But what hasn’t changed is social media’s power to help your business. Let’s look at the why + the how behind it.  

{In case you didn’t know, this is the third post of my summer marketing series; read the first blog about networking marketing here + the second blog about email marketing here}

 

Organic vs. Paid Social Media

Friend, not all social media is created equal. 

Here’s a quick breakdown:

Organic social media is any post or content shared for free. While this doesn’t cost you any money, it does leave you at the mercy of the algorithm when it comes to your audience viewing it. Paid social media is {surprise, surprise} something you pay to post and put in front of a target audience.    

I’m not here to tell you that you should never invest in paid social media. Like with all forms of advertisement, there’s a time and place. But I am here to tell you that as a small business owner, you don’t want to sleep on organic social media and what it can do for you. 

 

Why Small Business Should Use Organic Social Media

There are a ton of ways to get your biz’s name in front of people ~ traditional advertisements, commercials, network marketing, emails, direct mail, + more.

But for small businesses, organic social media offers unique benefits that other marketing outlets lack. 

Cost Effective

Let’s just say ~ organic social media can definitely fit into your budget. It can decrease your overall marketing costs without losing impact. While using it strategically does require time on your part {or on the part of an employee if you choose to delegate}, it can still be effective and produce results that would have cost you thousands of dollars through other avenues. 

Builds Brand Awareness 

This might be considered a “long game” in the world of business, but it’s been proven that familiarity drives future sales. In fact, a survey by Sprout Social found that 80% of consumers said brand familiarity {aka brand awareness} makes them more likely to buy something. 

Your customers are already on social media ~ scrolling TikTok, posting on Instagram, checking Facebook, searching LinkedIn. By leveraging an effective organic social media marketing strategy, you’re putting your business’s name right in front of them. 

Establishes a Community with Your Customers

Let’s face it ~ the majority of people crave some type of community. Modern customers and businesses have found social media to be the perfect place to build one. No matter what platform you’re on, there’s an opportunity to foster a community among your audience which ultimately improves your bottom line.  

At the end of the day, your community will want to support you, not some other, random brand they have no emotional connection with. 

 

5 Tips for Getting Started Today 

Now, let’s talk about “how” behind organic social media. The hard truth is that just posting every once in a while isn’t going to be effective. The other hard truth is that spending hours and hours trying to craft one perfect post isn’t the most effective approach either. 

Here are some of my go-to tips for a successful organic social media strategy that any small business owner can start using today:

 

1. Create a Content Calendar 

Failing to plan is the most common mistake I see business owners make with social media. They assume it’s more efficient to spend just a little bit of time each day coming up with something to post. 

But what about when your day is slammed from beginning to end? What about when you hit a creative roadblock? What about when {gasp!} technology fails? Posting on the fly can actually be more time-consuming + stressful. 

That’s why I recommend creating a social media content calendar {personally, I go by quarters but month-to-month works, too!}. This helps you to plan the content in advance and gives you time to create quality posts to truly engage your audience.  

 

2. Batch Create Content

Again, running around looking for a picture to go with your post the MORNING it's supposed to go live isn’t really helpful. Scheduling time each month to batch create content allows you to optimize your efforts.

During this time, you can:

• Take any pictures you’ll need for content
• Pre-record videos
• Write captions 
• Make plans for any content you’ll need to capture in “real time”
  

3. Leverage AI

Yep, I said it. Artificial intelligence {AI} is a TOOL ~ not a replacement. I’m a people person, so I don’t believe in completely turning over your content creation to the computer. But I do believe in the power of streamlining your operations, and there are so many new, exciting AI tools out there to help you do that.

Here are some of my fave tools to help you get your social media content going:

• Flick   
• ContentStudio
• HelloWoofy

4. Schedule Out Content

Speaking of tools ~ don’t hesitate to take advantage of any one of the many platforms that allow you to schedule content in advance {hello, time saver}. Meta Business Suite allows you to do this for free if you’re posting to Facebook and Instagram. 

But personally, I’m a PLANOLY fan {here’s my referral link for a little discount!}  

 

5. BE YOURSELF

Honestly, this is the best tip I have for you. 

It’s really easy to get caught up in the comparison game on social media. But an audience will recognize and be drawn to your authenticity. So focus your social media efforts on being you. 

The Dreaming + Doing Implementation Mastermind started August 2023 {aka NEXT MONTH) We’ll cover all things organic social media and so much more ~ reserve your spot today!