‘Organic social is dead’.
You may have come across this statement once or twice in recent years. Zuckerberg’s conglomerate has increasingly monetised its influence (largely since 2012), leaving many budget-conscious brands reeling about changes in their reach and questioning how to grow social media.
Granted, the algorithm changes make a substantial difference. Social media specialists estimate organic content reaches about 3 - 10% of your audience, pending which platform you use. But Facebook’s push toward paid content isn’t the only driving factor. A significant surge in competition created scarcity in the digital space that saw engagement with branded content drop by 20% back in 2017. That’s why it’s more important than ever for brands to have a clear identity and voice in the digital arena.
Organic content can play a key role in this - and your wider marketing strategy – but only if utilised correctly. Our client Berkowitz Furniture is living proof. The family-run furniture company’s week on week organic traffic has increased from 2% - 45% . To understand how, let’s break down the opportunities presented by organic social content and how Berkowitz Furniture capitalised on each.
- Build brand awareness
Organic channels are the perfect place to establish and showcase brand personality and engage with your audience, without agenda. Consumers are savvy – and inundated with advertising daily – so seeing an engaging post that isn’t labelled as ‘sponsored’ will automatically have a better chance of cutting through the noise. For consistency and impact, it’s vital that your organic strategy and messaging is aligned with your paid activity. The best organic social media campaign goes hand-in-hand with paid. In the case of Berkowitz Furniture, we created an integrated strategy that established consistency in both creative content and audience targeting.
- Reinforce key messaging
Research indicates 71% of consumers who have a positive experience with a brand on social media are likely to recommend it to friends and family, and organic social is the best place to access this benefit. These channels provide an opportunity to build salience with your audience, reinforcing your brand messages and core brand values at a relevant time – regardless of what industry you’re in. From e-Commerce or tech through to corporate, education and government – targeting the right audience with consistent messaging and tailored content will yield strong results.
- Drive website traffic and generate leads
Establishing brand identity and creating consistent content to reinforce key messages are two proven ways to harness the potential of organic social media. To maximise your website traffic and generate qualified leads, combine these tactics with the use of strategic hashtags and competitor analysis to ensure you are directly addressing your customers’ needs. We incorporated all of the above in our integrated digital campaign for Berkowitz Furniture. At its completion, organic and paid media data showed rates of engagement six times the industry average, with website sessions increasing 82% month-to-month. You can read more about the campaign here.
Contrary to many critics’ belief, organic social media is still very much alive and well – especially when strategically integrated with paid activity.
If you’re interested in leveraging organic social for your brand with greater effectiveness, drop us a line. Call Philip Huzzard on 0418 344 763.
