Organic Social Media Strategy

At 5 by 5 Design we believe it’s possible to change the world by posing the right questions, listening to the honest answers, and following the path that emerges from the dialogue. Today’s discussion focuses on organic social media strategy.

Lisa Skelton is a social media strategist whose consultancy, Lisa Skelton Group, specializes in organic social media strategy and management for nonprofits and small businesses. From human rights advocacy to B2B SaaS, Lisa’s data-driven approach meets audiences where they are, using clear language, impactful visuals, and active engagement to boost brand recognition and community growth. We’ve asked Lisa a series of questions about how organizations can create a sustainable and effective social media strategy. Here’s what she had to say.  

1. What is organic social media?

Organic social media refers to posting and interacting on social platforms without additional advertising dollars. When we talk about social strategy, it’s important to clarify whether it is paid, organic, or a combination of the two.

Organic social media is similar to what individuals do when posting on platforms like Instagram or TikTok, but businesses should adopt a more intentional, strategic, and consistent approach. By nature, the content shared can be more casual than what you would have on your website or printed materials, but it should still align with your brand. This is where a company can shine a spotlight on their mission and values, and regularly engage with their audience.

2. How do you determine whether to engage in organic or paid social?

The choice between organic and paid social is best approached as a complement rather than a trade-off. Just about every company should have an organic presence, with “Paid or no paid?” being the question. Paid social without organic would be like having fancy jewelry but no clothes: it skips over the fundamentals and will probably make people wary of interacting with you. For example, imagine a potential customer sees your paid ad, visits your profile to learn more about you, and notices your last post was from six months ago—it would likely raise more doubts than anything.

Now, there are exceptions to every rule, like if you have a really focused, time-sensitive objective (like an event for a specific demographic or a niche product launch). But by and large, organic is the best choice if you are only investing in one. Whether or not you utilize paid social in addition to organic depends on many factors; at the top of the list would be your company’s goals and budget.

3. How can organizations determine the best channel or channels for organic social media efforts?

The best channels are the ones your audience uses. Whether or not you know where your audience resides, a competitive analysis is a must-have when deciding on platforms. This will give you key insights on where similar companies are showing up, where they are getting the most engagement, and what types of content are getting the best results on those platforms.

This is not to say you want to do the same things, but that it will cut down significantly on your experimentation timeline. It can also help you identify what your differentiators are as a company and how to leverage them.

A side note: when we look at “competitors,” that can mean partners, industry-adjacent companies, or organizations you aspire to, not just directly competing brands. 

4. Are there any tips, techniques, or processes you’d suggest for an organization just getting started with social media?

These are my top three tips for getting started:

Start small. Trying to immediately go all-in with five-plus posts a week on four different platforms will be frustrating and probably look sloppy. Really focus on your audience, where they’re showing up, and what types of content they would find most useful or meaningful.

Be realistic. It’s great to look to big brands for inspiration, but keep in mind their profiles are likely being managed by a full team with a large budget. When you see a post that resonates with you, have a conversation with your team about how much time and effort it would take to create something similar and adjust accordingly.

Get involved. Your social media content will be more authentic when it originates from internal sources, so make sure you have key people on board. You and your staff are closest to your industry, and that expertise should be tapped regularly for insights on news, trends, and even the unique “inside jokes” your community might share.

Once you’ve gotten started, you should reevaluate annually (or biannually for large companies), re-doing the competitive analysis and channel audit. It’s important to “zoom out” and take a look at what has changed in the industry throughout the year, and that is often not feasible to do along with the regular day-to-day monitoring.

On a smaller scale, reviewing and interpreting data on a monthly basis will also impact your social strategy. The information you collect tells a story; what content is resonating with your audience, what falls flat, etc. You want to make changes to your strategy as you go and experiment with different post styles. This is the biggest argument against simply buying a social strategy package and handing it off to a junior team member; the ideal strategy is agile.

5. What are some common challenges organizations face when implementing an organic social media strategy?

One of the most common challenges is underestimating the time and effort needed for implementation. It’s an easy mistake to make when social media is something just about everyone uses. Helping team members and leadership have a clear understanding of how managing a brand’s social media differs from their personal use can create realistic expectations and establish a sustainable practice.

Skimping on strategy is another common issue. From the initial research and reporting to regular analytics review, the information gathered should inform your direction forward. While the actual sharing on social media is ultimately a more creative endeavor, the approach should always be data-backed.