FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Q. What is the difference between Advertising and Marketing?
Advertising is the paid, public, non-personal announcement of a persuasive message by an identified sponsor; the non-personal presentation or promotion by a firm of its products to its existing and potential customers.
Marketing is the systematic planning, implementation and control of a mix of business activities intended to bring together buyers and sellers for the mutually advantageous exchange or transfer of products.
Advertising is a single component of the marketing process. It's the part that involves getting the word out concerning your business, product, or the services you are offering. It involves the process of developing strategies such as ad placement, frequency, etc. Advertising includes the placement of an ad in such mediums as newspapers, direct mail, billboards, television, radio, and of course the Internet. Advertising is the largest expense of most marketing plans, with public relations following in a close second and market research not falling far behind.
The best way to distinguish between advertising and marketing is to think of marketing as a pie, inside that pie you have slices of advertising, market research, media planning, public relations, product pricing, distribution, customer support, sales strategy, and community involvement. Advertising only equals one piece of the pie in the strategy. All of these elements must not only work independently but they also must work together towards the bigger goal. Marketing is a process that takes time and can involve hours of research for a marketing plan to be effective. Think of marketing as everything that an organization does to facilitate an exchange between company and consumer.
Marketing is the systematic planning, implementation and control of a mix of business activities intended to bring together buyers and sellers for the mutually advantageous exchange or transfer of products.
Advertising is a single component of the marketing process. It's the part that involves getting the word out concerning your business, product, or the services you are offering. It involves the process of developing strategies such as ad placement, frequency, etc. Advertising includes the placement of an ad in such mediums as newspapers, direct mail, billboards, television, radio, and of course the Internet. Advertising is the largest expense of most marketing plans, with public relations following in a close second and market research not falling far behind.
The best way to distinguish between advertising and marketing is to think of marketing as a pie, inside that pie you have slices of advertising, market research, media planning, public relations, product pricing, distribution, customer support, sales strategy, and community involvement. Advertising only equals one piece of the pie in the strategy. All of these elements must not only work independently but they also must work together towards the bigger goal. Marketing is a process that takes time and can involve hours of research for a marketing plan to be effective. Think of marketing as everything that an organization does to facilitate an exchange between company and consumer.
Q. What is Integrated Marketing Communications?
Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) is an approach to achieving the objectives of a marketing campaign through a well-coordinated use of different promotional methods that are intended to reinforce each other.
It is a strategic marketing process specifically designed to ensure that all messaging and communication strategies are unified across all channels and are centered around the customer. IMC is used practically to allow one medium's weakness to be offset by another medium's strength, with elements synergized to support each other and create greater impact.
It is a strategic marketing process specifically designed to ensure that all messaging and communication strategies are unified across all channels and are centered around the customer. IMC is used practically to allow one medium's weakness to be offset by another medium's strength, with elements synergized to support each other and create greater impact.
Q. What is Branding?
An effective brand gives you a major edge in increasingly competitive markets. But what exactly does "branding" or "brand" mean? Simply put, your brand is your promise to your customer. It tells them what they can expect from your products and services, and it differentiates your offering from that of your competitors. Your brand is derived from who you are, who you want to be and who people perceive you to be.
The foundation of your brand is your logo. Your website, packaging and promotional materials--all of which should integrate your logo--communicate your brand.
The foundation of your brand is your logo. Your website, packaging and promotional materials--all of which should integrate your logo--communicate your brand.
Q. What is Brand Strategy?
Your brand strategy is how, what, where, when and to whom you plan on communicating and delivering on your brand messages. Where you advertise is part of your brand strategy. Your distribution channels are also part of your brand strategy. And what you communicate visually and verbally is part of your brand strategy, too.
Consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the added value brought to your company's products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command. The added value intrinsic to brand equity frequently comes in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment.
Consistent, strategic branding leads to a strong brand equity, which means the added value brought to your company's products or services that allows you to charge more for your brand than what identical, unbranded products command. The added value intrinsic to brand equity frequently comes in the form of perceived quality or emotional attachment.
Q. What is SEO, SEM, and PPC?
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of making a site and its content highly relevant for both search engines and searchers. SEO includes technical tasks to make it easier for search engines to find and index a site for the appropriate keywords, as well as marketing-focused tasks to make a site more appealing to users. Successful search marketing helps a site gain top positioning for relevant words and phrases.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process of building and marketing a site with the goal of improving its position in search engine results. SEM includes both SEO and search advertising, or paid search.
