Nostalgia For How It All Began
The times of chronological feeds and organic-driven engagement are long past us, with paid media and brand partnerships becoming the engine of this algorithmic machine. And we have to ask – were the good old days of 2008 better? Or is the era of “Senator, we sell ads” just a natural evolution of the platforms once famous for heavy filters and sharing what you actually did that day?
The argument of the opponents of paid – particularly those of the Myspace era – is a battle cry for the democracy of information. Social platforms were supposed to be a way to share stories, and give a spotlight to those who didn’t have the means to end up on the front page of the Times or local news. This model supported artists, activists, and individuals, as well as movements, revolutions, and elections. The ethics arguments are endless, but power was held by the people instead of an ad budget.
The Switch: Making It Personal
Yet as time went on, the demand for more personalized content also came from the people. The question of “why is this on my newsfeed?” has driven the platforms more towards data used to personalize preferences. And ultimately, if you’re a vegan, you’re a happy camper when you’re not seeing ads for “Early Access to NYC Baconfest”.
Beyond this nostalgic query into social media, we’re faced with the question of the role of the organic content feed nowadays. If you ask brand managers, you’ll probably get mixed results. Some believe in the power of the grid and daily posting, while others have built overnight empires from focusing on a full-funnel paid strategy.
So as a social-driven digital marketing agency, naturally we get asked this question frequently. And we have to admit, there’s truth to both sides. Pay to play is the only way to survive in the modern feed, yet a well-curated grid and presence is still an essential part of a brand’s digital presence. The powerhouse emerging brands don’t have the same level of ad budgets as a Nike or Coca Cola, but you’ll also be sure to find them pouring a nearly even effort into both paid and organic.
So is organic dead? Clearly only as much as paid is alive. Either way, Myspace is definitely 6 feet under.
WHAT WE THINK OF ORGANIC SOCIAL MEDIA NOW
Speaking of being a social-driven agency, we have to share that we spend a lot of time on organic content production; grid designs, content pillar strategies, and quite a bit of copywriting. It’s still important to our clients, and according to our media reports, it’s important to our audiences as well.
As a brand, your grid is still a necessary part of what makes you legitimate. Think about it, you get served hundreds of ads a day from these random d2c brands you’ve never heard of, so naturally, you check out their Instagram page. Add in enough followers, engagement, high-quality content, and an influencer or two then you’ve got yourself a purchase.
What does this really mean for brand managers and marketers? Organic is your credential, which is exactly what we tell our clients. It’s why dating apps are modeled the way they are now – within 10 seconds of imagery and light copy you can tell whether or not this person (or page, per our example) it’s worth their time.
Our Recommendation
We can’t silo paid and organic social media anymore, instead we need to view organic as a gorgeous car, and paid media as the gas in the engine. You could have one or the other, but wouldn’t you rather be driving a 1966 Shelby 427 Cobra than seeing it in a museum?
If the car analogy is lost on you, then we’ll get to the point here: organic isn’t dead, it’s just evolved into something new. It’s the new website, landing page, and retail store; your first and last point of conversation to build trust with your audience.
