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  • Writer's pictureAlex Pineda

Difference Between Digital Marketing and Digital Advertising

Updated: Feb 22, 2022

Most digital marketers get confused about the difference between digital marketing and digital advertising. But here is the guide on how we differentiate these two elements and how we can properly use it for our business.


Understanding different techniques can bring the best marketers to rank on top. And using digital marketing and digital advertising can help a brand achieve its marketing goals.


Digital marketing and digital advertising can also assist a brand in achieving its marketing objectives by providing a clearer picture of what it takes to generate high sales and determining the right strategies to execute in a variety of situations.


The most common mistake for many is that digital marketing and digital advertising are just the same thing. Well, they might have similarities, But understanding their difference from one another is the first step to acknowledging their true power!


This blog will give you a tool to better understand the difference between digital marketing and digital advertising.



Digital Advertising


Digital advertising is the communication to advertise or promote a product or service that is delivered to a targeted audience using various platforms or media. Digital advertising could be an ad on the internet, on social media, even a short video while you are playing games on your phone!


When talking about online advertising, you could sum it up in three main ways to engage your audience:


Pay per click - Pay per click refers to advertising an ad on Google or Bing, where people click on it to learn more about it. Google gets a commission from every click, so the ad must be engaging enough to convert traffic into potential clients.


Advertising - Whenever you target audiences with videos, pop-ups, banners, and more. They all have different intentions and purposes, utilizing them in the best ways makes all the difference.


A good 5-10 second video is enough for most social media ads to catch their attention. Make them think about your business by letting them know why they need your services or product.


Social Media - Social Media plays a top role in the optimization and growth of all advertising in today’s world. Online advertising also involves transforming your business and creating all gateways so people everywhere can see it. So, creating different social media channels for your business will help you connect and be visible to your audience.


As you can see, digital advertising has a more psychological and deeper impact on ourselves than we know it. It changes how people interact and buy our services and products. It targets and creates a wider rang


Digital Marketing


On the other hand, digital marketing is a more specific and targeted form of marketing. It indirectly showcases and gets your business visible. It involves impactful strategies like SEO, email marketing, content marketing, and more technical side to advertising your business.


Digital advertising is just a fraction of what digital marketing is. And that’s exactly what Acerbic's Media mission is, digital marketing prepares your business for the future and stable and exponential growth, and getting the technical SEO and digital marketing to companies is what we are all about.


Digital marketing requires a strategy, There are no assumptions but rather pure and raw results.


In this stage, you have to target an audience, identify its goals, evaluate what channels will work best, and analyze the upcoming future to ensure your business is on the right track to a continuous ranking.


And here are some things to keep in mind:


  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) - It refers to all the technical ability to optimize your website and business so both Google and your users interact with the greatest of ease. And help your business rank among the top searches in search engines.


  • Email Marketing - This involves attracting an audience with electronic messages, which gives more personalized attention to the kind of customers you are trying to attract. Email marketing mostly has a commercial intent but also informs an audience about your topic, like a newsletter, your latest blogs, and marketing media.


  • Web design - The design of your website is crucial. It represents your image, and gives your business its warm touch. And people looking to choose the business they want to work with will be a decision which your website’s looks can be majorly influenced. At Acerbic Media, we work with every client to design and create the best website possible to meet your expectations and astonish your audience.


What’s best for your business?


Digital advertising involves a more tactical approach, and of course, digital marketing requires more strategic planning. The question comes to “Should I advertise my website in a short term or long term?”, "How can I determine which approach would be best?”


Let’s be clear, there is no choice between one or the other. They are both great ways to advertise your business and they can both be implemented in the future. Isn’t the ultimate goal to increase revenue and sales? The ultimate goal when advertising is to boost your sales in a short-term period. Digital marketing reinforces your business advertising for the future. It prevents and creates a solid base to what your business advertising should be in a determined period.


Suppose you are looking to increase your business’s revenue in a short period of time but also plan for the future. In that case, the answer is both, digital advertising will get you to the first step but digital marketing will create better planning and structure for the future advertising of your business.


You should not decide between both, here's why...


Both digital marketing and digital advertising are essential to promote and scale a business through time, what truly makes the difference is how you make the planning for what world is best for your customers! Banners, ad campaigns, and all short-term strategies will promote your business’s digital advertising but think about the long-term solutions like optimizing your website’s SEO, creating email campaigns, and writing a blog rich in SEO content. And there are lots of benefits included when utilizing them:


ROI boost

A digital marketing campaign will boost your advertising online. If you optimize your ads and ensure to target your desired customers, your business will acquire and all the advertising you’ve created will show up on the customers which are right for your business. Digital marketing strategies are great to accomplish these goals since you can set up a calendar or a plan to follow.


Create brand awareness

Creating a brand for your business is crucial. When people think about your business the first thing they’ll think of is your brand, your logo, this will be the main thing people will talk and look for when looking to get your services. Establishing a brand, a logo, a name for your business will help create a solid foundation for your digital marketing and digital advertising.


Understand how your desired audience looks at your business

When you’re looking to target a desired audience or niche, ask yourself the following questions, “what are they looking for?”, “What do they want?”,"What are my strengths?" "What is my product good at?" "What are my competitors good/bad at?" “How can my products and services help them?”


As you see, both advertising and marketing go hand in hand, the more your business helps your audience self answer these questions the more advantage you’ll gain on their final decision to choose the service they are looking for.


Take Away


Digital marketing and digital advertising are two distinct but connected phrases. Now, you know the importance of understanding the difference between digital marketing and digital advertising, they both have important uses for your business, and knowing the right time and opportunities to implement them both will give you an immense advantage on the ranking and growth of your business.


Check out more articles we've written and learn more!


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