“People make a distinction between copywriting and content writing. Content writing is more about education and entertainment, but copywriting is about selling. Really, copywriting is about building relationships from that first flirt across the bar when you’re googling a vague topic and you find a site that you love. And the copy is engaging and they educate you and help with a problem. And then, that trust builds. Copywriting is really the art of building relationships with customers.”
— Kate Toon, SEO Content Expert

Marketers spend countless hours planning, creating, and designing content, but when it comes to promotion, many fall short. According to HubSpot, 82% of marketers actively use content marketing. Yet, only 31% of B2B marketers in 2021 said their efforts were extremely or very successful—promotion plays a huge role in this gap.

Successfully blending organic tactics with paid ads is crucial. Here’s how to strike the right balance and maximize your content promotion efforts.

Getting Organic: How-To Tips

To effectively promote content organically, marketers must tap into their audience insights. Assuming you’ve researched buyer personas and pain points, here’s how to leverage that data:

1. Build Influencers: If your business is established, you likely already have potential influencers among your audience. Use tools like BuzzSumo or Followerwonk to find users who align with your brand and ask them to share valuable content. While some companies pay influencers, other incentives like free trials or exclusive access can work just as well. Influencer marketing yields an average return of $5.78 for every $1 spent.
2. Invest in Your Blog: Your blog is one of your strongest organic channels. Publishing consistent, high-quality content helps improve visibility on Google. Use SEO tools and templates to craft posts that rank well and engage with readers—especially influencers—in the comments.
3. Leverage PR Connections: Coordinate your PR and content strategies to expand your reach. Use Followerwonk to find relevant journalists, develop strong pitches, and consistently follow up. Guest blogging is another excellent tactic for backlinks and visibility.
4. Choose the Right Social Platforms: Avoid spreading yourself too thin. Focus on platforms that best fit your audience. Experimenting with newer, visual-heavy platforms like TikTok, Pinterest, and Instagram can significantly boost organic visibility. For example, WordStream gained thousands of views from a single infographic pinned over 1000 times on Pinterest. Instagram influencer engagement rates also outperform Facebook and X, making it a valuable platform for B2C brands.

These organic tactics should remain part of your long-term strategy—even when you introduce paid ads. Paid content can enhance performance, but it rarely saves a poor-performing post. Use both channels in tandem for optimal results.

Combining Paid and Organic Tactics

Once your organic tactics are yielding results, support them with targeted paid campaigns. A hybrid strategy ensures you reach a broader, more engaged audience. Content that performs well organically is more likely to succeed when promoted through paid channels.

Organic vs. Paid

Many marketers begin with organic promotion, but over time realize it has limits. On platforms like Facebook, organic reach is significantly reduced unless you pay. With users spending over 90 minutes daily on social platforms, your brand needs more than organic efforts to stand out.

Combining paid and organic methods helps you reach larger and more targeted audiences while building trust and engagement.

Paid Social Media Tactics

To boost reach and engagement, consider these paid options:

• Facebook: Use Promoted Posts to expand organic reach or Facebook Ads Manager for highly targeted campaigns.
• Promoted Tweets: X allows cost-effective targeting based on demographics and interests with adjustable budgets and performance tracking.
• Instagram and Snapchat: These visual-first platforms are ideal for B2C marketing. Use Instagram Ads and Snapchat Ads to reach young, engaged audiences.

Selecting the right platform for your brand will determine your paid campaign’s success.

Athlete’s Foot: TikTok Advertising Success Story

TikTok offers powerful brand exposure when campaigns are tailored well. Athletic shoe brand Athlete’s Foot collaborated with influencer Sarah Magusara for a creative TikTok series. The campaign challenged viewers to “race” Sarah across their For You page, revealing more about the ASICS Gel-Kayano 28s along the way.

With 8.5 million impressions and a 5% engagement rate, the “Katch the Kayanos” campaign highlighted the impact of interactive, story-driven paid content on emerging platforms.

Content Syndication: Still Kickin’

Content syndication extends your reach by publishing your content on third-party websites. This boosts visibility and SEO through backlinks. Choose syndication platforms that align with your audience research. Syndication costs vary widely, but affordable options exist for small to mid-sized businesses.

Race Towards Retargeting (Remarketing)

Retargeting (or remarketing) serves ads to users who’ve previously visited your website. This is done through cookies and third-party ad networks like Google Display or AdBrite. Retargeting keeps your brand top-of-mind by showing relevant ads across multiple sites.

According to Larry Kim, retargeting on the Google Display Network allows you to reach 84% of previous visitors up to 18 days each month, across 5–10 different sites—making it a strong brand-building tool.

Conclusion

Many companies believe creating great content is enough to draw attention—but in reality, noise and competition make that unlikely. To stand out, you need a strategic blend of organic and paid promotion.

By building relationships with influencers, choosing the right platforms, using data-driven ad targeting, and staying visible through retargeting and syndication, your content will not only reach more people—it will resonate and convert.