<div class="gn-article"><div class="gn-hero gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-hero__image"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa12416f370644e0b55141_651d3d5b0b4ef509c9559c19_63ca5c80a8dd6b490cbb9a83_Event%252520Headers%252520-%252520Investing%252520in%252520organic%252520growth%252520(1)%252520(1)%252520(1)%252520(1)%252520(1).png" alt=""></div> <div class="gn-hero__head"> <span class="gn-kicker"><span class="dot"></span>Growth</span> <h1 class="gn-title">Round-up: Investing in Organic Growth - Maximising your Channels in 2023</h1> <div class="gn-meta"> <strong>The GO Network</strong> <span class="pip"></span> <span>20 January 2023</span> <span class="pip"></span> <span>9 min read</span> </div> </div> </div> <div class="gn-body"> <p class="gn-lede gn-reveal">Combine organic search being voted as the marketing channel that holds the highest ROI, according to <a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/digital-marketing-channel-highest-roi/263757/#close" target="_blank"><strong>SEJ's recent twitter poll</strong></a> with <a href="https://www.oberlo.com/blog/social-media-marketing-statistics" target="_blank"><strong>over 4.5 billion active social media users</strong></a> - a figure that continues to grow with the introduction of new platforms - and the opportunities available for marketers looking to build their brand in 2023 are clear.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">In our latest workshop, '<strong>Investing in Organic Growth – Maximising your Channels in 2023</strong>', experts <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/niallmcgarry/" target="_blank"><strong>Niall McGarry</strong></a>, Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/fabric-social/?originalSubdomain=uk" target="_blank"><strong>Fabric Social</strong></a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-hargreave-69386256/" target="_blank"><strong>Helen Hargreave</strong></a>, Head of Content at <a href="https://creativerace.co.uk/" target="_blank"><strong>CreativeRace</strong></a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nick-boyle/" target="_blank"><strong>Nick Boyle</strong></a>, SEO Director at <a href="https://theauditlab.com/" target="_blank"><strong>The Audit Lab</strong></a> shared <strong>the common misconceptions around SEO, organic social, and content marketing</strong>, how to <strong>frame these channels within a wider marketing strategy</strong>, and what in-house marketers <strong>need to consider</strong> when trying to grow their organic performance in earnest.</p> <div class="gn-stats gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">67.6<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of all clicks on SERPs go to the first five un-paid results.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">70<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of organisations increased their organic marketing budget in 2022.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">39<em>%</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of Gen Z consumers say purchasing decisions are influenced by what they see on TikTok.</span></div> <div class="gn-stat"><span class="gn-stat__num">40<em>%+</em></span><span class="gn-stat__label">of organisations still feel they're not using video to its full potential.</span></div> </div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">01</span>Why Organic Channels Matter Right Now with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/helen-hargreave-69386256/" target="_blank"><strong>Helen Hargreave</strong></a></h2> <p class="gn-reveal">With a number of statistics demonstrating the importance of investing in your organic strategy, such as a staggering <a href="https://serpwatch.io/blog/seo-statistics/" target="_blank"><strong>67.60% of all clicks</strong></a> on SERPs go to the first five un-paid results, it comes with no surprise that <a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/state-organic-marketing-2022-recap/446073/" target="_blank"><strong>70% of organisations</strong></a> stated an increase in their organic marketing budget in 2022.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Below, our experts discuss why <strong>it's critical that your business begin prioritising organic marketing activity</strong> to avoid falling behind competitors in the new year.</p> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"> <iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/791036852" scrolling="no" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="true"></iframe> </div> <figcaption>Workshop playback: Investing in Organic Growth – Maximising your Channels in 2023.</figcaption> </figure> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">02</span>8 Ways to Boost your Organic Marketing Strategy in 2023</h2> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#1 - Begin your Organic Growth Early with New Platforms for Stronger Performance</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">The introduction of platforms like <strong>TikTok</strong> have totally transformed the social media space, with <strong>an outstanding user growth rate, a focus on video-led content and the</strong> <strong>ability to target a younger demographic</strong> – to emphasise this point, <a href="https://www.marketingcharts.com/brand-related/brand-loyalty-117438" target="_blank"><strong>39% of Gen Z consumers</strong></a> say that their purchasing decisions are influenced directly by what they see on <strong>TikTok</strong>.