There is a pretty interesting difference between marketing and advertising and if you are a business owner, you should understand the difference between the two. 

Multiple Tiers 


When you think 'marketing', you should think 'strategy' and 'process'.  In digital marketing, we utilize social media content planning as part of our marketing strategy. It is important to recognize that marketing and advertising, while similar, are not necessarily one and the same. Advertising is a tier of a marketing strategy.  



So, What is Advertising?


Say that I am the owner of a shoe store, and I want to start implementing advertisements into my marketing strategy. As this shoe store owner, I plan to use a combination of digital marketing and print advertisement. I put ads in the weekly paper that potential customers can browse through to see our latest inventory, and on our social media pages I am sharing photographs of our newest products. These are examples of advertising, within your marketing strategy. 

Healthy Mix


Think about your favorite business pages on Facebook. If they constantly pushed you to purchase their product, would you still follow them? Most likely, no. You would begin to get annoyed by the relentless sales pitch. 

They post meaningful content, photographs, video and get their users engaged... that's their marketing strategy. When these pages are posting specifically to showcase a new product that they offer, they are using advertising as a tool within their strategy. 

In order to see success, you should incorporate advertising into your marketing strategy, but do not fail to recognize that advertising is part of a bigger picture.

Take the time to analyze your own pages. Are you implementing a social marketing strategy?

Have you ever stumbled upon a wonderful photograph on Instagram and wondered how the user behind the camera got it to look that good? Here are three tips and tricks to improve your current strategy and to make your pictures look just as fabulous. 


1. Lighting 

          It really makes or breaks your shot. Natural lighting is the best - do whatever you can to take your pictures outside or by a window. The right light will automatically brighten the shot up without looking overexposed from a filter. 

2.  The Power of 'Camera'


          Instagram only allows you to take one photograph and then edit it from the app. It is much better to take a handful of photographs in Camera, edit them from Photos mode and then upload the one that you like best. At that point you can select a filter if you wish. 

Speaking of filters...

3. Don't Go Crazy 
 
       Everyone loves a good filter, but you do not want to go too crazy with the editing. It is easy to get carried away with filters, contrast .... the options are endless. Sure, you should certainly have fun with the effects offered, but you do not want your viewer to question what they are looking at. 

If you start implementing these three tips and tricks to your Instagram practice, your photographs will surely improve.