The Differences Between Content, Publicity & Advertising

Mike HardmanMarketingLeave a Comment

I remember the days when it was simple: advertising was coverage you paid for while publicity was coverage you got for free. (And yes, “free.”) Then content marketing came on the scene. Where does that fit in? A lot has been said on the subject, and while there are certainly some overlaps, I find it helpful to keep it simple. Advertising is still paid coverage, publicity is still free coverage, and content is what we provide for both.

Let’s look at case studies, for instance. It costs us money to create them, but once they’re done, they’re placed on our own websites and linked to through our emails, social media, etc. While we pay for the labor, we don’t necessarily pay for placement. We may pay for an advertisement that links to the content, but we don’t pay for the content itself. We forever own it.

What do you think about this distinction? On point? Too simple?

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