Content marketing and advertising have many similarities. Both serve content in some way, and both are defined in terms of marketing goals and may merge in some operational areas. But many of you may be confused about content marketing vs advertising.
But there are differences in their nature and structure. So identifying them can be very helpful in formulating marketing and budgeting strategies. Companies and organizations should differentiate between budgeting, definitions, segregation of duties, and expectations to achieve maximum efficiency.
What is Content Marketing?
Do you know what content marketing is? One of the sub-branches of digital marketing is digital marketing, in which online business owners try to attract reader’s attention by sharing educational, entertaining, and informative content. As a result, it changes the behavior of users according to the wishes of marketers. We do not directly invite people to buy in this type of marketing, but we help them make the best decision by providing helpful content. The goal of content marketing is to attract and retain customers by producing valuable content.
If you also want to know more about the importance of content marketing, read the article bellow.
Further Reading: Importance of Content Marketing; Why is it Important for Your Business?
What is Advertising?
We are all more or less familiar with the concept of advertising. Advertising is a way to influence the audience and persuade them to do something. Usually, what the audience is asked to do in advertising is buy a product, use services, introduce a brand, and so on. Although direct advertising is not as effective today as it used to be, it is still somewhat effective in attracting people.
Content Marketing vs Advertising; What are the Differences?
1. They have Different Concepts
The philosophy of content marketing is to strive to get as close as possible to customers and engage them with the content. This type of marketing is mainly based on the continuous production of active content on social media and focuses on the needs and views of the customer. The brand uses content marketing to place itself in the customer’s mind and make him loyal to himself and is more looking for long-term action. Therefore, continuous interaction with the customer and long-term mental effect is the existential philosophy of content marketing.
Advertising is also a marketing tactic and a targeted operation to introduce a product, service, or information. Advertising messages are usually short and limited. People who are likely to buy goods or services become interested in advertising and buying increases.
Unlike content marketing, advertising seeks to persuade customers to buy a product or service instead of interacting with it.
2. They have Different Strategies
Content marketing in its most professional form, instead of focusing on the brand and the product, emphasizes the originality of the content, which of course, is not an easy task. (Based on the opinions of Mr. Barat Anand)
This form of marketing seeks to establish a deep connection between itself and the customer to produce content based on their wants and needs. Continuous content with a calendar and even keeping up with the currents of the social day.
In advertising, originality is with the brand and sale of goods, and the audience and the customer realize this authenticity. On the other hand, unlike content marketing, advertising is usually not continuous but short-lived and intermittent.
3. They are Different in the Publishing Platform
The platform for content marketing is on social networks such as Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, Telegram, and websites and blogs. The audience can be closer to the content. These publishing platforms are typically cheaper. But the advertising platform is usually more expensive, out of reach, and has a proud position. Like billboards, TVs, and even digital spaces like in-app ads or site banners, etc., evoke brand power. (Of course, advertising teasers are also based on content publishing, but if they are to lose their central advertising position, they will no longer have the power of an advertising campaign.)
4. Content Marketing has a Longer Life Cycle
Due to the type of attitude in content marketing and the ability to edit and reconstruct, there is a longer life cycle than advertising. Advertising has a shorter life cycle and less time to make an impact. In other words, the expiration date of an advertising campaign is more temporary.
5. They are Different in the linear and nonlinear effects.
In a short time, advertising stimulates emotions and shortens the distance between themselves and the customer reaction, and in some places, increases the probability of buying. Immediately after the advertisement, you can see the change in customer behavior. But content marketing has a longer-term impact and keeps the customer with them for the future, and the effect of their performance is not immediate.
Nonlinear performance can also be seen on the other side of the coin. When the content marketing engine shuts down, customer behavior does not change immediately due to past customer engagement. Still, as advertising billboards go down, the customer may react too quickly and turn to competitors.
6. They are Different in Investment risks
The risk of investing in advertising due to the possibility of mistakes, adopting incorrect strategies, the inefficiency of advertising, destructive effect of advertising, weakness of the contractor, incompleteness of the advertising monitoring team, overshadowing advertising in an unforeseen social event, etc., is High.
But content marketing is a fluid, flexible, highly responsive movement that responds to the day’s events. The risk of investing in content marketing can be lower, even if it is higher.
7. Their View of the Customer is Different
Another critical difference between the two is their view of the customer. Most of the time, advertisements have a one-sided view of the customer and, as the famous saying goes, the speaker is one. A billboard or teaser ad in the big media shows itself and speaks for itself, and that’s it.
But in content marketing, due to the type of philosophy and strategy, an interactive view prevails. Content is built on social media, and its platform is there.
Therefore, it can receive and respond to the customer’s feedback, both content and the brand, and maintain this cycle.
8. They are Different in Digital Goals
In addition to what has been said, content marketing, through concepts such as SEO, CTR, Bounce Rate, Back Link, etc., tries to increase the brand ranking on the web pages. However, the advertising campaign does not consider such a goal. Of course, it may have a trend in the short term, but spending advertising money to raise the concepts mentioned in advertising is meaningless.
If you also don’t don’t know the differences between content marketing and blogging read the article below.
Further Reading: Content Marketing vs Blogging; What’s the Difference Between Them?
As we completely wrote about content marketing vs advertising, Remember that each of these two tools has its unique place that one or both may be selected depending on the organization’s strategy and marketing goals.
