17 Jan Organic Marketing, why should you care?

Organic marketing often gets a bad rap. It doesn’t produce the immediate results of a paid ad campaign, or perhaps the predictability of a funnel. Organic marketing seems to be too slow, according to most paid ads experts. But for people in the know, organic marketing is king.

The term is intuitive; the definition of organic marketing refers to the act of getting your customers to come to you naturally over time, rather than ‘artificially’ via paid links or boosted posts. It includes any direct, instinctive, and, with the exception of paid marketing tools. Paid tools, such as artificial paid link-ads, are considered inorganic marketing. If you’ve been putting your blood, sweat, and tears into revising and reinventing your user interface, maintaining Twitter and Facebook accounts, building your email lists, and improving your SEO, you’re doing it already. Now, let’s take a closer look at why it’s effective, and how you can do it better.

While organic marketing refers to tools and approaches that do not rely on paid marketing strategies, let’s be clear-no time investment is free. That said, ground-up marketing works because it’s work. There’s no substitute for careful attention to your website’s content and careful curation of your business’s social media presence. Paid ads can be an effective tool within a high-budget marketing strategy, but if the consumer arrives at your website and doesn’t find what they’re looking for, how is that investment working for you? It’s not. If a sponsored tweet draws them in but a discrepancy in expectation chases them away, what’s the benefit there? It’s absent. Organic marketing is a long process, but ultimately it will yield more authentic customer engagement and more accurate SEO.

So, as you read on, take a look at which approaches are the most natural matches for your marketing ethos and digital presence goals.

Ongoing “Business-As-Usual” Actions:

1. Reread and reconsider descriptions and blurbs sprinkled throughout your website. Check for accuracy and update and out-of-date information.
2. Evaluate the usefulness and pertinence of pages to which you’ve hyperlinked. Make sure the links are in working order.
3. Craft or improve your email marketing strategy. Consider implementing Calls to Action that engage your readership in immediate ways. This works whether you’re selling a product, hosting an event, or delivering new content for your subscribers to enjoy. Set time aside to regularly draft emails-consider making a goal to write a set number of email drafts per week.
4. Find and follow complementary businesses on social media. Develop social media relationships with businesses in your area through direct communication. You can also like and share their posts or tweets.

“Heavy Lifting” Actions:

1. Be aware of trends, and use them effectively. Familiarize yourself with the purpose of social media tools and consider how their impact can further your reach.
2. Complete social media profiles in full. DeMers points out that profiles present the opportunity to share a great deal of information about your company-take full advantage.
3. Make sure your business appears in free online directories.
4. Consider finding and joining Twitter chats that pertain to your field as a way to expand your network, gain visibility, and demonstrate your expertise.

Organic marketing is not a quick fix, but it goes the distance in helping you establish, maintain, and grow your brand. Don’t rely solely on paid marketing strategies; formulate an action plan and get growing!