Organic social media is content posted to your own profiles without paid distribution - it reaches existing followers and their connections through shares and algorithmic amplification. Average organic reach on Facebook in 2026 is below 4% of page followers, making it insufficient as a standalone growth channel. Paid social advertising uses the platform's ad system to reach precisely defined audiences beyond your followers - by demographics, interests, behaviour, and remarketing lists. The most effective approach is to use organic content to test which messages resonate, then amplify the best-performing content through paid performance marketing campaigns targeting cold audiences.