Social media has been evolving for over a decade. What began as a way to virtually connect with family and friends and keep up with their lives through pictures and posts has now become a regular location for selling, purchasing, and marketing items and services. When social media platforms began this shift, there were temporary grumblings and complaints from social media users. Still, as this shift made purchasing desirable items or services much more straightforward, the grumblings came to a halt for many.

Now, social media (Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, etc.) has become a place where consumers can find items that perfectly suit their interests and desires. Social media has made it simpler for consumers to find the exact type of item they are looking for that they may not find independently. It has also helped businesses find their perfect customers. 

Organic Content and Paid Ads: What is the Difference?

Consumers may often come across a product on their Instagram page because of who hey already follow or by viewing a shared post. This product content is considered organic content. Other times, an individual may come across the exact item they are looking for through an ad on their Instagram feed. This content is a paid ad placed on their Instagram feed because of their age, gender, location, accounts that they follow, and potentially many other factors. Both of these marketing methods have the potential to help a business gain new customers. But– which one should a business focus on?

Organic content is content that any user can post for free on the platform, whether an individual or business. These are tweets, posts, stories, pictures, memes, and countless other pieces of content. This type of social media marketing is perfect for gaining customer trust through interactions under a comment section or indirect messages and sharing posts. Organic content is ideal for building a relationship with your customer base and gaining new customers and for maintaining a relationship with customers or followers you already have. Businesses can gain new followers and customers from organic content. Still, organic content shines when used for branding, relationship building, and maintenance.

Paid ads are where most businesses will see a more significant uptick in customer reach and conversion. When a company pays for an ad, they can customize what specific individuals will see the ad on their Instagram, Facebook, Youtube, or LinkedIn feed. They can customize this based on age, gender, location, and accounts that the individual follows or regularly interact with. Suppose a business targets consumers who follow businesses similar to theirs. In that case, they are likely to reach an audience that is more likely to convert and eventually move down the pipeline and purchase their item or service. 

 For Growth, Stick With Paid Ads For Now

 While paid ads at this point may be better suited for directly converting customers, organic content is where social media began and has its place. Both forms of marketing can be vital to growth. While paid ads are better suited for growth and development, organic marketing is better for maintenance. And repeat customers are a critical part of many businesses’ foundation and security. If you are looking to see a more significant uptick in your growth and conversion, which most businesses are, paid ads are much more beneficial for that task. At this point, you will see a more significant increase with paid ads. But – for long-term relationships with customers and repeat buyers, they should be used in regular tandem with the initial purpose of social media: organic content.