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"<strong>Organic growth is most available at the start of such platforms</strong>, however the opportunity for growth on <strong>TikTok</strong> is still there, <strong>if you know how to operate on the platform</strong>. You can't have the same content that goes out on <strong>Twitter</strong> and <strong>Facebook</strong> for example on <strong>TikTok</strong> as well, because that's not going to resonate with the same audience. This does create a scenario where you need to create more video-led content."<cite>Niall McGarry · Founder &amp; CEO, Fabric Social</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Niall</strong> also highlights the advantages of using <strong>TikTok</strong> to <strong>reposition your brand against a general audience viewpoint (as seen in the likes of <a href="https://www.wired.co.uk/article/tiktok-customer-service" target="_blank">Ryanair</a>)</strong>, or once you believe your legacy brand has become tired.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#2 - It's Time to Get Smart about Video Content for Organic Growth</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">With <a href="https://www.wpbeginner.com/research/marketing-statistics-trends-and-facts-updated/" target="_blank"><strong>over 80% of marketers</strong></a> stating that video content has helped <strong>increase traffic, generate leads and boost sales</strong>, it comes with no surprise that investment in video-led content for both B2B and B2C companies has become a rising priority in the new year.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">However, a recent <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1281713/top-video-marketing-challenges-us/" target="_blank"><strong>study conducted by Statista</strong></a> found that <strong>over 40% of organisations</strong> still feel they're not using video to its full potential, stating a lack of in-house skills and budget as their biggest barrier.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Yet <strong>Niall</strong> argues that in today's age of smartphones, "<strong>video content is not at the same price as it once was</strong>." He adds, editing tools within video content focused apps such as <strong>TikTok</strong> have improved massively. "So, if you're producing native content for <strong>TikTok</strong>, its best to edit within the app<strong>, where you can add specific features</strong> <strong>such as captions and music to actively encourage organic reach</strong>. Therefore, the challenges around video can be nailed through cost effectiveness – <strong>you can now shoot content an awful lot cheaper than before</strong>, we're moving into lower production standards that still reflect your brand and nail your objectives, which means <strong>quicker turnaround and shorter content.</strong>"</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#3 - Evaluate Organic Content the Right Way - What Was it Trying to Achieve?</h3> <aside class="gn-quote gn-reveal"><q>Assess the quality of your existing content based on the purpose it was produced for - 'don't judge a goalkeeper on how many goals they score.'</q><cite>Nick Boyle · SEO Director, The Audit Lab</cite></aside> <p class="gn-reveal">It's fine to push content out about your brand so that you're not a faceless organisation, <strong>but in hindsight this should be created in a way that grows your brand</strong>, for example businesses tend to publish blogs as they've been told it can help with SEO, but ultimately, we need to figure out <strong>what was its purpose in the first place?</strong> So, when evaluating an existing organic strategy, the first place to start is Google search console to see what keywords you're appearing for <strong>to gain an indication of your current visibility and relevancy</strong> before looking at the vanity metrics such as Google ranking.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#4 - Find your Audience First - and Speak Their Language with your Content</h3> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"There are lots of different considerations that you need to make. Firstly, <strong>recognise what type of audience you're going after</strong>, creating content targeting a B2C client will be completely different to what you'll produce for a smaller B2B client. Then you need to consider intent – <strong>this can be achieved by conducting keyword research to help understand your audience intent and create your content around that</strong> or make your existing assets work a lot harder."<cite>Helen Hargreave · Head of Content, CreativeRace</cite></blockquote> <p class="gn-reveal">She also adds considering what kind of content is being served in search engines to get a better understanding of what your audience is engaging with:</p> <ul class="gn-reveal"> <li><strong>Are there more images?</strong></li> <li><strong>Is it more video-led content?</strong></li> <li><strong>Is it more of an in-depth guide?</strong></li> </ul> <figure class="gn-fig gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-fig__media"><img src="https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/687a235da6861294eec73166/68fa12416f370644e0b55111_63ca66c672cb3d5fe4a61d3b_Webinar%2520-%2520Quotes%2520(2).png" alt="Nick Boyle on Assessing your Existing Organic Content"></div> <figcaption>Nick Boyle on assessing your existing organic content.