Organic social media marketing is a great resource for building a sustainable online presence and fostering long-term relationships. However, businesses should use a combination of organic and paid strategies to achieve a balance between immediate results and long-term growth. Paid advertising on social media allows for more control over targeting, timing, and visibility, making it a preferred choice for short-term marketing objectives.
Organic has Slow Growth and Reach
Building an organic social media presence takes time. Gaining followers and increasing reach organically is a gradual process,, requiring quality posts, quick interactions, and the type of market you are in. In the short term, it might not yield the quick results that businesses often desire, but it could spur a more interactive clientele. The best way to think of organic social media is the slow and steady part, like in the tortoise and the hair.
Limited Visibility Without Ads
Organic reach on most social platforms has declined significantly over the years. To maximize visibility, businesses often need to invest in paid advertising, which provides quicker results but falls under the category of paid marketing rather than organic. It’s also harder to gauge how well it works, when you don’t get direct conversions going to your good or service. It tracks landing page views and clicks which is nice, with the first being the person who click and landed on your site, and the other being the one who clicked possibly by accident or in a new tab but never arrived. It’s hard to grow without some sort of help there.
Changing Trends
Social media trends evolve rapidly. What works organically today might not be as effective tomorrow. Staying relevant and adapting to changing trends can be time-consuming, and short-term campaigns may not allow for adequate adjustments.
How Organic Social Backfires
The bad part about organic social is the fact that people can’t often purchase directly from the social page or group, making it one more way someone can get lost before they get to your site. Also, there can be negative reviews on the page which could be drastically different than your Google Business page causing some distrust within the community. The goal of the organic social media page is to interact with the customer base, just like newspapers or magazines would do in the past. It can however become a good resource for many companies showcasing a new product or service without having to send out emails.
Limited Control Over Timing
Organic reach relies on when your audience is online and active. If your target audience is not engaged at the time you post, your content might not get the immediate attention it needs for short-term gains. You can’t post at 2 am eastern time for something that’s directed at the US market, like a family product. However, you can do research and look at opinions on which times works best for the market you are in. It could be 10 to 11 am in your desired time zone, but if it’s a global product or service, it might have to be different.
Organic social media marketing is not ideal for short-term results due to slow growth and reach. A good mind for the social media account is for long-term growth such as a Facebook page or group, Instagram account, Reddit account/subreddit, Youtube account, etc. is to post consistently and engage your potential customers. A mixture of paid and organic social would be the best option if you have the time and effort to make your page grow.
