In the ever-evolving world of social media marketing, paid and organic strategies often operate in isolation. But is that separation holding us back? The key to paid social success could be hiding in plain sight – within your organic social content.
Bridging the Gap Between Organic and Paid
Too often, paid and organic teams work in silos: content creators focus on storytelling and community engagement, while paid strategists are locked into numbers, CPMs, and ROAS. The truth is, these two worlds should be collaborating closely. When they do, magic happens.
Meta’s recent data shows 50% of auction success now depends on the creative. No matter how much budget or targeting you apply, your creative is what will ultimately cut through the noise and drive action.
Ad Fatigue is Real
We’re all bombarded with ads. A perfunctory Pinterest scroll can deliver everything from kitchen renovations to Domino’s pizza. This saturation has led to ad fatigue: 91% of consumers say they’re seeing too many ads on social, and many platforms report diminishing engagement as a result.
So how do we adapt? By taking a cue from organic.
Creative: The Heart of Performance
The old approach—polished, high-budget, traditional creative—no longer guarantees results. Instead, we need to lean into content that feels real, native, and engaging. Think less “TV ad repurposed for Instagram” and more “TikTok filmed on an iPhone.”
Why? Because organic social gives you a risk-free testing ground. Publish content, track performance, and once a piece hits your engagement benchmarks, promote it. You’ve already de-risked it by proving it works.
Case Study: The Restaurant Relaunch
When we helped relaunch a Birmingham restaurant, we initially used traditional ads: slick video, bold messaging. But as we layered in organic content—real videos from opening night, staff behind the scenes—we saw better results.
Watch times increased by 150%, and CPMs dropped by 39%. That’s not just more reach. That’s smarter spend.
TikTok Got It Right: Make Content, Not Ads
TikTok’s motto “Make TikToks, not ads” speaks volumes. People don’t want to feel sold to—they want content that entertains, educates, or inspires. Ads that blend in while standing out will always perform better.
That doesn’t mean ditching strategy. You still need:
- Vertical 9:16 formats (which see 34% lower CPAs),
- Sound and pace tailored to the platform, and
- Safe zones to avoid UI overlaps that obscure your message.
And don’t settle for one format. A mix of vertical video, static images, carousels, and even GIFs gives algorithms more to work with and reduces CPAs by around 7%.
Creators Are Your Secret Weapon
Creators can be a goldmine for content—and results. They offer authenticity and social proof that traditional brand content can’t. Plus, micro and nano influencers often outperform macro ones in engagement.
If you plan ahead, you can get usage rights for ad placements at little to no extra cost—just negotiate this upfront. Don’t wait until the post goes viral to ask. Trust me, it’ll cost more.
We tested this with a kitchenware client. Their PR team wanted influencers. The paid team needed better ROAS. We combined forces, gifted products to dozens of creators, and got back a library of authentic, engaging videos. We repurposed that content in ads and saw:
- 28% increase in ROAS
- 46% drop in CPC
Meta Backs It Up
Meta’s own data shows that creator content in paid ads can deliver 185% lower CPCs and 20% higher click-through rates. That’s huge.
The Takeaways
Let’s break it down into actionable steps:
- Creative is everything: 50% of auction success is creative. Treat it like a core performance lever.
- Test with organic: If content performs well natively, elevate it into your top-performing paid ad sets.
- Design smart from the start: Prioritise vertical 9:16 formats, use audio wisely, and respect safe zones.
- Diversify: Don’t rely on one asset. Use multiple formats and aim for at least 4–8 creatives per ad set.
- Smart Inspo: Use platforms like TikTok Creative Center or Meta Ads Library to spot trends across industries.
- Leverage creators: Use influencer content in both organic and paid, but lock in usage rights during contracting.
Paid and organic don’t need to be rivals—they can be allies. By testing through organic, refining through data, and scaling through paid, you can unlock a more efficient, effective, and engaging social strategy
The future of performance marketing is not more spend—it’s better synergy. And the secret to that synergy? It’s probably already in your feed.
Sally Hawkesford is the founder and CEO of SHC Digital, a brand performance agency based in Birmingham, UK. This article is based on her talk given at Hero Conf UK in Brighton in April 2025.
