Marketing and advertising are often confused for each other. They sound like they cover the same scope of work, and because some industries and companies use the terms almost interchangeably, people get confused. It’s inevitable! 

Today, video advertising and video marketing have fallen victim to the same misconceptions. They sound like the same thing, so they must be interchangeable, right? Not quite. We’re here to set the record straight: video advertising and video marketing are different terms, with different goals, metrics, and other factors to consider.

Ready to learn the difference? Here’s everything you need to know about video advertising vs. video marketing. 

Defining Video Advertising and Video Marketing

Video marketing and video advertising are pretty similar. They’re both marketing initiatives that most brands should (at the very least!) experiment with, and they both leverage video’s unique ability to drive results.

Thankfully, the definitions help paint a clearer picture of where they differ. Here’s the simplest definition of both terms: 

Video advertising focuses on driving immediate sales and conversions with targeted video ads. It leverages platforms like YouTube Ads and Facebook Ads to reach the target audience.

Video marketing aims to build brand awareness and engagement using video content across a variety of marketing channels. As you can probably tell, its scope is broader, with a longer-term goal than video advertising. (More on that below!)

With that distinction in mind, let’s take a closer look at the core drivers behind video marketing campaigns and video advertising campaigns.

Objectives and Goals: Sales vs. Brand Building

One of the most important differences between video advertising and video marketing lies in their objectives.

The goal that drives video advertising is relatively immediate and transaction-based. A successful video advertising campaign will generate conversations as quickly as possible, driving sales with direct calls-to-action. 

Video marketing tends to have a broader scope and a longer-term horizon. As a result, its goal is to build a foundation for long-term sales and ongoing customer relationships. A successful video marketing campaign will typically enhance brand recognition, forge a connection with the audience, and nurture leads through the customer journey.

One caveat to understand here: since video marketing is addressing the customer journey as a whole, successful video marketing campaigns will often see a boost in conversions. The difference? Boosting conversions is the primary goal of video advertising, while it’s often a secondary goal of video marketing.

Call-to-Action: Direct Response vs. Engagement

Because the end goals are different, video advertising and video marketing also approach calls-to-action differently.

Video ads are targeting conversions, so they typically include explicit calls-to-action. The aim is for the viewer to take an immediate next step at the end of the video. As a result, they’re usually invited to make a purchase or sign up for a service within the video’s CTA. In general, video ad CTAs tend to fall into the “direct response” category.

Video marketing content tends to have subtler CTAs, often focused on engagement rather than conversion. Video marketing CTAs might encourage viewers to subscribe to a channel, share the video, or visit a website for more information. These CTAs are still driving viewers further along on the customer journey, but they don’t typically push for a conversion directly.

Budget and Cost Considerations: Paid Media vs. Owned and Earned Media

Video advertising is a paid media strategy, which means it will require an ongoing budget to support ad placements. In addition to the production costs for your video ads themselves, you’ll have pay-per-click costs (or other ad spend models, depending on your platform(s) of choice) to account for. 

Video marketing can be more cost-effective in the long run because it leverages owned media and earned media. Instead of paying to reach your audience, you can rely more heavily on organic reach and shares to get your desired results. 

Of course, you’ll still have the up-front costs to produce the video content itself, but video marketing tends to be more affordable once your assets are created. With video advertising, that’s when the spending really begins.

Metrics and KPIs: Conversions vs. Engagement

Finally, video marketing and video advertising rely on slightly different success metrics and KPIs. 

Given the “conversions” theme behind video advertising, it’s not surprising that video ad success is typically gauged by conversions, ROI, and click-through rates. In contrast, video marketing relies on metrics like views, shares, likes, comments, and brand sentiment to determine engagement and audience resonance.

Of course, there’s some overlap (i.e., a video marketing asset that seriously boosts conversions is still a win!), but it’s important to judge the two asset categories differently when you evaluate campaign success.

Work with Lemonlight

Marketing and advertising may be misunderstood, but in the video world, it’s important to understand the difference. Fully grasping the two initiatives—and the roles they play in a holistic marketing strategy—helps ensure you’ll pick the right one for your needs. 

Thankfully, here at Lemonlight, we do it all! Whether you need a conversion-driving video ad or a brand-building marketing asset, we’ve got you covered. Contact our team below to explore all your options.