Marketing shouldn’t be confused with advertising. Although these two terms are often used synonymously, they shouldn’t be.
We’re all marketers. Good or bad, we all market ourselves—often unconsciously—and hope that certain people look upon us favorably based on the image we project to the world. There are many fakers, but most individuals are authentic when marketing themselves. That’s because most people can detect individual insincerity and reject frauds accordingly.
Advertising is different. The motive behind (most) advertising is primarily financial. Thus, advertising itself is inherently tainted and, in many cases, disingenuous. But ads are everywhere in our heavily-mediated culture, so be careful. Proceed with caution.