Pay Per Click (PPC), also called Cost Per Click (CPC), is performance-based advertising model where the advertiser pays a set fee for every click on an ad. The majority of text ads sold by search engines are billed under the PPC model.
Search Engine Marketing (SEM) is the process of building and marketing a site with the goal of improving its position in search engine results. SEM includes both SEO and search advertising, or paid search.
Pay Per Click (PPC), also called Cost Per Click (CPC), is performance-based advertising model where the advertiser pays a set fee for every click on an ad. The majority of text ads sold by search engines are billed under the PPC model.
Q. What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a marketing technique of creating and distributing valuable, relevant and consistent content to attract and acquire a clearly defined audience – with the objective of driving profitable customer action.
In short, instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty.
In short, instead of pitching your products or services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. The essence of this content strategy is the belief that if we, as businesses, deliver consistent, ongoing valuable information to buyers, they ultimately reward us with their business and loyalty.
Q. What is 'Inbound' Marketing and how does it differ from 'Outbound' Marketing?
Inbound marketing is promoting a company through blogs, podcasts, video, eBooks, enewsletters, whitepapers, SEO, social media marketing, and other forms of content marketing which serve to bring customers in closer to the brand, where they want to be.
In contrast, buying attention, cold-calling, direct paper mail, radio, TV advertisements, sales flyers, spam, telemarketing and traditional advertising are considered "outbound marketing".
Inbound marketing refers to marketing activities that bring visitors in, rather than marketers having to go out to get prospect’s attention. Inbound marketing earns the attention of customers, makes the company easy to be found and draws customers to the website by producing interesting content.
In contrast, buying attention, cold-calling, direct paper mail, radio, TV advertisements, sales flyers, spam, telemarketing and traditional advertising are considered "outbound marketing".
Inbound marketing refers to marketing activities that bring visitors in, rather than marketers having to go out to get prospect’s attention. Inbound marketing earns the attention of customers, makes the company easy to be found and draws customers to the website by producing interesting content.
Q. What is Gamification Marketing?
Gamification marketing is a content marketing tactic. In general terms, it is the use of game thinking and game mechanics in non-game contexts to engage users in solving problems. In marketing it is typically used as an online marketing technique to encourage engagement with a product or service. Gamification marketing techniques strive to leverage people's natural desires for competition, achievement, status, self-expression, altruism, and closure.
Q. What is Contextual Advertising?
Contextual advertising, also called “In-Text” advertising or “In-Context” technology, is a form of targeted advertising for advertisements appearing on websites or other media, such as content displayed in mobile browsers. The advertisements themselves are selected and served by automated systems based on the content displayed to the user.
A contextual advertising system scans the text of a website for keywords and returns advertisements to the webpage based on those keywords. The advertisements may be displayed on the webpage or as pop-up ads. For example, if the user is viewing a website pertaining to sports and that website uses contextual advertising, the user may see advertisements for sports-related companies, such as memorabilia dealers or ticket sellers. Contextual advertising is also used by search engines to display advertisements on their search results pages based on the keywords in the user's query.
A contextual advertising system scans the text of a website for keywords and returns advertisements to the webpage based on those keywords. The advertisements may be displayed on the webpage or as pop-up ads. For example, if the user is viewing a website pertaining to sports and that website uses contextual advertising, the user may see advertisements for sports-related companies, such as memorabilia dealers or ticket sellers. Contextual advertising is also used by search engines to display advertisements on their search results pages based on the keywords in the user's query.
Q. What is Ad Retargeting?
Ad retargeting converts window-shoppers into buyers. This is accomplished by displaying ads to potential customers via other websites after they have left your website, thus “retargeting” to the user as they browse the internet.
Ad retargeting helps companies advertise to website visitors who leave a website without a conversion. Only 2% of shoppers convert on the first visit to an online store, and ad retargeting helps to bring back the other 98%. Ad retargeting works by keeping track of people who visit your site and displaying your retargeting ads to them as they visit other sites online. This keeps your brand front and center and brings window shoppers back when they are ready to buy.
Ad retargeting helps companies advertise to website visitors who leave a website without a conversion. Only 2% of shoppers convert on the first visit to an online store, and ad retargeting helps to bring back the other 98%. Ad retargeting works by keeping track of people who visit your site and displaying your retargeting ads to them as they visit other sites online. This keeps your brand front and center and brings window shoppers back when they are ready to buy.
Q. What is Native Advertising?
Native advertising is an online advertising method in which the advertiser attempts to gain attention by providing content in the context of the user's experience. Native ad formats match both the form and function of the user experience in which they are placed. The advertiser's intent is to make the paid advertising feel less intrusive and thus increase the likelihood users will click on it. The word "native" is used to refer to the formatting of the advertising materials to make them appear more consistent with other media in the recipient's universe.
