Understanding the Difference Between Total Marketing and Total Guide to

As our network has grown, we’re often asked about the difference between Total Marketing and Total Guide to.

The two brands work closely together and share the same values, but they exist for very different reasons. 

What is Total Marketing?

Total Marketing is a strategic UK marketing agency delivering marketing, PR, SEO and content expertise that drives long-term brand visibility and growth.

We work directly with businesses to help them clarify their positioning, strengthen their message and show up consistently across channels, building credibility and momentum over time.

Our services include:

 - Marketing strategy and planning

 - Brand positioning and messaging

 - PR and media relations

 - SEO, AI and content strategy

 - Digital marketing and campaign delivery

 - Ongoing marketing consultancy and retained support

- Influencer Marketing

Our team brings senior expertise across PR, SEO, content strategy and digital marketing. We don’t just execute marketing - we embed ourselves in your business goals, bringing experience, insight and consistency without the cost or commitment of an in-house department.

Why Work With a Strategic Marketing Agency?

For many businesses, marketing reaches a point where doing it alone, or spreading it across multiple suppliers, no longer delivers consistent results.

Working with a marketing agency provides:

Strategic direction

Rather than reacting to trends or tactics, an agency brings structure, clarity and a long-term view of how your brand should grow.

Experienced insight

A marketing agency brings senior level experience across multiple sectors, campaigns and growth stages, without the cost or commitment of hiring a full in-house team.

Consistency and momentum

Marketing works best when it’s joined up and ongoing. An agency helps maintain consistency across messaging, content, PR and digital activity.

Time and focus

Outsourcing marketing allows business owners and leadership teams to focus on running the business, knowing marketing is being handled professionally.

Scalability

Agency support can grow and evolve as a business grows, adapting strategy, channels and activity without the need to restructure internally.

At Total Marketing, this support is delivered as a true extension of your team - aligned to your goals, your pace and your long-term ambitions. We help businesses get noticed, connect with the right audiences and build visibility that supports real business outcomes, not vanity metrics.

Importantly, Total Marketing is not here to compete with other agencies. In fact, we actively collaborate with them. Many agencies book advertising and content placements on Total Guide to on behalf of their clients, using our audience reach to amplify their campaigns. We see ourselves as a powerful media partner - a platform and marketing team that works alongside agencies and in-house teams to ensure their clients’ brands are seen, heard and remembered.

What is Total Guide to?

Total Guide to is a regional online guide network created for readers, residents and visitors. Its purpose is to inform communities about what’s happening in their area, including:

 - What’s on and local events

 - Places to eat and drink

 - Attractions, days out and experiences

 - Business spotlights and community stories

 - Seasonal and regional content

Total Guide to is editorial-led and audience first. It exists to help people discover their region and the places, experiences and stories within it.

How Total Guide to fits Into A Wider Marketing and PR Strategy

For some clients, Total Guide to forms one editorial PR channel within a wider PR and visibility strategy delivered by Total Marketing.

This may include:

 - Editorial features aligned with genuine news or stories

 - Regional exposure that complements PR, SEO and content plans

 - Discoverability within trusted, community-focused platforms

Importantly, Total Guide to is never the strategy on its own. It works because it sits within a broader, carefully planned marketing approach, one that includes brand messaging, PR, SEO and long-term visibility. The editorial integrity of the guide is what makes that exposure valuable.

 

In Summary: Different Roles, Stronger Together

Total Guide to is the platform and Total Marketing is the engine behind it. One connects audiences with the best local businesses; the other builds the strategies that help those businesses grow. And when it comes to working with fellow marketers and PR agencies, we’re partners, not competitors. In fact, we make them look great, giving their campaigns a powerful platform, trusted editorial space and an engaged audience that ensures their clients are seen and heard.

 

www.totalmarketing.uk