Marketing & Strategy
April 10, 2025
Digital Marketing 101
Everything You Need to Know About Digital Advertising for Your Business – Building a Winning Strategy with Google Ads, Social Ads & Organic Posts
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Everything You Need to Know About Digital Advertising for Your Business – Building a Winning Strategy with Google Ads, Social Ads & Organic Posts
“Should I focus on posting content organically? Do I need to pay for ads? What’s the difference between social media advertising and Google Ads?”
Sound familiar? Well, consider this your social media posting and advertising crash-course! This guide will break down the basics, so you can confidently navigate the digital landscape.
We’ll cover the differences between organic social media, paid social media ads, and Google Ads, help you understand key social media metrics, and introduce the best platforms for businesses to post on.
In 2025, having an active social media presence is essential for most businesses. Even if organic social media doesn’t directly lead to sales, customers expect to see brands online before making purchasing decisions. In fact…
76% of consumers say they look at a brand’s social media presence before buying from them (Source: Sprout Social)
Here’s the scoop on social media posting and social media ads, and why both are needed for a robust strategy for your business.
Organic social media refers to the content you post on your business’s social media pages without paying for additional reach. This includes photos, videos, updates, and customer interactions. The goal of organic posts is to build brand awareness, engage with your audience, offer expertise or insights, and foster a community – not drive immediate sales.
The key benefits of organic posts include:
- Building brand awareness
- Engaging with your audience
- Establishing credibility and trust
- Encouraging word-of-mouth marketing
However, organic posts rely on the platform’s algorithm to reach people, meaning only a small percentage of your followers may see them unless they actively engage with your content – which brings us to boosting posts…
“Boosting” posts means allocating a small budget to expand your post’s reach beyond your existing followers by targeting specific demographics, locations, and interests. It’s a cost-effective way to increase your visibility and engagement without running a full-fledged ad campaign – even a small budget means more people see your content and interact with your brand.
While organic social media content helps to build credibility and community for your business, paid advertising allows you to cut through the noise and reach potential customers who might not follow you (yet!).
Unlike organic posts, which rely on algorithmic visibility, paid ads guarantee exposure to a specified audience based on interests, behaviours, and demographics. Running paid advertisements on social media platforms like Facebook & Instagram or LinkedIn means your ads are shown in users’ feeds, Stories, Reels, and even in Messenger or Marketplace depending how they’re setup.
With social media ads, businesses can:
- Target specific demographics (age, location, interests, behaviour)
- Run different types of ads (image ads, video ads, carousel ads, etc.)
- Optimise campaigns for objectives like website visits, lead generation, or conversions
Basically, paid social media ads are an effective way to reach new customers and get in front of audiences beyond your organic followers. Combining both organic posts and paid ads creates a well-rounded approach that strengthens brand awareness and drives conversions.
Still not quite talking your lingo? Let’s break it down even further:
Is social media starting to make sense? Great! Let’s jump into Google Ads…
While social media ads target users based on their interests and behaviours, Google Ads operate on intent, meaning they target users who are searching for a product or service.
When you Google something, you’ll spot paid ads at the top and bottom of the search results, labelled “Sponsored” or “Ad”. Google Ads is a pay-per-click (PPC)advertising platform where businesses can bid to appear at the top of Google search results.
Google Ads also extend beyond search results. They appear across the Google Display Network, which includes millions of websites, blogs, and mobile apps, as well as on YouTube and Gmail. Display ads are more visual and are designed to increase brand awareness by reaching potential customers as they browse online.
Another key aspect of Google Ads is retargeting (or remarketing), which allows businesses to show ads to users who have previously visited their website. This is a powerful way to re-engage potential customers and encourage them to take action, such as completing a purchase or signing up for a service.
Overall, Google Ads are highly effective for capturing high-intent users – people who are actively looking for solutions – making them an essential tool for lead generation and direct sales.
Well, both Google Ads and social media ads play crucial roles in digital marketing, but Google Ads really excel at capturing people actively looking for a solution. By combining both, businesses can reach customers at different stages of their buying journey.
So, you’ve started posting on social media, but how do you tell what’s working...
When looking at social media analytics, you’ll come across various metrics that can help you dive into what’s working and what’s not. Here’s a few key terms and what they mean:
- Reach: The total number of unique users who saw your content.
- Impressions: The number of times your content was displayed (one user may see the same post multiple times, increasing impressions but not reach).
- Engagement: The total number of interactions (likes, comments, shares, clicks) on a post.
- Click-Through Rate (CTR): The percentage of people who clicked on a link after seeing your post or ad.
Each social media platform serves a different purpose. Here’s a quick guide to help you choose where to focus your efforts:
Facebook: Community building, brand awareness, and advertising
- Ideal for businesses of all sizes, especially those targeting local audiences.
- Great for sharing a mix of text, images, videos, and event promotions.
Instagram: Visual storytelling and brand aesthetics
- Ideal for e-commerce or retail businesses, and anyone with strong visual aspects to their work.
- Strong engagement through Reels, Stories, and carousel posts.
LinkedIn: B2B marketing and professional networking
- Ideal for service-based businesses, consultants, and corporate brands.
- Great for sharing industry insights, company updates, and thought leadership.
YouTube: Long-form video content and educational material
- Ideal for businesses that can create tutorial videos, product reviews, or behind-the-scenes content.
- The second-largest search engine after Google, making it great for SEO!
TikTok: Short-form, personable, high-engagement video content.
- Ideal for brands targeting younger audiences (Gen Z and Millennials).
- Works well for businesses that can create entertaining, viral, or trend-driven content.
Organic social media is the foundation of your brand’s digital identity, fostering credibility and community. It’s not about immediate sales but about staying visible, engaging with your audience, and reinforcing brand recognition. Paid social media ads, on the other hand, help you break through algorithm limitations and reach a wider, more targeted audience quickly. Meanwhile, Google Ads allow you to capture potential customers precisely when they’re searching for products or services, making them one of the most effective tools for lead generation and conversions.
Whether you focus on organic posting, running ads, or a mix of both, a strategic approach will always lead to better results. And remember, a successful digital marketing strategy isn’t about choosing between organic and paid – it’s about using them together.
A well-balanced approach that integrates engaging organic content with strategic paid advertising means you’re discoverable and competitive. Then, by continuously monitoring your analytics and refining your approach, you can make data-driven decisions that lead to long-term growth and success.
If you need help navigating digital marketing, we’re here to guide you through the process and create a strategy that works for your business.
Download our handy guide to understanding social media metrics, so you can make the most of every post!
