Weighing the options between paid vs social media? We’ll save you some legwork: you’re probably going to want to do a bit of both. Paid and organic social are different beasts best harnessed for different goals. But for a holistic approach that balances awareness with conversion, it pays to know the pros and cons of each. If you’re new to paid social, 2021 is an interesting time to get started. Confinement during the pandemic had people using social media more all over the world, greatly increasing the number of people advertisers could reach. And while ad spending initially slowed at the beginning of 2020, it has rebounded to new heights in 2021 — this despite Apple’s famous iOS 14.5 update, which resulted in substantial targeting limitations for Facebook and Instagram users on iOS devices. On the other hand, algorithm updates have made organic social media highly competitive. And many business owners are finding that spending at least a portion of their social media budget on advertising is no longer optional. So where does that leave your brand’s social media marketing strategy? Well, it depends on your overarching goals. Read on to learn more