The difference between marketing and communications

I'm Erich Ebel with another Museum Marketing Minute, also known as how to sell yourself in sixty seconds, brought to you FREE from Washington Our Home communications.

Today, we’re looking at the difference between marketing and communications. Far too often, people think they're the same thing…but at its core, communications is the use of messaging conveyed across any written, visual, or spoken medium to convey information and meaning, Whereas marketing is the process of building and maintaining relationships with customers to promote the buying or selling of a product or service.

Where these two areas overlap the most is in the tools they use to accomplish their goals: news releases, social media, websites, TV, radio, and print advertisements. Both disciplines make use of these tools, but to accomplish distinctly separate goals.

The best definition I’ve come up with to help people understand the difference between marketing and communications is that communications is telling people about your thing, whereas marketing is getting them to buy it.

Confused? It's understandable…but with a little practice, you can get good at both. Or you can reach out to Washington Our Home for help. Visit our website to get started, and be sure to subscribe to get more free museum marketing tips and tricks. Thanks!