Organic Marketing Techniques That Still Work

Most businesses know how to use a paid marketing or content marketing strategy. But there’s still value in the old-fashioned organic marketing efforts that took place before ecommerce took off. 

What’s Organic Marketing?

Organic marketing focuses on the results you get over time versus spending money to generate business. Instead of buying a Facebook ad or hiring an influencer, you let people come to your business and brand more naturally by sharing a customer’s post or connecting with your audience without a paid ad behind it. Organic marketing builds authentic credibility. Some consider it a slower approach, but there are benefits.

Examples include:
-SEO writing
-Blog posts
-In-person or live events
-Social media posts (unpaid)
-Emails
-Videos
-Podcasts

Organic vs. Paid: The Differences

Organic marketing has an authentic feel, but creating the right content from the start requires more patience, creativity, and money. Plus, the growth happens more slowly so your business needs to have the capacity to float or be financially steady if this is the bulk of your strategy. But when it works, you have long-term customers.

Paid marketing invests money in the strategy. It’s common to pay or sponsor your advertising to bring shoppers in to complete the sale. One of the benefits is that you’re paying to put your ad front and center, which means potential customers will immediately see your content. Whether you’ve hired a sponsor to mention your brand or paid to create and place your ad, paid marketing runs on a much quicker timeline (well, assuming you continue the pace). Once you stop, it’s harder to sustain the momentum.

Organic vs. Content: The Differences

The big similarity here between organic marketing and content marketing is this: content marketing starts organically. As this content marketing post describes, it succeeds by locking into the “user’s natural behavior.” When a user creates unique content about your brand and you decide to pay to promote it, you’re turning their organic effort into content marketing. This can deepen your credibility with the audience.  

Top Things To Remember When You Choose a Channel

Social platforms remain the top driver of marketing engagement and strategy. That includes YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook. Even when there’s a generational element to your user, you can use the right tool if you know your audience. For example, Buffer, a business strategy company, analyzed one million Facebook users and found the most engaged time for Facebook is 10 a.m. on a Friday. Whether you’re using search ads, paid ads, or organic strategies to build your business, do your research to find the best channel.

Organic: Choose channels that you can easily build and contribute to as time goes on. For example, a steady three-posts-a-week Instagram channel lends itself to the top three photos or products of the week without having to pay to put them in someone’s feed. 

Paid: You know your audience’s engagement time and what they’re searching for. Use that data to hone in on the best possible time to buy ads, feature ads, and bring in conversions. Understand what you’re selling, know your audience and motivation, research your competitor, and know the bottom line. The answers here will help you determine the right channel for your brand.

Content: Know your audience. For example, if you’re selling a product popular with 20–35-year-olds, TikTok is going to be one of your top engagement channels. Once you have a following, you can promote user-generated content from there and build on top of your initial TikTok efforts.

Organic Marketing Strategies That Still Work and Drive Results

A comprehensive marketing strategy should incorporate organic marketing efforts. Below are some essential organic strategies that your brand should consider. 

Email
Email remains a free way to connect with your audience directly. Whether you send a newsletter or a coupon, you’re engaging and reminding them with each inbox ping that you’re excited they’re here with you.

Social Media
The key here is to be consistent. Decide how often you want to post and the type of content you can vary across each post. Over time, your audience will grow as your consistency, well, stays consistent. This is also great for connecting with user-generated content and encouraging audience engagement.

Blogs
Blogs remain an effective tool for generating results. By understanding your audience, you can create targeted content that educates and engages them. This might include posts about your business values in action or behind-the-scenes insights that spark their interest and build loyalty.

In the quest for quick returns and immediate visibility, digital marketers often gravitate toward paid advertising. However, it’s crucial not to overlook the power of organic marketing. Organic tactics, such as content marketing and social media engagement build long-term trust, enhance brand credibility, and foster genuine connections with your audience. 

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