Optimize or Advertise? Comparing Organic vs. Paid Social Media

 They say, "The best things in life are free." Which I never thought was necessarily true. I mean some of the best things are free — love, sunshine, fireflies, and whatnot. But there are a lot of awesome things that cost money — nunchucks, BMX bikes, DVDs of the movie Kung Fu Panda 3.

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So the line is kind of muddled when it comes to establishing whether free stuff is better than things that come at a cost — and the case of social media marketing is no exception. The debate between organic vs. paid social media isn't exactly cut and dry. Both options have their strengths and weaknesses.

Here, we'll get more perspective on the difference between both kinds of social media and some pros and cons that come with each.

Organic vs. Paid Social Media

You can gauge the main difference between organic and paid social media by their respective names. You post organic social media for free, generally to reach your followers and the people they choose to share it with. Paid social media content is shared with an audience beyond your followers but is promoted at a cost.

Organic and paid social media each have their own benefits and pitfalls. Here are some pros and cons of each type of social media marketing.

The Pros of Organic Social Media

It's more cost-effective.

Maintaining an organic social media presence can technically be free. It doesn't cost anything to post on Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn. Any costs you incur would come from the work it takes to engage with your community and create content to populate your social media feeds — whether that be through dedicated team members, outsourcing to freelancers or agencies, or having some employees incorporate those tasks into their day-to-day responsibilities.

One way or another, organic social media plays don't require immediate payment to implement. If your business is running on a tight budget, and you're confident you can create thoughtful content, organic social media might be the right avenue for you.

It allows you to directly engage with and assist your customers.

Social media is an excellent forum for ongoing customer service and interaction. A well-maintained, active social media profile gives customers a legitimate, accessible location to post concerns, complaints, and compliments. If you can dedicate the time and resources to consistently respond to most — if not all — of them, you'll get a lot of mileage out of your organic social media efforts.

It can help you establish a brand identity.

Your social media profiles allow you to project some personality. They can provide another layer to your marketing efforts with a solid sense of humor, consistently sound advice, or any other qualities you'd like prospects and customers to associate with your brand. For instance, Taco Bell's Twitter page is notorious for the brand style it has established through its audience interaction and funny content.

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