Delve into the age-old question: organic or paid social media marketing — which yields superior business outcomes? Uncover the insights in the video below (after watching, continue reading).As a business owner, you’re likely familiar with the ongoing debate between organic and paid social media marketing. Rest assured, we’ve got the answers. This article will elucidate why both organic and paid social media marketing are crucial for a robust social media presence in 2024.Continue reading to discover the disparities between organic and paid social media marketing, why both are necessary, and how they can enhance your business. Seeking further guidance on organic and paid social media strategies for your business? WebFX is here to assist! Reach out to us at 888-601-5359 to consult with a social media expert!Let’s begin by discussing the distinctions between organic and paid social media marketing. Despite their similarities, their value lies in their differences.What is organic social media marketing?Organic social media marketing involves the sharing of unpaid posts and updates on your company’s social media pages.Organic posts can be shared across all social platforms and encompass a variety of formats, including:
Text, image, and video content
Hashtag-laden posts
Link-sharing posts
Event listings
And more
As evident, numerous post types fall under the organic social media marketing category. You can utilize organic social media posts to:
Promote existing products
Inform users about new products
Share blog posts, articles, and industry news
Encourage website visits
Invite followers to events
And more
It’s important to note that a post is only considered paid social media marketing if a budget is allocated to it. Additionally, daily posts like sharing a blog article from your website to your social followers are also classified as organic. For instance, here’s a blog post created by Bolde and shared on their Facebook page, which is not sponsored, boosted, or an ad, thus qualifying as an organic social post. 
What is paid social media marketing?Now, let’s explore paid social media marketing.Paid social marketing refers to the process of paying to advertise on social media platforms.Paid social media marketing includes tactics such as:
Boosted posts
Sponsored posts
Text, image, and video ads
And more
These marketing methods are classified as paid social media marketing because they require financial investment. Consider, for example, this sponsored Mixtiles post on Facebook. 
Or this promoted Mastercard video post on Twitter. 
These sponsored and promoted posts are part of a paid social media marketing strategy because they require payment. Glossier’s ad, on the other hand, is more overtly a paid social media promotion. 
Keep in mind that organic and paid social media options are available on nearly every platform, not just Facebook and Twitter.When considering organic versus paid social media marketing, they should be approached as a complementary package. However, let’s first discuss the necessity of organic social media marketing.Organic social media marketing can be challenging, as, for instance, an astonishing 70% of Instagram posts are never seen by your followers. So, why invest in organic posts?There are numerous reasons.1. It demonstrates brand consistencyImagine a user’s first encounter with your brand is through an ad. That’s fine, but what happens when they visit your social media account and find nothing? Posting organically on your social platforms helps you establish a strong social media presence that users can reference when seeking more information about your brand.For example, I recently came across an ad for Discovery Cove, an all-inclusive day resort in Orlando. My love for animals piqued my interest, and I immediately visited their Instagram page to learn more about the experiences they offer. 
They are home to various animals, including flamingos, dolphins, and stingrays, all of which I learned from their Instagram account.At the very least, embracing organic marketing and posting organically can inform users about your business when they visit your social profiles.2. It builds brand awarenessNo matter how many people see your organic posts, you can be confident that your organic social efforts are yielding benefits. One of those benefits is building brand awareness.The more a user is exposed to your brand, whether through organic or paid posts, the more brand awareness and loyalty you’ll cultivate. Organic posts can become a regular part of users’ timelines and streams, which will help familiarize them with your brand and make them more likely to become customers.3. It fills the gapsLet’s say someone opens their Instagram app just as you post an organic teaser for a new product. That person has been exposed to your brand more than they would have been without your organic post — and they’re aware of an upcoming product.The users who do see your organic posts are essentially receiving a double-dose of your brand — making it worthwhile to use organic posts to fill the gaps when users aren’t exposed to your paid social posts.4. If you have a large following, it’s highly effectiveIf you have thousands of followers, organic social media marketing can be an excellent way to reach your customers. A larger following means more users will see your posts. Consider celebrity influencers who post personal content organically.They might share about a new workout set or a product they love, and these organic posts don’t need to be sponsored to be noticed due to their substantial following. For example, Harry Styles posted a teaser for his new video organically, which garnered over 745,500 views in under 40 minutes. 
He has approximately 26.3 million followers, explaining why an organic post could receive so much attention. Remember that your business doesn’t need millions of followers for organic posts to be effective.Even a few hundred followers can generate some interaction with organic posts.Now that we’ve discussed the reasons for organic social media marketing, let’s delve into why paid social media marketing is essential.1. It boosts leads and conversionsOverall, paid social media marketing is an effective way to increase leads and conversions for your business.Have you ever heard the phrase “You get what you pay for”? This is a perfect example of that sentiment.While organic social media marketing is necessary, you don’t pay for it, and thus, you can’t expect to increase sales and revenue solely through organic posts. Conversely, you can allocate as much or as little budget to your paid social media marketing campaign, and it’s much more likely to generate leads due to ad targeting options and the nature of an ad.2. It allows for retargeting on social mediaWith organic social media marketing, you simply post content that goes out into the world — and that’s all. With paid social media marketing, however, you can retarget customers who have shown interest in your products before. For instance, if a user visited your website and browsed your products, you can use cookies to retarget them with social media ads.They will then see ads for your products in their social feeds.This is a significant advantage of using paid social media marketing because it can help you win back interested customers who may have forgotten to make a purchase, lost interest, or were in the process of making a decision. It’s an excellent way to persuade them and increase sales.3. It enables targeted customer outreachWith organic social posts, there are no targeting options. Anyone scrolling through their timeline can come across your post. However, with paid social media advertising, you can target users who are known to be interested in your products and services.You can target them in various ways, including:
Demographics
Interests
Online behavior
Education level
Marital status
And more
This type of targeting allows you to present your products to an audience most likely to make a purchase.4. It drives users to your websiteOf course, you can post links to your blog or website in organic posts, but with paid social media marketing, you’ll have a better chance of getting users to your website. This is thanks to call-to-action (CTA) buttons, which entice users to take action. This action could be any of the following:
Visiting your site
Filling out a form
Learning more
Buying now
Contacting now
Signing up for a newsletter
Most of the time, these actions lead users to your website. For instance, if they want to learn more about a product, you could create a landing page on your site that outlines the product in detail. Not only does this CTA take users to your website, but it also provides an easy, straightforward way for them to make an immediate purchase.For example, when I click the “Sign Up” button on Wix’s ad on Facebook, it takes me directly to their website to sign up for their product. 
Ultimately, a successful social media strategy requires both organic and paid social media marketing.Both offer significant marketing benefits, allowing you to build brand awareness, increase sales, and foster brand loyalty across various social media platforms. Of course, you could choose to focus on one over the other, but both strategies complement each other and prove to be more effective when combined.For an effective organic and paid social media strategy, it’s crucial to collaborate with a social media marketing agency that understands the nuances of both organic and paid social options. At WebFX, our team of social media marketing specialists has created over 165,000 social posts for clients and is well-versed in both organic and paid social marketing. If you’re ready to get started, contact us online for a free quote or give us a call at 888-601-5359!