</figcaption> </figure> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#5 - Map your Content to your Customer Journey</h3> <p class="gn-reveal">A recent <a href="https://www.hubspot.com/state-of-marketing" target="_blank"><strong>survey conducted by HubSpot</strong></a> found that <strong>60% of marketers</strong> measure the success of their content marketing strategy through sales, with <strong>web traffic taking second spot</strong>.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"<strong>A successful content strategy is being able to map that content alongside a conversion funnel</strong>. By firstly identifying the head terms that you want to rank for, at a product level, this may be 'kitchen knives.' Then you want a product page to rank for those head terms, that get the volume with the intent to purchase. Further down, you can create a content strategy that's a little bit more informational <strong>to target those keyword terms that may not carry a huge amount a volume but are still relevant to your audience</strong>. Once this is established you can start to think about more top of the funnel step around how we can develop brand."<cite>Helen Hargreave · Head of Content, CreativeRace</cite></blockquote> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#6 - Brand Reputation vs. Reach - Finding the Balance on Social Media</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><strong>Niall</strong> says "On <strong>TikTok</strong> and other channels followers don't necessarily equate to views - you can grow followers, but not necessarily reach those people organically." He emphasises that <strong>any objectives with your organic content on social media platforms should still support the development of your brand</strong>.</p> <p class="gn-reveal">"Every brand has a brand platform that they stick to religiously, and going against this for the sake of buffoonery or aiming to go viral on a new platform may <strong>discombobulate</strong> their brand voice that they've built over years. So, before utilising video-led platforms such as <strong>YouTube Shorts</strong> or <strong>TikTok</strong>, you must <strong>establish a</strong> <strong>very clear tone of voice that reflects your brand and the demographic you aim to target</strong>. <strong>Gen Z audiences on TikTok want to know who you are</strong>, and are good at sniffing out if a brand doesn't know how to operate in the platform."</p> <p class="gn-reveal">Therefore, the goal on such social media channels should be <strong>balancing that reputation, engagement, and the right audience</strong>.</p> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#7 - Be Wary of 'Quick-Wins'</h3> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"<strong>Not getting swept into vanity rankings</strong>. Your SEO strategies must be commercially focused, unless the goal is for vanity purposes, but otherwise you want to get a good idea of <strong>what a keyword could produce for you, looking at your conversion rate, the potential traffic behind a keyword</strong> and potential click through rates from search console."<cite>Nick Boyle · SEO Director, The Audit Lab</cite></blockquote> <h3 class="gn-reveal">#8 - Don't Put All your Eggs in One Basket with your KPIs</h3> <p class="gn-reveal"><a href="https://www.hubspot.com/marketing-statistics" target="_blank"><strong>Over 50% of marketers</strong></a> say keyword rankings and organic traffic are the top ways they measure the success of their SEO strategies, with the click-through rate for long-tail keyword searches about <a href="https://www.smartinsights.com/search-engine-optimisation-seo/seo-analytics/comparison-of-google-clickthrough-rates-by-position/" target="_blank"><strong>3-5% higher than generic keywords</strong></a>.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Not to get hell bent on one specific keyword you want to rank for but to think about the broader category. <strong>When you're looking at the success of a campaign and particular product, consider how you move the needle for that category to improve its visibility</strong>. This may be the use of informational blogs, onsite recommendations, or any kind of particular digital PR campaign that's promoting that angle, all of those feeds into one particular category, <strong>which makes it easier to see success off those individual KPIs and attribute an ROI to that as well.</strong>"<cite>Helen Hargreave · Head of Content, CreativeRace</cite></blockquote> <div class="gn-divider gn-reveal" aria-hidden="true"></div> <h2 class="gn-reveal"><span class="num">03</span>Maintaining a Sustainable Strategy for Organic Growth – Specialist Support</h2> <p class="gn-reveal">Although 'organic' content is often perceived as work that should be kept in-house, specialised marketing agencies can help businesses with their social media and SEO strategies in several ways. Whether it's <strong>support in developing a comprehensive content strategy, providing key data and insights to demonstrate the commercial value of organic activity, or simply optimizing content for search engine rankings</strong>, there are <a href="/our-services" target="_blank"><strong>plenty of options for dedicated external support</strong></a>.