At one point, being a freelance artist was basically a recipe for starvation. Art wasn’t something you did for the money, and with a few rare exceptions, most creative professionals couldn’t really pursue their passion as a day job. The Internet has changed that.

The rise of the gig economy, coupled with digital marketplaces like Etsy and Patreon, has resulted in a renaissance for artists. Provided you know how to market yourself, with a bit of hard work and luck you now can make a comfortable living for yourself. Here’s where to start.

People don’t trust marketers anymore, and I can’t say I blame them.  

From manipulative marketing campaigns to rampant spyware, the reputation of marketing firms and ad networks has never been worse. As privacy watchdogs and regulatory agencies close in on the data-driven economy, people are growing more cognizant of how their data is being bought, sold, and used. Factor in that modern consumers care more than ever about corporate values, and you have a compelling case for greater ethics across your organization, including and especially within your marketing department.

Today, we’ll discuss the three foundations of an ethical approach to marketing.

All advertising is marketing, but not all marketing is advertising.

Confused? You aren’t the only one. To say that the difference between advertising and marketing is nebulous would be a gross understatement.

For a layperson, they’re virtually indistinguishable. To get a better understanding, let’s start with a definition of each term, before diving into the specifics of how they differ from one another.

What is Marketing?

To put it simply, marketing is everything your business does in the public eye. It’s raising brand awareness and building relationships with your target audience. It’s designing creative and writing copy on social media.

A young person wakes up, snaps a few selfies, and spends some time editing before posting one to Instagram. A businesswoman shares her thoughts on a recent merger via Twitter and her comments are quickly picked up by several major media outlets. A gamer engages with hundreds of thousands of people by live-streaming a video game.

A lot of people use the terms ‘marketing’ and ‘advertising’ interchangeably. That’s understandable, to some extent. On the surface, marketing and advertising appear much the same.

They both involve communication between a business and its customer base. About generating brand awareness. About crafting a persuasive message that will ultimately result in conversions.

It’s only when you look a little deeper that differences start to emerge. And believe me, they are significant. We’ll start with advertising, because it’s actually the easiest of the two to describe.

Quick question: what’s the most valuable commodity in marketing? It’s not money, nor is it knowledge. It’s not customer loyalty or brand awareness.