Is Social Media Worth It? Understanding The Value Of Organic Vs. Paid Social Strategies
Many business owners grapple with the question, “Is social media worth it for my business?”
The answer is a resounding yes—social media is indeed worth it. While the landscape has shifted towards a pay-to-play model, and the notion that “organic social is dead” has gained traction, organic social media remains vital. It continues to build authentic connections, foster community and enhance brand credibility.
In this blog, we explore the distinct roles of organic and paid social strategies and how integrating both can maximize your business’s online impact.
A consistent organic presence helps build brand awareness—an essential first step in any customer journey—and makes your business a familiar name to existing and potential customers.
The Role of Organic Social Media Is Driving Authentic Engagement & Sustainable Business Growth.
Organic social media involves creating and sharing content without relying on paid promotions, focusing instead on building genuine relationships with your audience.
This approach allows businesses to establish a brand voice and foster authentic engagement. According to a Q1 2023 Sprout Social Pulse survey, marketers rank organic social media above paid tactics in value. A consistent organic presence helps build brand awareness—an essential first step in any customer journey—and makes your business a familiar name to existing and potential customers.
By consistently delivering valuable and relevant content, businesses can connect more deeply with their followers, encouraging trust and loyalty, which are crucial for maintaining a positive brand reputation and driving sustainable success.
While it may be a long game, this familiarity drives future sales and enhances long-term growth.
Organic Social Media Builds Trust and Long-Term Success.
Unlike paid campaigns that focus on driving immediate sales, organic content lets businesses share updates, entertain and build brand identity without constantly pushing for a sale. This type of engagement helps establish credibility and creates a deeper connection, showing that your brand is about more than just selling.
People don’t want to hop online only to be bombarded with advertisements—they want value, authenticity and a sense of community.
Maintaining a consistent organic social strategy proves to your audience that you’re invested in them, not just their wallets. Occasional sales pitches are fine, but if you cut out organic content altogether, you risk losing that genuine connection and, eventually, your audience.
People don’t want to hop online only to be bombarded with advertisements—they want value, authenticity and a sense of community.
How Does Paid Social Media Fit In With An Organic Strategy?
Social ad campaigns use targeted, paid promotions to reach specific audiences precisely. Unlike organic social media, which fosters connections through unpaid content, social ads amplify your reach and achieve clear marketing objectives. By leveraging detailed targeting options like demographics, interests and behaviors, businesses can ensure their ads land in front of the most relevant potential customers.
This focused approach helps companies scale quickly, driving goals such as increased website traffic, lead generation and sales. Social ad campaigns complement organic efforts, giving brands the tools to expand their audience and achieve measurable results.
When Should You Choose Organic Social Media Vs. Paid Ads?
Choosing between organic social media and paid ads depends on your business goals, industry and the results you’re aiming for.
If you run a roofing company, organic posts like maintenance tips, customer testimonials or project highlights build trust and long-term engagement. This type of content helps establish your expertise and keeps you connected with potential clients, especially during slower seasons.
However, for seasonal promotions—like new roofing packages or repair services—paid ads can quickly generate leads by targeting homeowners needing immediate solutions.
Or, say you’re in the energy industry; organic posts focusing on tips and community initiatives build your reputation and foster ongoing engagement.
On the other hand, when promoting new customer packages or rebate programs, use paid ads with precise targeting to drive faster conversions, reaching customers actively looking for solutions.
When To Choose Organic Social:
- You want to build brand awareness or authority over time.
- You’re looking to engage regularly with your audience.
- You don’t need immediate conversions.
When To Choose Paid Social Ads:
- You have a specific offer that needs a quick push.
- You want precise targeting and immediate leads.
- You need more customization and control over placements through Ads Manager, which offers more robust features than simply boosting posts.
Both organic and paid social strategies are equally important for maintaining a healthy, well-rounded social media presence.
Leverage The Strengths Of Organic & Paid Social Media To Maximize Your Business’s Impact.
Organic and paid social media efforts each play distinct roles in a successful marketing strategy, with their strengths and challenges.
Organic social media is ideal for long-term brand building, offering a cost-effective way to establish trust and credibility, but the growth can be slower, and its reach often depends on ever-changing algorithms.
In contrast, paid social ads provide the ability to target specific audiences with precision, delivering immediate and scalable results. However, paid campaigns require consistent financial investment, and costs can quickly add up if not carefully managed.
Businesses can strategically blend both approaches—using organic for authenticity and audience loyalty while leveraging paid ads to scale quickly and achieve specific, short-term goals like boosting traffic, generating leads or driving sales.
We’ve Combined Organic and Paid Efforts—and It’s Paid Off.
At Estland, we’ve seen how powerful combining organic and paid social media can be. A great example is our recent Facebook Likes Campaign, which ran from December 2023 to April 2024. Using a simple vertical video, we reached over 7,600 people, made 12,392 impressions, and gained 621 new likes and follows. This campaign helped us expand our audience and boost engagement.
But the post also performed well organically—on Instagram, it racked up 4,693 plays and 16 likes, and on LinkedIn, it achieved an impressive 3.45% engagement rate. By blending organic content with paid promotions, we’ve seen how this balance can drive growth, boost engagement and strengthen connections with our audience.
As A Small Business, You Can Have An Organic Social Media Presence, Too.
Organic social media offers countless opportunities for businesses to engage with their audience without needing a budget or a specialized team. From sharing behind-the-scenes content and user-generated posts to updating followers on business hours or promotions, organic efforts can be as simple or creative as you want. You don’t need an entire production crew to post a quick update or a funny meme that resonates with your audience. This makes organic social media highly sustainable in the long term.
Even when resources are tight, maintaining a presence allows businesses to stay connected with their audience in a cost-effective and manageable way.
Create Organic Social Media That Packs A Punch With Estland.
If social media is the last thing you have time for, our expert team is here to help! Contact us today to craft a tailored approach leveraging organic and paid strategies for maximum impact.
