What is Organic vs paid?

Also known as: Organic versus paid, Organic and paid social

Definition

Organic social media is content shared without an ad budget; paid social is promoted content backed by an ad budget. Each serves different goals and metrics.

In-depth explanation

Organic works for brand-building and community. Paid works for scale: reaching a specific audience you can't reach organically. For agencies it's strategic to offer both — some clients do organic only, others combine both with 30-70% paid spend.

Example from agency practice

Client X has a €1,000 organic budget (agency hours) and a €1,500 paid budget. Organic posts build trust with existing followers; paid campaigns bring in new leads. Each is measured on separate KPIs: organic on engagement, paid on CPL.

Especially relevant for

  • Strategists
  • Social media managers
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