The Difference: Paid and Organic Social Media
When it comes to using social media for your business, it can be difficult to know where to start. It’s function is completely different to that of a personal account which we are all so well adjusted to. The number of ways we can extend our posts to be seen by the masses is almost endless, there are paid ads, influencers, SEO, boosting, and of course organic growth. So, the question is, how should you know when to use organic compared with paid? And what are the benefits and differences between the two?
The difference is fairly self-explanatory. Organic content is posted for free, whereas paid content is shared with a spend behind it to help you reach a larger audience.
Organic posts will essentially show up to anyone who already follows your profile, as well as explore feeds through hashtags and engagement. The more that people interact with your post the higher the chances of new audience discovery are through the explore feeds. Free features such as hashtags and location geo-tags are an excellent way to expand your audience and viewership.
Paid social posts will appear not only to your followers but also to whichever audience you decide to target with your ad spend. This can be targeted through demographics, location, interests and more.
In my agency, we prioritise organic content across our client's socials. Not only can a strong foundation of organic posting validate your brand, but it also allows you to create a powerful brand persona and a strong sense of trust with potential customers. This is highly important as currently, more and more people are turning to a brand's social platforms before a website.
Achieving organic growth ensures that your reach and engagement naturally align closely with your brand and connect to those who are your genuine target market. This isn’t to say that paid social media does not have its place. It can be extremely powerful when used correctly, especially for certain phases of business. For example, if a business is just starting and looking to gain initial traction, or is scaling into a new phase of business and looking to tap into a new market.
My biggest tip? Understand your audience and what they are attracted to. And if you decide to use SEO and paid media, ask a professional for advice, or better yet pay them to do it! They will ensure you get maximum return on your investment.
- NM
Limited Time Offer. I am gifting you my step-by-step Marketing Audit for your business.
We will audit your current digital assets, identify weaknesses and you discover the solutions you need to accelerate growth and leads in your business. Did I mention that I am letting you have this $299 course complimentary for a limited time?
What are you waiting for?
