Organic Social Marketing: Why Some Brands Still Make It a Priority - eMarketer
« Return to Mobile Website

Newsletters Sign-Up

Plans & Pricing

Does My Company Subscribe?

Organic Social Marketing: Why Some Brands Still Make It a Priority

eMarketer Report

By: eMarketer

Published: November 20, 2017

Jump to: Executive Summary | Table of Contents | List of Charts

Executive Summary

The debate over the value of organic social media marketing is still intense, several years after Facebook began reducing the reach of nonpaid brand posts. eMarketer asked marketers a simple question: Is organic social media marketing still relevant? The overall answer was “yes”—though with reservations.

  • Social network ad spending continues to grow at a rapid pace, but some marketers believe there should be a renewed focus on organic as a foundation for paid.
  • Marketers that are committed to funding organic approaches are moving away from branding goals and toward fostering customer relationships. Customer service and market research are two other strong components of an organic strategy.
  • When it comes to platforms for organic social, Twitter and Instagram are receiving more attention. Yes, Facebook is huge, but organic posts there have little chance of being seen unless they are turned into ads. Snapchat’s focus on paid advertising makes it a challenging place for brands with a strong organic focus.

"More than 90% of US companies with 100 or more employees will use social media marketing next year. This includes ads on social platforms as well as organic posts."

Table of Contents

The Twisted Tale of Organic Social Marketing

This content is available to eMarketer PRO customers only. Request a live demo of PRO today to see what you can gain with access.

Request a demo today

Most Marketers Use Organic Social, but the Level of Support Varies

This content is available to eMarketer PRO customers only. Request a live demo of PRO today to see what you can gain with access.

Request a demo today

Branding Objectives Are Far Less Important Now

This content is available to eMarketer PRO customers only. Request a live demo of PRO today to see what you can gain with access.

Request a demo today

How Marketers Use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat

This content is available to eMarketer PRO customers only. Request a live demo of PRO today to see what you can gain with access.

Request a demo today

17 charts are included in the full report:

Organic Social Marketing: Why Some Brands Still Make It a Priority

US Companies Using Social Media for Marketing Purposes, 2015-2019 (% of total)

Most Marketers Use Organic Social, but the Level of Support Varies

US Companies Using Social Media for Marketing Purposes, 2015-2019 (% of total)

Marketing Tactics that Marketing Leaders Worldwide Currently vs. Plan* to Use, April 2017 (% of respondents)

Branding Objectives Are Far Less Important Now

Channels Used to Initiate Engagement with Brands/Vendors According to Internet Users Worldwide*, April 2017 (% of respondents)

Interaction Rates for Facebook Profile Posts for Brands Worldwide, by Page Size and Industry, Jan 1-Jun 17, 2017 (among profiles tracked by quintly)

Customer Relationships Become More Important

Leading External Social Media Objectives According to Social Media Marketers* in North America vs. Western Europe**, Q3 2016 (% of respondents)

Leading Social Media Marketing Objectives According to US Marketers, by Level of Importance, Feb 2017 (% of respondents)

Marketing Channels Used for Retention According to US Marketers, 2016 & 2017 (% of respondents)

Social Is More Valuable than Ever for Customer Service

Actions Taken by US Internet Users if a Brand Ignores or Reacts Poorly to Their Complaint on Social Media, July 2017 (% of respondents)

Social Listening and Market Research

Data Used by In-House Marketers Worldwide to Help Meet Their Business Goals, 2015-2017 (% of respondents)

Marketing Technologies that Marketing Leaders Worldwide Currently vs. Plan* to Use, April 2017 (% of respondents)

How Marketers Use Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat

US Companies Using Social Networks for Marketing Purposes, 2015-2019 (% of total)

US Fortune 500 Companies that Have a Public-Facing Social Media Page, by Platform, 2017 (% of total)

Facebook

Average Engagement on Facebook Posts by Brands/Publishers Worldwide, by Content Type, July 2016-June 2017

Most Engaging Type of Social Media Content According to Social Media Marketers Worldwide, July 2017 (% of respondents)

Instagram

Social Engagement Share for US Brand Pages, by Platform, 2015 & 2016 (% of total)

Snapchat

Average Number of Days per Week that Brands Worldwide Post on Snapchat, by Vertical, Feb & Nov 2016