Understanding Organic and Paid Marketing
Do you remember social media without ads? A long time ago, it was a reality! What started as a movement for connecting and sharing with others has transformed into a global marketplace for buying, selling, and advertising. Today, digital marketing and social media are inextricably linked, giving businesses unprecedented opportunities to reach more customers, drive traffic, and boost revenue.
Organic vs. Paid Facebook Ads
Organic Social Media
Organic social media refers to the content (posts, stories, comments, DMs, etc.) posted by a brand or business that requires no financial skin in the game. Organic content can be classified as any content you can control (own). This includes Facebook content as well as Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and other platforms.
While many digital marketing experts argue that organic social media doesn't carry the weight that paid does, it is still a crucial part of your digital marketing health. Organic content comes across as more authentic than paid, making it an effective tool for engaging with your audience directly and building brand loyalty. Done correctly, organic social media can nurture your customer relationships and serve as a platform for customer service and support.
The most appealing part of organic social media? It's F-R-E-E. If you're working with a limited budget, focusing on organic strategies can help you connect with audiences and start building your online presence. Don't forget: the best viral content is completely organic, reinforcing the power of its reach. However, organic social media does come with its challenges. Evolving platform algorithms and less targeted reach are two challenges your organic content may face.
Paid Social Media
Unlike organic social media, paid advertising has more targeted strategies, goals, and analytics, requiring a dedicated budget for ads to run. Meta, Instagram, and LinkedIn are among the most popular platforms for social media advertising, providing detailed targeting opportunities to drive revenue and generate more leads. Campaigns can be built around advanced segments like age, gender, and income to more nuanced identifiers like geographic location, profession, and interests. With the right strategies, paid advertising is one of the most cost-effective digital marketing practices you can employ, providing a clear ROI and deeper insights into your audience.
Paid social media ads allow you to break through the noise, whether that be a prospecting campaign to reach a new audience or a retargeting campaign to convert people who have interacted with your brand before. It lends itself to A/B testing, personalized messaging, and broader reach than organic social media followers.
How Can Organic and Paid Social Media Work Together?
Use Organic Content To Complement Your Paid Advertising Goals
Use the advanced analytics from paid campaigns to identify gaps and leverage high-performing content to enhance your social presence. You can also use organic content to inform your paid strategies! Round up customer feedback and sentiments on your organic channels to craft a more tailored, personalized message for your next campaign.
Be Consistent
Ensuring a unified voice and tone across organic and paid channels will help your customers develop a deeper level of trust. Your paid ads may be the reason they come to the party, but the value provided by organic social media could very well be the reason they stay (and ultimately buy).
Balance Budget & Strategy
If you're not familiar with creating, launching, and monitoring a paid ad campaign, it can be easy to misallocate your budget. The last thing you want to do is spend your entire budget on one campaign and have to rely on organic social media for the rest of the year. However, if you work with a team of experts who can advise on budget, strategy, and creative assets, paid advertising can be the most effective form of marketing for your business with the highest ROI.
By integrating organic and paid social media strategies, you can enhance your reach, engage with your audience more effectively, and boost revenue.
Are you ready to revolutionize your marketing with organic and paid social media? Contact us today to get started!
