Ever since the rise of MySpace (serious flashback time), things have changed drastically for social media. With almost half the world online and nearly one in three people on social media, it’s safe to say that it plays a huge role in society.
Social media has the potential to influence our lives in unprecedented ways, including life scenarios such as election campaigns, purchasing decisions, personal relationships and plenty more.
With a tool this powerful it’s no wonder businesses are using it to their advantage. Although, many are also, unfortunately, missing out on all it can offer. They’re at risk of losing out on valuable business to their competitors by not having an organic social media strategy in place.
In this article, we’ll look at what organic social media is and why it’s used for the long term growth of your business.
Let’s get into it.
What is an Organic Social Media Strategy?
When we talk about an organic social media strategy we’re referring to posting on a social platform and not spending any money to ‘boost’ or advertise the post. The aim of an organic approach is to engage with your audience and provide them with value in the form of content.
This content could be anything ranging from cat videos to in depth reviews of the latest camera equipment. After all, there is a kid that became a millionaire at the age of 10 by posting toy reviews on YouTube. If that doesn’t give you a good indication of what’s possible then we don’t know what will!
The beauty of an organic strategy is that it is free and any business can get started right away. All that is required is a consistent effort over time for it to start yielding results.
Paid vs Organic Social Media
We’ve talked about an organic social media strategy but it would be prudent of us to mention what a paid social media strategy is. The reason being, social media platforms are free to use but they all have an advertising platform which is how they make so much money.
Businesses can promote themselves on social media by spending money to advertise certain posts. In theory this way of advertising isn’t much different to paying for an advertising slot on TV. In practicality though it is much different.
Social media is rich in a resource that advertisers would bite your hand off for.
Data.
Data is the fuel that helps your paid ad strategy shoot through the stratosphere.
It’s used to ensure advertising campaigns are hyper targeted towards the correct audience. That means you can use your advertising budget to target a specific demographic. Whereas a TV advertisement would be seen by everyone and anyone. A paid social media strategy is unmatched in terms of its targeting capabilities.
Benefits of Having an Organic Social Media Approach
It’s Free
If you’re working to a tight budget then you don’t have to break the bank to have a killer social media strategy. Social media platforms are usually free so the only cost for an organic strategy is time and resources.
Keep Your Audience Updated
Sharing content with your audience can be hugely beneficial in a number of ways. It can keep your audience up to date with any changes or milestones that your company has reached.
Has your company just surpassed one million units being sold?
Or maybe you have just sold your first batch of products.
No matter how big or small the occasion it’s always a good idea to share the moment with your audience.
You can also share latest industry news and best practices to position yourself as a thought leader within your sector.
Social Proof
Having a solid social media profile can give you the ultimate testimonial for future customers.
If people see that your social media pages have positive engagement then this confirms to them you’re trustworthy.
Throw in some eye-catching content and you have a match made in heaven. When you have both of these aspects of your social profile nailed down you’ll have all the credibility you need.
Brand Awareness
Your brand exposure is hugely important in today’s online world. If your social media profiles are portraying the look and feel your target audience resonates with then your branding is on point.
When your brand is consistent across all your social media channels this makes it a lot easier to attract future clients and consistency has been proven to increase revenue by up to 23%.
Community Building
Social media is all about community building. When you focus on building a safe and secure space for your audience, this is when a community starts to form.
Your community members will turn into loyal supporters who help elevate your brand. They will share your content and buy your products without a second thought.
Drawbacks of an Organic Social Media Approach
Growth Issue
If you want to grow fast then you will struggle if you take a fully organic approach. The main reason for this is because social media platforms want you to spend money on their platforms…that means spending money on ads.
As a consequence, your organic posts won’t reach nearly as many people as a paid post would.
For the most effective growth plan businesses usually have a paid and organic strategy running side by side. That way you get the best of both
Takes Time
Time is one of the most valuable resources on the planet which is why a lot of companies would rather spend their time on more effective growth strategies.
Why would a company spend time on an organic approach when they can focus on direct sales which could boost their profit margins?
It’s understandable, but if you still put time and effort into your social pages then this could have a huge impact on your business in the long run.
For this reason a lot of businesses will outsource their social media management to agencies such as us here at Blaze Media.
Not Effective from a Sales Perspective (Short term)
If your goal is to launch a new product and use only an organic approach then you could seriously harm your sales targets.
Unless it is a really low one, which we’re assuming it’s not!
This is because you won’t be able to reach as many people using organic posting, so your sales should naturally be lower.
Also, when you use paid media for a product launch you can target new potential customers. An organic post will mainly be seen by existing customers.
Social Media Management at Blaze Media
It’s evident that if you want to create a long-term organic social media strategy that is successful then you will need to invest time and effort. The benefit of doing so could prove to be a massive return on investment later down the line.
If your business is serious about building your social media but doesn’t have the time or resources then we can help you out. We have a social media team who specifically focus on organic and paid social media strategies for a number of clients.
Get in contact with us today and we can start building out a sustainable strategy that can pay dividends for your business down the line.