Posts Tagged ‘marketing’
I was going to write about something totally different today, but a bus came up the street to pick up school kids. This is the first week of school here in Georgia. And it
got me to thinking.
Why was I thinking about school when my son is happily married and in his 30’s? Because I had been going to school myself at I was attending a 3 day internet marketing conference. And the similarities were very similar in my opinion. (I also will be sharing details of what I learned later in the week)
Sales vs Marketing vs Advertising vs Public Relations
How many times do we use these four words and phrases out of context? Do we ever really stop to think that there is indeed a difference in those suckers? The line is blurred somewhat but nevertheless there is a difference here…
Sales. A sale involves a transaction. Money actually changes hands from the person providing a product or service to the person wanting or needing the product or service. This is what commerce is all about. I love sales.Marketing. Marketing is used to create customer interest in our product or service. It typically generates the strategy for sales techniques and it helps to identify exactly who our customer really is.Advertising. With advertising we’re trying to persuade someone to take action. Give us your email address, buy that product, hire us for this service…you know the routine. Advertising is evolving in direct relation to how technology evolves.Public Relations. Here is where we are more concerned with image. Very few small businesses take this very seriously. Perhaps they should.
You could argue that Sales and Public Relations have not really changed all that much in the past few decades. Sure, we have different names for some of the same techniques and ideas, but for the most part these two processes have changed very little over time.
Marketing and Advertising – now that’s another story. I would say that marketing and advertising have changed more in the past 3 years than the previous 50 years. They will change even more during the next year or two.
Once again – it’s the same old story from us – adapt or die. You will either change how you do business – or you won’t have to worry about it very long. I would love to hear your comments on this – I’m sure there are varying opinions floating around out there…
