Where does it all start?
The Marketing world is constantly changing with various different niches.
Whilst it’s fantastic that it’s constantly evolving, like our world, it can be hard to keep track of. Especially the differences between each type.
Some types of marketing sound realtively simiar to each other and overlap on duties and services. For example, digital marketing and social media marketing, or the difference between Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing. Which is what we’ll be exploring in this article.
In order to get customers through the door we come to marketing. In the last 10 years, social media and mobile ads have darastically changed the landscape.
The Rise of Online Marketing
Before, marketing heavily relied on traditional sources, such as TV ads, Radio and billboard advertisements. Essentially, the traditional forms of media. Think finding a sofa or job in the local newspaper!
This type of marketing was targeted but nowhere near as targeted as what we have now. With cookies and data collection, ads are more personalized than ever.
Since the online world erupted properly, different niches of marketing have also exploded. With so many different avenues to explore the marketing world is at your fingertips.
With that being said, it is also a very competitive one. Don’t let that put you off though!
Let’s get to the nitty gritty.
Let’s get into Digital Marketing
With so much business jargon, especially in the marketing world, it’s important to remember some things are as they sound!
Quite often you’ll see agencies that offer social media or content marketing. These are strategies that that agency specialize in. These strategies are apart of Digital Marketing.
The easiest way to look at this, is to say that Digital marketing is the parent, and content marketing and social media marketing are two of its very many children.
Digital Marketing is just another way of saying online marketing! It’s a term that covers all the different forms/strategies of marketing that involve being online/digital.
Some examples of Digital Marketing Strategies are:
- SEO (Search Engine Optimisation)
- Content Marketing
- Social Media Marketing
- Social Media Management
- Email Marketing
- Paid Online ads (Instagram, Google etc)
What is Content Marketing?
First of all, if you’ve read our article on ‘what is content marketing?’, then you should have a good idea about our first contender. For those who haven’t, give it a read!
In brief, content marketing is the creation and distribution of digital content. Content Marketing services might offer content marketing through paid advertisement, through social media, writing and publishing blogs, podcasts etc. This is a long-term marketing strategy.
Example of a Content Marketing Strategy
To give you an idea of what content marketing entails, here’s an example of a strategy a business might make.
Goal:
An alcohol shop or producer wants to improve customer retention, generate sales and brand awareness.
Strategy:
They start a blog about different types of their alcohol, pairings or cocktail recipes, particularly using their own products in recipes, to help generate sales. They then share and promote these through different channels, such as email, social media and their website.
What is Social Media Marketing?
Social Media Marketing is as it sounds, purely social media based. Generally, content will be made and then distributeed through social media with a strategy. This includes paid social media ads, such as facebook and instagram ads.
Now, here’s where things get a bit hazy… Some content marketing agencies do include social media strategies. However, this is different to having a social media manager.
Difference between Social Media Marketing and a Social Media Manager
A social media manager is the person who will execute the day to day operation of accounts. They will launch social media campagins, creating and publish content, engage with the audience through messaging and comments, and manage social media accounts.
Social Media Marketing however, is the broader overall strategy that has been created. This encompasses overall social media strategy and development, paid advertisements, promotions etc.
Example of a Social Media Marketing Strategy
A perfect example of a social media marketing strategy is pointed out in Socialinsider’s Blog.
‘One brand that is great at social media branding strategies like this is Nike. Their cross-posting is focused on platforms that prioritize similar content types.
For example, focusing on short-form videos on video-based platforms like Instagram Reels, TikTok and YouTube shorts.’
By making sure their content is high-quality and engaging, using story-telling, they’re maximising their strategy potential.
What are their Aims?
Before we get into what each marketing type offers, here’s what the aims are for both of them. They can be tailored to your business goals but this is what businesses find to be most effective:
Social Media Marketing: Promote Engagement and Brand Awareness
Content Marketing: Generate and Nurture leads
Here’s a table comparing and breaking down the duties and services they might* offer so you know what you’re getting in for…
*Every service is different, a lot of agencies or individuals might brand themselves as either one of the two but only offer select services.
The Difference Between Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing
| Content Marketing | Social Media Marketing |
Creation of Digital Content such as blogs, infographics, podcasts and various digital marketing material. | Creation of social media posts, stories etc. This might be photos, infographics and graphic designed posts. |
Distribution of blogs, podcasts etc on platforms. | Distribution of posts through relevant social media sites. |
SEO and SERP rankings taken into account when creating strategies. This improves brand authority and trustworthiness. | Daily audience interaction such as comments and messages. |
Conducting Marketing Research to see where target audiences are ‘hanging out’ and what trends and topics are coming up. | Strategies used to promote audience engagement, building relationships with audience. |
Developing a content marketing plan using tailored strategies. | Building relationships with influencers and online communities. |
Tracking and management of content performance. E.g. Social Media graphics/content or blogs on website. | Data Analysis of campagins and trends whilst working with marketing teams. |
As you can see there is a fair amount of overlap. So how do you know which one will work better for you?
Which Should I Choose?
Which type of marketing you should choose depends completely on your needs. Being a start up business could see you turn to Social Media Marketing initially or using both, with social media getting immediate traction.
Being a new brand means you’ll have little to no visibility or awareness. By focusing on social media marketing you’ll be stamping your brand on the digital space.
With that being said, content marketing does cover a wider scope of possibilities for you. If you’re looking for long-term results then this is something to bare in mind.
Here we’ve broken down what businesses use each type of marketing for
When Should I use Social media Marketing?
Social Media Marketing is a great marketing resource, for all levels of business. ‘With 5.24 billion social media users worldwide’ (Curtesy of backlink.io), you’ll undoubtedly find your target audience. This is where a compatible strategy can maximise your results.
Companies often use social media marketing for the following reasons:
- To improve brand awareness, visibility and trust
- To directly engage with their audience
- For ecommerce sales
When Should I use Content Marketing?
Content Marketing can again, be incredibly rewarding at any stage of your business. Whether you’re just starting out, or have already established yourself. If you’re looking to grow you won’t go wrong.
Companies often use content marketing for the following reasons:
- To build or maintain SEO and SERP rankings.
- Strengthening and curating brand advocates and relationships, by offering genuinely beneficial material to audience.
- Boosting brand visibility, mostly through search engines.
- Establishing authority. For example, ‘hubspot’ are fantastic for this. Because of the relevance and quality of their content, they’ve become known as experts.
What about Content Marketing and Social Media Marketing together?
This can be a fantastic combination as both strategies can feed into each other. Essentially you’re building your own customized digital marketing strategy at this point.
With the knowledge on how they both work, you can create a tailored strategy that suits your needs or goals. Alternatively, you can get a digital marketing agency to do this for you. As mentioned in the comparison table above, both strategies can be very time consuming to execute them effectively.
Round Up
So, there you have it! The difference between social media marketing and content marketing. Choosing and investing in a marketing strategy can be a tricky choice if you don’t have a big sag bag for budget.
But, with knowledge and information, you can make the best decision for your business needs.
Marketing strategies can be built up overtime. For example, with content marketing, you could begin with a blog strategy and then stretch into podcasts.
A content marketing agency or social media marketing agency will track how certain content in your strategy performs. From this, they will then tailor and trial different content to see what works best.
Did you find this helpful?
Got any questions?
Drop us a comment!
Do you know someone who would find this useful?
Share the love!