Formats for native advertising include promoted videos, images, articles, music, content marketing and other media. Examples of the technique include search advertising (ads appearing alongside search results are native to the search experience) and Twitter with promoted Tweets, trends and people. Other examples include Facebook's promoted stories or Tumblr's promoted posts.
Formats for native advertising include promoted videos, images, articles, music, content marketing and other media. Examples of the technique include search advertising (ads appearing alongside search results are native to the search experience) and Twitter with promoted Tweets, trends and people. Other examples include Facebook's promoted stories or Tumblr's promoted posts.
Q. What is Convergence Based Marketing?
Convergence based marketing blends old school referral networking with new school content marketing for a modern and more effective marketing approach.
Referral networking is the traditional marketing model used for client procurement. Advertising, direct mail, cold calling, trade shows and seminars are a few of the tools of the trade commonly used within this model. However, the emphasis in this model needs to shift from “finding” to “being found.” By working with a network of referral channels, you leverage the “influencers” within these groups who then lead your target audience directly to you.
Content marketing is the new currency of marketing. It is authentic content that educates or is seen as valuable to your target audience and more importantly the influencers within that audience. The no-strings-attached content breaks down built-in sales resistance, builds trust and demonstrates expertise. Content is the most trusted form of marketing.
Referral networking is the traditional marketing model used for client procurement. Advertising, direct mail, cold calling, trade shows and seminars are a few of the tools of the trade commonly used within this model. However, the emphasis in this model needs to shift from “finding” to “being found.” By working with a network of referral channels, you leverage the “influencers” within these groups who then lead your target audience directly to you.
Content marketing is the new currency of marketing. It is authentic content that educates or is seen as valuable to your target audience and more importantly the influencers within that audience. The no-strings-attached content breaks down built-in sales resistance, builds trust and demonstrates expertise. Content is the most trusted form of marketing.
Q. What is SMS Marketing?
Short Message Service (SMS) is a text messaging service component of phone, Web, or mobile communication systems. It uses standardized communications protocols to allow fixed line or mobile phone devices to exchange short text messages.
SMS is also employed in direct marketing, known as SMS marketing.
SMS was the most widely used data application, with an estimated 3.5 billion active users, or about 80% of all mobile phone subscribers at the end of 2010. The term "SMS" is used for both the user activity and all types of short text messaging in many parts of the world.
SMS is also employed in direct marketing, known as SMS marketing.
SMS was the most widely used data application, with an estimated 3.5 billion active users, or about 80% of all mobile phone subscribers at the end of 2010. The term "SMS" is used for both the user activity and all types of short text messaging in many parts of the world.
Q. What is a hashtag and should I be using one?
A hashtag is a type of metadata tag used on social networks such as Twitter and other microblogging services, allowing users to apply dynamic, user-generated tagging which makes it possible for others to easily find messages with a specific theme or content. Users create and use hashtags by placing the number sign or pound sign # usually in front of a word or unspaced phrase in a message. The hashtag may contain letters, digits, and underscores. Searching for that hashtag will yield each message that has been tagged with it. A hashtag archive is consequently collected into a single stream under the same hashtag.
As of 2018 more than 85% of the top 50 websites by traffic on the Internet use hashtags and their use is common by millennials, Gen Z, politicians, influencers, and celebrities worldwide.
So should you use a hashtag? YES! Hashtags provide a way for us to target our content to a directed audience. Since we don’t share every hobby with our immediate friends, hashtags provide a way for other people to see content that they are interested in.
The most important thing to remember when deciding on your hashtag is to be direct. If you are a marketing company like us, and use something like #marketing for your hashtag, your content will likely get lost in the stream of marketing content that everyone else is is posting. But, by using a more directed hashtag, like we have with #GoBallistic, your target audience should only see your content.
As of 2018 more than 85% of the top 50 websites by traffic on the Internet use hashtags and their use is common by millennials, Gen Z, politicians, influencers, and celebrities worldwide.
So should you use a hashtag? YES! Hashtags provide a way for us to target our content to a directed audience. Since we don’t share every hobby with our immediate friends, hashtags provide a way for other people to see content that they are interested in.
The most important thing to remember when deciding on your hashtag is to be direct. If you are a marketing company like us, and use something like #marketing for your hashtag, your content will likely get lost in the stream of marketing content that everyone else is is posting. But, by using a more directed hashtag, like we have with #GoBallistic, your target audience should only see your content.
