Paid vs. Organic Posts 

Ahh social media. The most effective way to burn 2 hours without realizing it. The fact is, the average American spends 2 hours and 24 minutes on some form of social media per day. And effective ads belong where the eyeballs are. 

Now, businesses have options for utilizing social: Paid and Organic. 

So what’s the diff?

Paid posts are the ads you see as you scroll. On Instagram, they say “sponsored” below the profile picture. Companies have to pay for these to be seen by certain audiences. 

Organic posts are what businesses post on their own accounts for free. 

But the real question is “Which should I be using for my company?” Well, it all comes down to your goals, because each method solves different problems. When used incorrectly, your social reach can become an asocial shout into the void. 

Organic Woes

Many companies love Organic media. It’s a free way to get your message out there and reach millions of people. And that was true… in 2010. The competition is fierce, and local businesses to multi-national conglomerates duke it out on the organic stage. Plus, with the ranking algorithms used by social media platforms, only about 5.5% of your own followers will see what you post on your account. 

Not to mention, these posts always go to the people who already follow you. They have a vested interest in you or your products. They follow because they want to get to know, or identify, with your voice and beliefs as a company. 

Organic Happiness

The only times I’ve seen an organic post of business without following them is when they commit to doing something risky and unique. Take Nutter Butter, they created a surreal and bizarre David-Lynch-dream-sequence campaign to reach a wider audience on TikTok. This campaign does not say “Nutter Butters are creamy and delicious.” There is no Call to Action at the bottom suggesting users head to the store right now before they’re gone. They simply did something fun and got a lot of people to interact with them because of it. 

Truthfully, not many brands will want to do that. But it’s not the only way to create good organic. People follow because they are interested, so you should reward them with that interest. Interact heavily with commenters. Post User Generated Content of people enjoying your product or service. Post your own videos of lighthearted fun centered around your business. Let them get to know you and your voice. 

When it comes to your goals as a business, it’s a must to understand that organic is not getting more followers or reach, it’s about getting people to stay engaged. 

Pay-to-Play

When it comes to media costs, social media is a drop in the budget bucket. And with the wonders (or horrors) of online data, we can be hyper-specific as to who sees paid content. This is where the goal of reach is achieved. 

Want to grow followers for your local restaurant? Do a paid campaign that targets the people in your neighborhood. Have an event coming up and want a full house? Do a paid campaign that targets people with similar interests… also in your area. Need to drive sales? You see where I’m going here. 

If you’re so inclined, you can pay to boost your organic posts, so it reaches a larger audience than the ones who already follow. And with the wonders (or once again, horrors, depending on who you ask) of social, every post can have a link that directly takes you to a checkout website. This has worked on me for at least three T-shirts and one fluffy hat. 

The point of the matter is that paid social posts are ads. And ads are great at growing awareness. 

Know Your Goals

Budgets change, strategies shift. But with an understanding of the benefits and drawbacks of Paid and Organic, you can make informed decisions going forward. Every day, brands get lost in a sea of 1’s and 0’s because they make ineffective choices for their social presence. 

Know what you’re after. Only then can you start to reach for it.