Marketing’s Buzz Words - Strategy, Planning, Marketing, Advertising: What do they mean? How are they different?

Each is often used interchangeably with the others - yet each is different from the others and adds its own particular dynamic to the impact of a practice enhancement marketing program.

A marketing strategy is a blueprint for success. It defines, in broad strokes where you are now and where you want to be in the future. It’s different than a marketing plan which is more specific about ways to implement the marketing strategy to achieve desired goals. A marketing plan takes the strategy and puts it to work in specific ad materials, media, and mediums. It also specifies the cost, scope and frequency needed for a strategy to succeed and how to leverage that success to achieve long term success.

There is also a difference between the function of the buzz words marketing and advertising. Although they are often used to describe the same function they are, in fact, different. Marketing simply means "being in the marketplace". It means putting information about your practice in the public domain (in the marketplace) by any means whatever. Once there however, the function of advertising is needed to tell potential patients or the referral community specifics why they should choose your practice over the competition.

Allowing strategy, planning, marketing, and advertising to each contribute their own nuance to your practice enhancement efforts can add immeasurably to success rates.