Key Differences Between Advertising and Promotion
Business advertising and promotion are often thought of to be one and the same. Yet there are key differences and features of each, besides their multiple similarities. We will discuss their key differences, giving you the information needed to help your Pacific based business to grow and thrive.
What is Advertising?
Advertising refers to the use of paid media and one way communication to a specific audience. Used to help build up a business’ brand image, usually only one message is shared within an advertisement at a time.
The goals of advertising include working to create awareness of a specific product or service, promoting the business, persuading, and informing customers. There are many ways this can occur, with the most common being digital on websites and through social media, as well as in print such as magazines or brochures, or on radio or television.
Focused on end users, advertisements use emotion to appeal to a wide audience. As a promotional strategy, advertisements are often highly expensive to implement and very slow to see results.
What are Promotions?
A promotion differs from an advertisement in that it mentions the brand or product through both free and paid marketing activities. It is a marketing tool which gives an immediate incentive for the buyer and is relatively low cost, which makes it appealing to smaller companies.
Promotion is a communication tool and advertising can be seen as a way of promoting a business, product or service. A business who uses promotions is likely to see results very quickly, often in the form of sales. A key point of difference is that it is assumed that advertising will lead to sales, whereas promotions are directly related to sales.
Promotions have a short-term effect and results fade away quickly. Promotional methods can include discounts, event sponsorships, coupons, free samples, social media interactions and contests.
Implementing Your Business Advertising and Promotions
When it comes to the implementation of business advertisements and promotional activities, both time and cost are key factors to consider. An owner may try to learn, practice, and run their own marketing activities, or delegate this to another team member. While this can seem an ideal low-price solution, the hours spent organising along with the costs involved can be significantly higher than if a professional marketer was used initially. The ROI is also usually lower, which can result in being out of pocket.
At Business Link Pacific, we can put you in touch with your local Pacific business advisor who specialises in advertising and promotions. Use our Find an Advisor tool, or contact us directly for personalised assistance in making this connection and growing your business today.