popular examples of advertising<\/p>\n\n\n\n