Yes.
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Oh, you want a longer answer?????
In the age of mass information, we suppose it’s better to be more thorough than ‘yes’, so we’re going to break it down for you.
First, let’s start with the cold, harsh, bite-you-in-the-a$$ truth: organic reach has gone down.
An example: As of late 2019, brands on Facebook can expect their posts to be seen by only 5.5% of their followers.
No, we’re not going to lie to you: it sucks.
BUT! That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do it.
Here’s a few reasons why organic marketing is still worth the investment.
It’s free. Let us say that again. IT’S FREE.
Yes, you might be short on time (aren’t we all?), but you can’t beat the price of organic marketing. It’s better to consistently have a presence on social media than to be only sporadically posting when you can afford it.
Organic is more engaging.
When people see your organic post, they are more likely to interact with it. Paid content has been shown, time and time again, to provoke less engagement than organic content. In one study done by Fractl on all organic vs. sponsored content posted by 2,000 Instagram influencers, it was shown that organic content prompted pretty consistently higher levels of engagement.
It gauges what people actually like.
It’s as simple as this: when you use paid media, you get the results that you pay for. With organic marketing, your post won’t cut it unless people genuinely resonate with it. If your post provokes emotions or thoughts or opinions, people will engage. If your posts don’t do any of this, you’ll hear a whole lot of crickets. Organic marketing is a great way to test what people like about your brand, how you can improve, and how you can authentically impact people.
Social Media platforms LOVE organic content that drives engagement.
Social media platforms are designed to target organic posts that people naturally gravitate to…and then promote the hell out of them. Why do you think your cousin Becky’s video of her toddler saying the f* word got so many likes? Because it’s funny, and Facebook knows that.
Because people will visit your page before they buy.
According to a study by Animoto, 58% of consumers will go to a brand’s social media before they go to their website….which is an 81% increase from 2019. Basically, your social media better be good or potential customers are not going to buy.
It creates an authentic person-to-person (instead of bot-to-bot) connection.
What else should your social media be besides good? Your social media should be YOU. You’ve got to temper your promo with personality and heart. People buy the brands they identify with personally, not just the product. We could throw more stats at you here about why people aren’t always stoked when a brand just sells, sells, sells instead of connecting with them, but honestly, this is just plain old common sense. Screw you AI overlords. We’re here and we’re human.*
(*That said….there are instances where AI can be useful and we don’t want to end up in those goo-filled pods where they stored humans in the Matrix sooooo it’s good to find a balance between humanistic anarchist and optimistic futurist.)
By now, we’ve hopefully drilled it into your noggin that, yes, organic marketing still has value and you don’t have to rely solely on the powers-that-be of paid advertising to impact potential customers. From here, we’re going to give you a few tips to strengthen your organic reach so you can get the most bang for your..time.
Post when it’s right.
No, not just when the feeling is right, but at the right time of day when your target audience is online. This takes a little bit of research. You won’t be posting at the same time for moms of 2-year-olds as you will for 16-year-old skateboarders. Posting at the right time means also being aware of the holidays and social movements that are important to your potential customers.
Don’t be afraid to experiment.
Sometimes your content will work, sometimes it won’t. Might be time to bust out the ol’ A/B testing. Be patient. Finding the right ‘voice’ can take time, but it’s well worth the effort.
You don’t have to reinvent the wheel.
It’s important to take into account what you know people already like. What are some things people like? Photos, videos, and pets.
This article states that blogs that post with photos get 94% more traffic than purely text blogs. Blogs with videos get a whopping 157% more traffic! As for pets, the aforementioned Fractl study showed that people engaged most with posts about pets (Who wouldn’t? Have you seen @wat.ki on Instagram? Yeah, it’s cute as sh*t.)
Engagement is a two-way street.
You get what you give. Do you want to be featured? Feature other people. You want people to comment on your posts? Comment on other people’s posts. Do you want to start a conversation? Then you have to respond to the people who reach out to you. Give connection, get connection.
Choose the right social media platform.
Don’t be afraid to be on many at once. See which platforms have value for your business and use as many as your time and creativity allow. Here’s a down-and-dirty rundown of the different social media platforms and what type of mindset they appeal to:
TikTok – Bite-sized entertainment OF THE FUTURE. It’s already solidified its spot as the up-and-coming social media darling of the younger generation and it’s working its way up in age quickly.
Facebook – People go here to connect with family and friends. Basically, it’s a great place to develop a sense of community around your brand.
Instagram – People use Instagram to shop, and to see. People are looking to buy here, so it’s a great place to display your products.
Twitter – Sports, one-liners, and politicians using too many sentences with ALL CAPS. If your brand can come across as the hot news or you’ve got a quick-witted copywriter on your team, this might be the platform for you.
Youtube – Entertainment, education, music. If your brand can make a how-to, you are golden on YouTube.
LinkedIn – This is great for B2B businesses and anyone looking to find the best of the best to round out their team.
Now go forth and market your butt off. Organically.????
