For years, we at Blink;Tech have been big proponents of leveraging organic whenever possible – especially with pay-to-play taking over the social media marketing paradigm. We shouted from the rooftops that organic reach within digital marketing was still attainable and worth the effort. We still believe in organic reach when it comes to blogging, but we must acknowledge that things have finally crossed that line when it comes to social media.
Though organic social media isn’t exactly dead, the landscape has changed enough that it isn’t nearly as fruitful as it has previously been, and it now takes much more effort to reach the same goals. So what can we do in regards to organic social media? And how can we achieve quality organic social media marketing in a pay-to-play digital world?
The Decline of Organic Reach on Social Media
Money. That’s really what it comes down to, and it’s no surprise to anyone who has been involved in social media marketing as long as we have. When social media first began, there was no advertising and reaching a target audience was strictly organic. As far back as 2014, Blink;Tech sounded the alarm that things were changing, and as platforms evolved and became financially viable, so did the opportunity to advertise.
Though it’s taken a bit of time, we’re finally coming to the point where only advertisements are reaching the target audiences, which means organic reach has almost become moot. Organic reach decline is now a fact, being overshadowed by billions of dollars in advertisements. But there are still some things we can do that won’t require spending our entire marketing budget on expensive digital ads, but let’s take a step back and review the overall picture first.
What Exactly is Pay-to-Play Social Marketing?
The answer is exactly what it sounds like: you have to pay money for a presence on social media – which means paid digital advertising. This is the paradigm that all social platforms are prioritizing nowadays. When social platforms first began, there were only organic posts, or those posts that naturally generated traffic. The owners of the social platforms were happy to take a loss to provide this free service as it helped their platforms grow into monopolies of their space. And they knew that once they owned that space, they could start cashing in.
They did this with paid advertising, and for a time there was a nice balance of organic and ads offering opportunities for all types and sizes of businesses and marketing budgets. However, those days have come to an end. We now live in that pay-to-play social media paradigm, which means paid social media advertising is the only reliable way to reach new audiences. Pay-to-play advertising is now found on all social platforms, aside from Threads (though that is not far off), and while it can assure a business will expand its reach, it still doesn’t guarantee meaningful conversions or ROI from your marketing budget.
How to Increase Organic Reach on Social Media
Organic reach is still possible, but a business needs to be very strategic when posting, and the expectations must be realistic when it comes to setting goals. First, be sure to post original and exciting content – it needs to have a wow factor in order to get people talking, and more importantly, sharing. If it happens to be visual content, even better – video will always catch a viewer’s attention easier than static content. When posting, be sure to include appropriate hashtags in order for the algorithm to work for you. This may take extra time to vet what is trending, but it is time worth spending.
Also consider creating a series or doing live events – these types of posts can allow the audience to feel a part of the process instead of being passive viewers. And as we always say, evaluate your work – watch the numbers, take note of the analytics, and act accordingly. Organic social media reach can happen, but not without putting in the work to make it happen.
New Strategies for a New Era of Organic Social Media
Now that we understand that organic reach is still possible, and that there are rules to follow in order to make it happen, what are some strategies businesses can utilize? The most common strategy being implemented is using influencers. This can technically be considered pay-to-play, but from a different perspective. We’ve previously blogged about influencer marketing, so we won’t repeat ourselves on the hows and whys since you can read all about that here.
Knowing that internet authority is paramount when it comes to building trust with viewers, internet influencers can also act as an authority in their own right, so either by creating a partnership with influencers to post organically, or even by turning your business into an influencer itself, a business can beat the competition using their own authority and influence!
Another strategy is utilizing AI and machine learning to reach users beyond your current audience. There are different programs now available to help with this, so work smarter and not harder! From creating posts and images to managing conversations, AI is all over social media, and more importantly, organic social media. Hootsuite Labs posted a fun video offering their top choices earlier this summer, so take a look if you have a few minutes!
One last caveat when it comes to leveraging AI – it is not without pitfalls for marketers! If you are exploring how you can leverage AI for content creation in your business marketing, we highly encourage you to read our blog on the topic. AI can be an incredibly valuable tool when used correctly, just do your homework first, or reach out to a professional for guidance.
As your tech partner, Blink;Tech is here to help you on your digital marketing journey. Let us know if we can help you by submitting your questions via the contact form below!
