Organic vs paid social and why your business needs both

When it comes to social media, a commonly asked question is: ‘Can I do organic social without the paid aspect and vice versa?’. After ten years of running a social media agency, Amani Youssef shares that the brands that do both see the most results and success.

Organic social media strategies focus on creating and sharing quality content that engages followers, builds relationships and increases brand awareness. This includes sharing content, responding to comments and creating and participating in conversations.

Benefits of organic social media

Organic social media shouldn’t be overlooked for many reasons, including:

1. Brand awareness

Organic social media ensures brands actually engage with their audiences, share their values and culture, and showcase their products and services. Over time, sharing this content and engaging with the audience will lead to increased recognition.

2. Cost effective

When compared to paid, organic social media is an effective way to reach and engage with a large audience. By curating and sharing quality content, businesses can potentially attract followers and viewers without spending money.

3. Builds trust

Businesses can establish themselves as trustworthy and credible by responding to comments and building relationships with their audience.

Benefits of paid social media

On the other end of the spectrum is paid social media. Paid social media refers to social media marketing efforts that involve paying to promote content or advertise on social media platforms.

With paid social media, businesses can target specific audiences based on demographics, interests, behaviours and other factors, ensuring that their content is seen by the people most likely to be interested in their products or services.

Paid social media shouldn’t be overlooked for three main reasons:

1. Increased reach – reach larger and more targeted audiences
2. Lead generation
3. Quick results

Both paid and organic social media have their own benefits, and a successful social media strategy should incorporate both approaches. You need to be engaging with your audience and producing great content, but you also want to reach the most people quickly.

Including both forms of social media marketing will help you achieve a greater variety of marketing goals.

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