Advertising comes in many flavors, but for our purposes, we’ll focus on paid and organic advertising. Each has its own strengths and weaknesses, so it’s important to understand both. Generating interest in your business and raising its profile can be challenging. Your approach is key – should you choose organic advertising, paid advertising, or mix of both? The answer is different for every business.
Whichever path is right for your business, well-informed decisions on your advertising can create a powerful boost of visibility.
Paid Advertising
Paid advertising refers to any form of advertising that requires the advertiser to pay for visibility. This can include ads on social media platforms, search engine results pages, or on websites and blogs. Paid advertising is a fast and effective way to reach a large audience, and it can be highly targeted to reach specific demographics or locations.
One of the main benefits of paid advertising is that it allows businesses to reach a large audience quickly. This is especially useful for new businesses that are trying to establish themselves in a crowded market. Paid advertising is also highly trackable, which means that businesses can measure the success of their campaigns and adjust their strategies accordingly.
However, paid advertising can be expensive, and it may not be a viable option for all businesses. In addition, paid ads may not be as effective at generating long-term brand awareness and loyalty as organic advertising.
Forms of Paid Advertising:
- Pay-Per-Click Advertising
- Social Media Advertising
- Video Advertising
- Native Advertising
- Display Advertising
- Retargeting/Remarketing
- Google Shopping Ads
- Influencer Marketing
- Email Marketing
- Paid Content Promotion
Organic Advertising
On the other hand, refers to any form of advertising that is not paid for. This can include content marketing, social media posts, and search engine optimization (SEO). Organic advertising relies on creating valuable and informative content that attracts and retains customers naturally.
One of the main benefits of organic advertising is that it can be more cost-effective than paid advertising. In addition, organic advertising can be more effective at building long-term brand awareness and loyalty, as it requires businesses to engage with their customers and build relationships over time.
However, organic advertising can be time-consuming and may not reach as wide of an audience as quickly as paid advertising. It also requires a consistent and ongoing effort, as it takes time to see results.
Forms of Organic Advertising:
- Search engine optimization (SEO)
- Social media organic marketing
- Lead magnets
- Email marketing
- Live events and webinars
- Podcasts
- Digital PR
- Content partnerships
- Affiliate marketing
When to Use Organic and Paid Advertising?
Reaching an audience and building a strong brand doesn’t have to be mutually exclusive – they can both be achieved through utilizing the power of both organic and paid advertising. Striking a balance between the two is often the best route, providing optimal reach with long-term sustainability benefits.
Successful planning recognizes the importance of leveraging both approaches to increase reach, generate leads and drive conversions.
