A while back, we explained the difference between tactics and strategy. You can revisit that article here; it’s a good refresher that will help you understand the difference between marketing and communications. That’s because marketing is a strategy, while communications, like social media, is a tactic within that strategy. 

The concept of marketing represents the combined tactics of developing products or services, building a brand, targeting the right customers, and choosing how to reach those customers — all activities related to guiding the growth and maintenance of a successful business. Communications is one part of that larger strategy, the tactic concerning communicating with clients, customers, employees, and/or investors through advertising, social media, promotional materials, and public relations. 

“Marketing is a concept; an idea; a strategy.”

Julie Pierson-Fields, AHG Founder

While marketing deals primarily with deciding what is the right message to represent a company’s values and attributes and determining whom the message should be sent to, communications focuses on how that message is composed and delivered. A marketing strategy may include publishing regular blog posts, sharing user-generated content on social media, and keeping investors in the loop with monthly newsletters. Communications, on the other hand, would determine the tone and topic of each blog post, the content of the text used to present the user-generated content, and the composition of each newsletter.

To put it another way, marketing is a concept; an idea; a strategy. It originates in the mind. When this idea is spoken aloud or acted upon, it’s communication: a tactic. Communication is an action that is carried out, the implementation of the idea that is marketing. 

The reason it’s important to understand the distinction between these terms is that too often businesses focus too much on the marketing strategy and too little on the execution of its tactics. How you communicate to your customers—what you say, in what way, and through what channel—is every bit as instrumental in the success of your business as what you sell and to whom you sell it, and yet we often see businesses expend resources on thorough market research and careful product design while skimping on communications, leaving them struggling to communicate clearly and professionally with customers and stakeholders. 

Even today, despite the carefree carelessness of emails, text messages, and emojis, how well you speak and write in a professional setting still affects how others perceive your intelligence and ability. Don’t neglect the quality of your communications just because your marketing strategy seems foolproof.


To get the most out of your marketing strategy and ensure the highest quality communications, let Absolute Holdings Group take care of both for you. Our highly qualified staff of strategists and content creators are ready to work for the success of your business. Give us a call or reach out to us on social media to learn more.