Organic vs Paid Socials: Which is the Best Option for Me?

When it comes to growing your business online, we can all agree that organic growth SOUNDS great. However, this may actually be making your life more difficult than it needs to be.

Are you a business owner tired of investing countless hours and energy into growing your online presence organically and seeing very little engagement in return, DESPITE a solid social media strategy? Read on for our advice!

What is ‘Organic Reach’?

Organic reach is essentially how many people see your content without you having to invest in paid ads or promotions.

It’s all about the natural interactions your posts get - likes, comments, shares, and views. This approach is fantastic for gradually building a real, authentic community around your brand. However, in order for your content to reach the RIGHT people, this organic approach takes a lot of dedication, research, consistency, and time - which is challenging for the majority of business owners to juggle on top of daily tasks!

The Pros:

• Cost Effective: Organic reach doesn't require a financial investment, meaning you can put those extra $$$ into other areas of your business!

• Authentic Engagement: Building an audience organically creates trust and loyalty, as followers tend to feel a real connection to your brand’s messaging.

• Sustainable Growth: This organic approach to promoting your business can lead to sustainable, long term growth as your audience will grow naturally and steadily over time.

The Cons:

• Time Consuming: Organic growth takes a LOT of time and consistent effort, requiring patience and long term commitment.

• Limited Reach: Without the boosts from paid promotions, your content might not reach as wide an audience, especially when starting out, which means less engagement from your target audience!

• High Competition: With so much content being posted daily, standing out and gaining visibility can be challenging without the boost of paid ads.

Paid Ads

Unlike organic growth, paid ads are smartly targeted, so you can aim them at specific groups based on things like age, interests, and location, making sure your message hits home with a target audience you wish for your content to directly connect with!

Of course, using paid ads means a bit of financial investment, and as a busy business owner, you'll need to stay on top of their performance to make sure they aren’t going to waste! However the benefits of using them when promoting your business are undeniable. Each ad serves your specific goals, from integration into viewers’ feeds to personalised content based on their behaviour, all with the aim to engage and drive RESULTS!

The most popular paid ad formats to consider using for your business are:

Boosted Ads

These are existing posts (that perhaps display your products or services) from your timeline that you put money behind to reach a wider audience beyond your current followers. You can choose WHO you want to target based on demographics, interests, and behaviours, plus set a budget for how much you want to spend, and decide how long you want the boosted post to run!

Even though boosted posts are technically ads, they still look like regular posts in people's feeds, but they're labeled as "sponsored" to be transparent about their promotion. This is great for brands looking to engage their current followers more and increase their visibility to new audiences without coming across as invasive to followers’ feeds.

Meta Ads

Managed through Meta Ads Manager, these ads give you a lot more control compared to boosting posts. They let you choose exactly where your ads appear, whether it's on your target audience’s Facebook, Instagram, or Messenger profiles, and you can pick specific goals you wish to achieve - such as getting leads or promoting to a certain platform or page of your business!

Unlike boosted ads, Meta ads are customisable, which is ideal if your business has a focus on larger campaigns!

So, which should I choose?

We believe that opting for organic growth online is a great choice for lifestyle brands, content creators and nonprofits that value community engagement and building loyalty over time.

On the flip side, paid ads offer quick visibility by targeting specific groups based on interests and demographics, making them an ideal choice if you own an E-commerce business or startup aiming to rapidly expand your customer base!



Still confused at the idea of paid ads and how these may help your business growth?

You are in luck! We are excited to be hosting our next workshop, ‘Paid Ads 101’, designed to help business owners like you navigate the world of paid ads. This workshop is perfect for anyone new to digital advertising or those looking to refine their setup process.

We know how important it is to advertise your business in the most effective way and we are here to support you. In this interactive session, you will learn the KEY skills needed to set up successful ad campaigns.

Secure your spot on our workshop here!

We can’t wait for you to join us!

The FTLOS Team

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