If you've ever wondered whether you should be investing in organic social media or paid advertising—or if you’ve assumed they’re basically the same thing—you’re not alone. A lot of business owners get these two confused, and the result is often frustration when social media "isn’t working."

Let’s break down the difference, the purpose of each, and how they work together.

What is Organic Social Media?

Organic social is any content you post on your social media platforms without paying to boost it. Think:

• Reels, Stories, and Grid posts on Instagram

• TikToks that reach people through the For You page

• Pinterest pins that get saved or re-pinned

• Facebook posts that reach your existing followers

It’s all about visibility through relationships and reach over time—not instant results.

The Purpose of Organic Content:

• Build brand awareness and trust

• Show personality, values, and expertise

• Engage with your community and potential customers

• Educate, entertain, or inspire

Organic is how you build a brand, not just get clicks. It's slower, but it creates depth.

What is Paid Social Media?

Paid social means running ads—putting money behind content to get it in front of more people. This can look like:

• Facebook and Instagram ads with a budget and targeting

• Boosted posts

• TikTok Spark Ads

• Pinterest Promoted Pins

These are great when you want speed, traffic, and conversion.

The Purpose of Paid Content:

• Drive traffic to a landing page or website

• Promote a sale, event, or lead magnet

• Expand reach beyond your followers

• Retarget people who’ve already engaged

Paid is how you amplify your message—and ideally, it’s built on the foundation of strong organic content.

How They Work Together

Think of organic as your reputation and paid as your reach.

Organic helps you build trust and stay consistent in front of your audience. Paid helps you grow faster, expand your visibility, and drive results in real time.

Here’s an example:
You post a great carousel on Instagram with tips for choosing a website platform (organic). Then, you run a paid ad campaign promoting your free guide on web strategy (paid). The ad gets people onto your email list. Meanwhile, your organic content keeps them warm and engaged until they’re ready to book.

Together, they create a system that supports both short-term wins and long-term brand building.

The Bottom Line If you’re only doing one or the other, you’re missing out. You need both to:

• Build an audience (organic)

• Reach new people (paid)

• Stay top of mind (organic)

• Convert faster (paid)

Start where you are, and let each strategy support the other. You don’t need a massive budget to make paid ads work—but you do need solid organic content to make them worthwhile.

Not sure where to begin? That’s what Salt & Wyld is here for. Let’s build your strategy together.