Small business marketers dream of the day when their clients will have so many social media followers that they will not need to pay for ads. The problem is… that day rarely comes. Even if a company achieves extreme market recognition with a following in the 10’s of thousands, paid ads will always play a necessary role in the brand’s social media strategy.
What’s the Difference?
So, what is the difference between paid and organic social media? Essentially, it all comes down to one thing – money.
Organic Social Media
Organic refers to the techniques you can use to grow your social media following without paying to advertise on that social platform. Organic social media includes composing creative posts, engaging with followers, hosting giveaways, partnering with other companies for co-branded campaigns, and more. As long as you are not spending advertising dollars, your efforts are likely to be considered organic.
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Paid Social Media
Paid, as the name suggests, refers to spending money to advertise on a social media platform. All the major social networks provide some sort of an advertising interface that brands can use to further their reach. Paid social gives small businesses and large companies alike the opportunity to reach social media users beyond their current followers.
You Can (and should) Use Both!
For example, if your company page has 1,000 Facebook likes, you can only expect about 30 to 50 of those users to see any of your organic posts thanks to the Facebook algorithm and competing posts from other pages and profiles. If you want to reach more users organically on social networks, you will need to use the right hashtags, develop relationships with other social media managers, and encourage your followers to share your posts. While these are all good practices, paid social affords you the opportunity to take control of your audience growth. Social media ads allow companies to get more followers by placing their content in front of users who they determine are likely to see the value in their brand. Self-service ad platforms have extensive targeting features that brands can use to match their ad campaigns to their customer personas.
So… Which One is Better?
If you were looking for the answer to which method reigns supreme in the age-old social media battle – Paid vs Organic, this might have come as a bummer. BOTH are a crucial part of a good social media strategy and have their own special place in the marketing mix. Your organic efforts build a strong community around your brand that help you target your paid campaigns more successfully, while your paid campaigns help grow your audience – in turn making your organic posts more impactful.
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Are you ready to open your business to a larger market on social media? Meet My Market is here to build your online presence! Contact Meet My Market today to schedule your free consultation with a marketing consultant.
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