</p> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"One big thing to consider is resource commitment - <strong>can you honestly commit enough resource to your Organic growth?</strong> With agency support or specialist support, you've got people literally on tap to write content, who are experienced on aspects such as E-A-T and YMYL. In a nutshell <strong>specialist support is expertise</strong> - you wouldn't try and fix your boiler yourself; you'll get a plumber to do it."<cite>Nick Boyle · SEO Director, The Audit Lab</cite></blockquote> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Agencies exist for a reason, it's to bring that third party expertise, I think probably a good analogy to use is that <strong>if you have an in-house team, you may need 10% of another 10 people to make your team complete and holistic</strong>. That's what agencies offer brilliantly in this space - <strong>you can get access to experts in motion graphics, TikTok, copywriting, tone of voice or video production etcetera</strong>. That's where the agency solution really complements the in-house team." He adds, "our job as an agency who is representing a brand is to understand their tone and most importantly understand the audience that that brand is going after. Something that an external partner brings in spades is <strong>really understanding what people actually think of your brand</strong>."<cite>Niall McGarry · Founder &amp; CEO, Fabric Social</cite></blockquote> <blockquote class="gn-blockquote gn-reveal">"Having that strategic insight is the nature of agencies - we work across several industries, and we have the resource to tap into areas that need supporting. It's about working both ways with in-house teams in terms of filling a gap wherever needs be. It's important to have that buy in, and work collaboratively with companies to get to where you need to be."<cite>Helen Hargreave · Head of Content, CreativeRace</cite></blockquote> <aside class="gn-callout gn-reveal"> <div class="gn-callout__label">What this means for you</div> <h4>8 ways to boost your organic marketing strategy in 2023</h4> <ul> <li><strong>Begin early on new platforms.</strong> Organic growth is most available at the start of such platforms, however the opportunity for growth on TikTok is still there, if you know how to operate on the platform.</li> <li><strong>Get smart about video content.</strong> You can now shoot content an awful lot cheaper than before, moving into lower production standards that still reflect your brand and nail your objectives.</li> <li><strong>Evaluate content the right way.</strong> Assess the quality of your existing content based on the purpose it was produced for.</li> <li><strong>Find your audience first.</strong> Recognise what type of audience you're going after, and conduct keyword research to help understand your audience intent.</li> <li><strong>Map content to your customer journey.</strong> A successful content strategy is being able to map that content alongside a conversion funnel.</li> <li><strong>Balance brand reputation vs. reach.</strong> Any objectives with your organic content on social media platforms should still support the development of your brand.</li> <li><strong>Be wary of quick-wins.</strong> Your SEO strategies must be commercially focused.</li> <li><strong>Don't put all your eggs in one basket with KPIs.</strong> Consider how you move the needle for that category to improve its visibility.</li> </ul> </aside> </div></div> <aside class="gn-related gn-reveal" data-auto="related-reading"> <div class="gn-related__label">Related reading</div> <ul class="gn-related__list"> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/investing-in-organic-maximising-your-channels-in-2023" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Investing in Organic - Maximising your Channels in 2023</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">With 48% of marketers crediting organic for most leads, this panel tackles SEO, social, and content misconceptions, plus frameworks to build</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/investing-in-organic-growth-maximising-your-channels-in-2023" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Investing in Organic Growth - Maximising your Channels in 2023</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">48% of marketers say organic drives most leads. Catch expert guidance on fixing common SEO, social, and content misconceptions to grow your </span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/round-up-organic-social-2023-trends-and-opportunities-for-your-growth-strategy" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Round-up: Organic Social 2023 - Trends and Opportunities for your Growth Strategy</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Agency experts break down platform shifts, video best practices, and audience behaviour changes to sharpen your organic social growth strate</span> </a> </li> <li class="gn-related__item"> <a href="/articles/round-up-organic-marketing-getting-the-best-out-of-your-channel-strategy" class="gn-related__link"> <span class="gn-related__category">Expression</span> <span class="gn-related__title">Round-up: Organic Marketing – Getting the Best out of your Channel Strategy</span> <span class="gn-related__excerpt">Expert advice on SEO, organic social, and content marketing: discover how to frame each channel, overcome common pitfalls, and build a retur</span> </a> </li> </ul> </aside>