I was having a conversation with someone the other day about the definition of marketing. She believes that advertising is not a part of marketing. In my opinion, that is incorrect.

The way I see it, marketing is the umbrella that covers any and all actions that involve bringing customers in the door, whether that door is virtual or actual.

What are the spokes of that umbrella? Well, they are many and varied; but, to name a few:

• promotional products (one of my favorites, of course)
• paid advertising – billboards, newspapers, magazines, TV, radio, etc…
• website
• social media
• customer service (If you’ve ever met me, heard me speak or have read some of my previous posts I think that's the #1 marketing tool.)
• press releases
• sponsorships
• tradeshows
• events
• networking
• signage

Basically, whatever you’re doing to spread the word about your products and/or services, whether you call it's paid advertising or something else, is marketing. The trick to marketing is doing it effectively!