Do I need to pay for boosted posts on Facebook or Instagram Ads to be effective on social media?

Probably.

Social media marketing is an ever-changing medium that requires evolution over time. Back in the late 2000s, social media was an open playing field. Timelines were chronological, and there were no intentional limits on reach on content or posts. A brand posting its latest summer apparel collection for sale would reach nearly 100% of its audience.

However, a lot has changed since those early days, for numerous reasons. The critical thing to know as a brand today is that social media is now mostly a pay-for-play space. Organic reach hovers around 2-5%, which means that roughly only 3 out of every 100 people will see, interact, and engage with your content. This is particularly true for brands that post promotional content versus personal pages that regularly see double-digit engagement rates. This means that a broad and highly engaged audience is necessary to see consistent, positive results on social media, particularly Facebook and Instagram.

For more information on how these changes impact your brand’s potential reach, check out Hootsuite’s article on how the Facebook algorithm works.

At Blue Surge, we highly recommend combining paid and organic strategies to maximize social media’s effectiveness today.