A Blended Strategy to Building Brand Trust and Reputation

Organic marketing or paid advertising. What is the difference between the two approaches, and do you need both or just one? Paid advertising has been around forever in the modern marketing era. Back in the day, paid ads were most commonly known as ads that ran on television, radio, and in newspapers. Before the internet and social media, direct mail was the dominant method to connect one on one with potential customers and form a more personal connection. Each publication or broadcast media bases the cost of an advertisement on the size of the physical ad, the number of ads placed in a series, the number of listeners or viewers, the number of a publication’s subscribers, or a combination of all of the above. Though non-internet advertising media has shrunk dramatically in popularity since the arrival and dominance of digital communication technology, traditional printed and broadcast advertising remains a minor part of most businesses’ marketing strategies.

With the growth of the internet and social media channels, digital advertising has become the dominant form of generating attention from potential customers. In the digital world, paid advertising is considered any media space purchased for the purpose of advertising a brand’s products or services. Paid ad platforms often use a bidding methodology to determine the price of a placement. The platform’s algorithm works to place the ads in available slots which will use the amount of the bid and the quality of the effort to determine the costs. The success of digital advertising is usually determined by the number of clicks an effort receives from users. The goal of each digital effort is getting the most clicks for cost (CPC). Digital advertising spend is estimated to exceed $88 billion this year as marketers realize that brand awareness is increased by 80 percent utilizing the digital approach. Studies also reveal that 50 percent of all visitors to a brand’s website are more likely to make a purchase.

Paid digital advertising is relatively inexpensive, if performed properly, and produces easily measured results accurately and quickly. Data analysis can produce significant and very important information about the users which can be used to adjust market segmentation and targeting. The goal of paid ads includes advancing brand awareness, increasing website traffic, improving social engagement, lead and sales generation, and gaining a better understanding of a targeted audience’s buying habits.

But there is another approach to advertising that is becoming increasingly popular and impactful for brands looking to build consumer trust and loyalty. According to a Search Engine Journal survey, 90 percent of companies with a robust and effective organic marketing strategy saw at least a 5 percent increase in website performance. Organic marketing’s goals are to share a brand’s core values, build conversations with like-minded people, and develop an emotional connection with a targeted audience. Blog posts, case studies, social media messaging, YouTube videos and other brand-generated content marketing can build a brand’s reputation and differentiate it as an expert in its field. According to Linkedin, 95% of B2B decision-makers state that before contacting a supplier, feeling a sense of connection to the supplier’s brand is just as important as feeling confident about what they do.

A more subtle approach, organic marketing is an act of playing the long game. Results are expected to be longer in term as the effort plays out over social media platforms with personal and authentic content directed at known followers. Organic marketing may not be as effective as paid advertising in reaching new prospects and the approach can be highly competitive and difficult to stand out amongst more capable and creative competitors.

At Junction Creative Solutions (Junction), we know that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all marketing strategy. Our strategy experts will assist with your most critical business challenges and tailor solutions to create successful outcomes. For more on how Junction can help you build more meaningful connections with customer communities, call 678-932-0242 today.