New Research Shows Organic Social is a Critical Growth Driver—Here’s How to Measure and Scale It
Organic Social is More Powerful Than Ever—How Are Marketers Taking Advantage to Drive Results?
For years, organic social has been the overlooked workhorse of digital marketing—valuable, but rarely prioritized in budget allocations or strategic planning. That narrative is changing fast.
According to a new study from VaynerX and Ipsos, 79% of marketers have increased investment in organic social over the past three years, and half plan to increase spending further. But while belief in organic’s impact is growing, marketers still struggle to measure its full-funnel effectiveness—which presents an opportunity to refine measurement strategies.
Organic Social is a Full-Funnel Powerhouse
One of the study’s biggest revelations is that organic social is no longer just a brand-awareness play:
- 87% of marketers agree it supports upper-funnel objectives like discovery and brand building.
- 84% say it drives mid-funnel consideration.
- 48% see an impact even at the lower funnel (purchase/acquisition).
Yet, despite this recognition, many organizations lack a structured way to measure organic social’s influence across the customer journey. The result? Underinvestment and missed opportunities.
Marketers looking to bridge this gap should focus on developing standardized measurement frameworks that go beyond surface-level metrics like likes and shares. A deeper analysis of engagement patterns, audience retention, and conversion contributions can help highlight organic social’s real value.
Overcoming the ROI Challenge
Despite organic social’s clear value, 42% of marketers cite ROI concerns as a barrier to further investment. This skepticism often stems from two issues:
- Attribution Complexity – Organic social’s impact is often indirect, making it harder to tie directly to conversions.
- Executive Buy-In – Many leaders still perceive organic social as low-cost, low-priority, and difficult to scale.
To combat these challenges, brands need robust measurement frameworks that quantify organic’s contribution across multiple touchpoints. Focusing on metrics like cost efficiency, engagement-driven conversion trends, and audience retention can help marketers present a more compelling case for organic investment.
Why Organic Social is an Always-On Insights Engine
A major takeaway from the study is that marketers are using organic social as a real-time data source to guide content, messaging, and even product innovation:
- 72% use organic social to validate marketing hypotheses before making bigger investments.
- 65% look to organic conversation trends to guide product development.
- 84% believe that organic social helps identify winning content that can be scaled across paid and other channels.
This highlights the importance of real-time performance tracking and social listening. By monitoring audience sentiment and engagement trends, brands can make more informed decisions about messaging, creative direction, and campaign timing.
Algorithm Skepticism is Fading—but Transparency is Key
The report also highlights that 65% of marketers trust platform algorithms to surface their organic content to the right audiences. However, many still struggle to understand how algorithms prioritize engagement.
To navigate this, brands should track factors like:
- Engagement velocity – How quickly posts gain traction.
- Comparative performance – How a brand’s organic content stacks up against competitors.
- Optimization insights – How adjustments in format, timing, or creative elements impact organic reach.
Social-First Strategy? The Gap Between Belief and Action
Another striking insight from the study: While 68% of marketers agree that social assets are the new TV commercial, only 47% develop campaigns with a social-first mindset.
This means that while brands acknowledge the power of organic content, they’re not fully integrating it into their broader marketing mix. A shift toward social-first measurement and optimization will be crucial for brands looking to maximize their organic impact.
Closing the Gap: The Future of Organic Social Measurement
Organic social isn’t just an engagement tool—it’s a strategic growth driver that deserves the same level of performance tracking and optimization as paid media.
As brands continue to allocate more resources to organic, the challenge will be understanding its true impact. The key is to blend qualitative insights with quantitative benchmarks to make informed decisions and ensure organic social gets the investment it deserves.
