The ubiquitous force of the internet pushed us to think and live our lives in a new way. And advertising is no exception. As a result, marketing has been driven from a passive practice of one-way communication to a two-way dialogue between brands and consumers. This shift from traditional sales techniques to a new, more efficient, and effective marketing method is also known as social media.
Organic social media is the way to reach out to more people for no extra cost. While some companies can afford to hire full-time employees only for social media management, other businesses usually use other types of marketing like paid ads.
But what if we are talking about B2C (business to consumer) companies such as restaurants, clothing stores, online retailers, etc.? Which will be the better option for the – organic or paid ads? This blog will help you figure out.
What are organic and paid social media ads exactly?
Before anything else, let us define these two types of marketing and what makes them different.
Organic media usually refers to the free tools — on which brands can talk directly with the consumers to interact and build relationships. Also, not paying for ads is one of the best ways for organically growing businesses to get their message and attract more customers. These posts can garner attention when shared, liked, or reacted to.
On the other hand, paid ads refer to all the ads that brands want to be seen on external media like social media platforms, search engines, etc. Advertisers usually select a specific set of users to target based on their age, location, or interests. You will know that it is a paid ad with a tiny blue ‘sponsored’ tag underneath the post.
These days, organic reach has been shrinking since most brands opt for paid ads to bring them more gain. However, there is no denying that organic social media is still vital for building your brand and credibility in the market. But when it comes to conversion and customer acquisition, it is best to invest in paid ads.
To further elaborate, their advantages and disadvantages, let’s take a look at some other considerations.
Which works better as a traffic driver – paid or organic social media?
In terms of traffic, this goes in favor of paid ads. Online or mobile ads allow you to generate high traffic volumes from a specific set of consumers. You just have to create a compelling ad campaign with a good call-to-action to grab their attention and drive them directly to your site.
Remember the saying “What exists beats what doesn’t”? If you want to broadcast your message, do it in a creative way. Touch your target audience’s lives and make them feel that your brand is relevant to them. Since you need to invest time, money, and resource to build a brand, it is logical to use this channel to generate people-to-person conversions.
A constant traffic stream helps you gain more traction and make the plan work.
Organic reach would perfectly fit brands that are starting from scratch. You don’t want to waste your money and time spent on paid ads when you are just getting set up. Organic PR is free and can be better for your long-term strategy. Take advantage of the media attention from people who are already aware of your brand.
Best Practices You Need To Know
Researching the benefits and disadvantages of organic and paid social media ads, we are beginning to see that both have a different way of advertising.
For organic posts, here are the best practices you can apply:
1. Target your customer base
Whichever you have – organic or paid social media, you need to carefully select your target audience. What kind of person is your prospect? What kind of impression do you want to create about the brand, and what would your ideal consumer look like?
Organic social media gives you the chance to look at what is already happening on various platforms. Analyze the people who are already commenting on your page and similar pages. These users are your potential customers. If you want to talk to them, listen and respond to their queries and compliments. Always keep tabs on them.
2. Keep your brand consistent and on-message
3. Listen and respond to your customer
Meanwhile, for paid ads, here are some of the important considerations:
1. A/B test different creative ideas
2. Build your conversion funnel
3. Pay attention to your ROI
Measuring the effectiveness of your social media ads is a must. Identify the right metrics that truly matter to you and use them to evaluate each campaign. In addition, maintaining a tighter budget can allow you to better maximize every single ad spend.
Remember, only pay for advertisements that can help you reach your KPI. At the end of the day, it is all about money.
The Verdict
In the end, paid ads are still more effective in traffic generation. While organic social media can give you a platform for building your brand, it takes time to gain results. In addition, organic social media only gives you free “consumed” traffic.
Paid ads, on the other hand, are much more directed. Your goal is to drive your visitors directly to a call-to-action and increase the chances of conversion. B2C companies are prone to investments in paid ads as there are more cases of B2C conversions compared to B2B.
Depending on your business goals, choose the right social media platform. Then, make sure that you are using it to your advantage. With the right strategy and improved ad management, paid ads can be a reliable source of driving more conversions for your business.
If you are still confused about what to use, GoSEO, an SEO company in the Philippines, can enlighten your way. We provide free consultation services to help you gain more insights into your business’s social media goals and better prepare for your marketing strategy. We will be more than happy to help you.
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