In today’s digital world, organic social media marketing is an essential strategy for businesses looking to build a lasting online presence. But how can you effectively leverage social media to market your business without spending money on ads? In this article, we’ll explore how organic marketing works and how you can make it work for you.
The Two Ways to Do Social Media Marketing
When it comes to social media marketing, there are two main paths: going viral or appearing in search results. While it’s almost impossible to control what goes viral, you do have more control over how your content shows up in search. If you’re a business with valuable expertise and a wealth of helpful content, search-based marketing is the way to go.
People are constantly searching for solutions to their problems, and if you create content that answers their questions, you can attract organic traffic. The best part? Once your content is discovered through search, it continues to work for you, bringing in potential clients on autopilot.
What Is Considered Marketing?
You might be wondering: is posting on Instagram or LinkedIn really marketing? The answer lies in who sees your content. If you’re sharing posts with people who already know you, like friends or email subscribers, you’re nurturing relationships. But if new people discover your content, engage with it, and find value, that’s true marketing.
So, in a nutshell, your content either needs to go viral or show up in search results for it to be considered marketing. Going viral happens when your content is shared beyond your immediate circle, reaching people who have never heard of you before. Alternatively, content that appears in search results can directly help people find you.
The Power of Search-Based Marketing
Search-based marketing is incredibly effective because it targets people actively seeking the solutions you offer. For instance, if you’re an expert in real estate investment, posting content about vision boards won’t help attract your target audience. Similarly, if you’re a tax advisor, creating content on real estate investment won’t serve your ideal clients. Instead, focus on what your audience is searching for.
Where you post your content matters too. While Facebook and LinkedIn have search engines, they aren’t ideal for finding content. The top platforms for content discovery are Google and YouTube. In fact, Google now owns YouTube, making it easier for your content to appear in both search engines with the right approach.
Google and YouTube: The Best Platforms for Organic Marketing
Google’s evolution into a content search engine means that you can create one piece of content and have it appear at the top of both Google and YouTube results. But what makes content “good”? It’s not just about creating something informative—it’s about following a proven formula to ensure your content is optimised for search engines.
By focusing on creating quality content that aligns with your audience’s needs, you can improve your visibility on both platforms. But remember, nurturing and marketing are two distinct functions. While platforms like YouTube, Facebook, and email can nurture your audience, they can also serve as great marketing tools if used strategically.
Choosing the Right Platforms
It’s important to decide whether you want to use a platform for nurturing or marketing. For example, YouTube can be both a nurturing and marketing platform, but mixing these two purposes can sometimes cause issues. You might want to separate your content into different channels based on your objectives. Additionally, if you plan to run paid ads on YouTube, consider creating a separate channel dedicated solely to your ads.
The Power of YouTube for Organic Marketing
Let’s look at a real example. I recently checked the analytics of Chad Littlefield’s YouTube channel. His number one traffic source was “external,” with Google search accounting for 58% of views. This means that a significant portion of his traffic comes from organic search, proving the effectiveness of YouTube SEO.
In the past 28 days alone, Chad’s channel received 18,000 views from search, and 13,000 views from Google search. By combining these two traffic sources, Chad’s content is consistently reaching new audiences without any paid advertising. This is the power of organic marketing when done right.
Implementing the LEAF Strategy for YouTube SEO
One of the most effective ways to optimise your content for search engines is by using the LEAF Strategy, a YouTube SEO method designed to help you rank at the top of search results. By following a proven formula, you can create content that attracts your target audience, generates leads, and boosts your organic reach.
I’ve created a separate episode where I dive deeper into the LEAF Strategy and show you how to implement it for your own YouTube channel. By mastering YouTube SEO, you can leverage the platform to build a steady stream of organic traffic, growing your business without the need for paid ads.
Conclusion
Organic social media marketing is an incredibly powerful tool for businesses that are looking to connect with new audiences and build lasting relationships. By focusing on search-based strategies, creating valuable content, and optimising for platforms like Google and YouTube, you can make your content work harder for you, attracting leads and customers on autopilot.
Remember, the key is consistency. Keep creating helpful, relevant content that addresses your audience’s pain points, and over time, you’ll start to see the results of your organic marketing efforts.
For a deeper dive into YouTube SEO and how to implement the LEAF Strategy, make sure to check out the dedicated video on my channel. It’s time to get your content seen by the right people and dominate the organic search game.
