Social media marketing is an essential part of any successful marketing strategy. Facebook is one of the world’s biggest platforms for advertising; according to a recent global survey, 90% of marketers use Facebook to promote their brand, business and products or services. This is done in one of two ways – organic posts and paid advertising. A good marketing strategy will incorporate both.
Both methods have their pros and cons, but when used in conjunction, they can result in a successful and holistic approach to digital marketing. What’s more, using social media platforms to promote your business is a cost-effective way to reach your intended audience and track their interactions with your brand.
What is organic advertising?
This is the process of creating and posting content on your social media channels without any further financial investment. Essentially, organic advertising is free – you simply post links to your website, articles, images, videos or infographics to your profile and allow your existing audience to interact with the content.
Organic advertising relies on the quality and relevance of your content to engage with followers. Its main purpose is to raise brand awareness and drive traffic to your website without having to pay for boosted content or do any of the complicated back-end work.
Organic content is often perceived to be more trustworthy and authentic as it is not seen as an overt advertisement of your business. In addition, it’s effective in generating engagement over a long period of time, which further increases its value to your brand.
There are some downsides to organic posts; it’s a time-consuming process to create and manage the content, which may generate only a few shares and likes. Its reach is also far more limited as social media algorithms often prioritise paid advertising, so your audience may not see your organic posts.
What is paid advertising?
This is also known as boosted advertising. It is the process of putting a budget behind each post, whether it’s a blog article, a video, a photo or any other type of content. When you boost your content, you will be able to choose a target audience based on demographics, interests, behaviours and location.
You will also be able to choose how long the promotion runs for – between 7 and 30 days is most common. Boosted advertising ensures that your content reaches the perfect audience and maximises engagement, visibility and conversions. It is also highly effective at driving traffic through to your website, where the audience can fill out forms or submit contact information.
Another major benefit of paid advertising is the immense quality and quantity of data that becomes available to you. Detailed analytics and data can allow you to measure the performance of the campaign and see how your audience engages with your content. This enables you to refine your strategy and make subtle improvements going forward.
There are two drawbacks to paid advertising. Firstly, there is the cost; boosting posts requires a budget for each one, which can add up when you’re posting on several social media platforms at once. Secondly, paid advertising often yields short-term results (for the duration of the campaign) as once your budget is used up, the post is no longer boosted.
Why you should be paying to boost content
Paid advertising still generates far more traffic to your website than organic posts. Boosting content will certainly be a game-changer for your business; not only will it amplify your reach and target a more refined audience, but it will also boost your brand awareness and promote more engagement on your posts.
The more qualified your target audience, the more likely they are to click on your content and start their journey down your leads funnel. Social media marketing is like casting a wide net – some fish will slip out immediately, but those that click through to your site are already more likely to fill out contact forms or take further steps to purchase from your business.
How a digital agency can help you
To make the most of your digital marketing strategy and social media advertising, you should consider hiring a digital agency with proven experience and expertise. The ideal partner will be able to develop a comprehensive online marketing strategy that leverages both organic and paid advertising.
Your preferred partner should also be able to create high-quality content for your website. This will have a direct impact on engagement and will be more likely to drive results. This content will be optimised for the web, posted on a regular basis and boosted to your ideal target audience. You won’t have to worry about the nitty gritty and can instead focus on your job.
Knowing the difference between organic and paid advertising on social media is essential for developing a well-rounded marketing strategy. By using both methods, you can maximise your return on investment and ensure that your social media channels work to grow your business. For more information about our digital marketing services, contact us today.
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Mobimeme offers various digital services, including content marketing, SEO, analytics, social media management and expert direction in the digital sphere. Building and growing online audiences for your business is what we do best. For more insights, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and LinkedIn.