Once we hear the phrase “natural,” we often assume pure, pure, and unaltered. A scrumptious juice, maybe. Effectively, the identical goes for natural advertising — minus the juice half.
Natural advertising is all about naturally attracting your viewers to your model or enterprise. It’s about grabbing their consideration and profitable them over with out “paying” for it. However how do you do this — particularly in a saturated market like 2025?
![Download Now: Free State of Marketing Report [Updated for 2025]](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/53/b0f73a5e-16e4-41fd-9511-8564efc560a7.png)
To be trustworthy, whereas I acknowledge occasions are robust, I’m nonetheless an old-school “inbound advertising” purist at coronary heart. The success you get from natural shops simply hits otherwise, and everybody can style it with the precise method.
Let’s go over what natural advertising is, the way it compares to paid options, and how you can create your technique.
Desk of Contents
What’s natural advertising?
Natural advertising is any advertising tactic that builds consciousness of your corporation via its personal benefit slightly than paid promotion. In different phrases, it’s advertising that your viewers finds naturally. This will embrace weblog posts, case research, visitor posts, movies, emails, social media, PR, and different varieties of content material.
The principle objective of natural advertising is to extend model consciousness and construct a pure connection together with your viewers via academic or entertaining content material.
Once I give it some thought, it’s actually the concept of “inbound advertising” I first discovered from HubSpot again in 2013 as a wee marketer.
It mentioned that folks not reply whenever you “push” your message on them via conventional outbound strategies like billboards and commercials. These strategies interrupt individuals after they’re going about their day, usually after they aren’t even available in the market.
Natural advertising, nonetheless, “pulls” individuals in. It makes your corporation current and simple to search out after they’re actively on the lookout for options. It attracts patrons who really need your providing, even when they don’t convert instantly.
Advantages and Drawbacks of Natural Advertising and marketing
What are the advantages of natural advertising? Effectively, total, it creates a greater, much less intrusive buyer expertise, establishes belief together with your audience by sharing actual worth, and makes use of low-cost mediums and ways.
Sounds good, doesn’t it?
The one actual downside is that it may take an prolonged time period to see outcomes. Weblog articles and web site pages take time to get crawled and listed by search engines like google. It takes time to construct a following on social media. It takes time to construct an e-mail record.
Paid advertising bypasses all that — however extra on that shortly.
Natural Advertising and marketing Channels
Earlier than we dive into the precise variations between natural and paid advertising, let’s focus on the commonest varieties of natural advertising channels.
In truth, most mediums or channels might be natural when you simply allow them to do their factor (with out paid backing), however these are those we sometimes see:
- Natural Social Media Advertising and marketing
- Running a blog
- Visitor Running a blog
- website positioning (Natural Search Engine Advertising and marketing)
- Person-generated Content material
- E-mail Newsletters
- Public Relations/Media Relations
- YouTube Movies
- Podcasts
Natural Social Media Advertising and marketing
Lately, I noticed a meme that mentioned one thing like, “Image it: It’s 2011. You simply took a foul picture of your cup of espresso. You set a sepia filter on it and posted it to your 12 followers. It bought zero likes. Life is sweet.”
This, my associates, was the golden age of natural social media.
You posted content material to your profile or account that would solely be seen by your followers within the feed or, when you have been fortunate, found via a share, hashtag, or hyperlink.
There have been no paid adverts or sponsored posts, so whenever you did get a ton of engagement or visitors, you knew you earned it.
A number of the perks of natural social media? It’s free to get began, and relying on the platform, it might be a video, picture, weblog article, or perhaps a product evaluate.
Learn: Social Media Advertising and marketing: The Final Information
Running a blog
This one’s fairly self-explanatory, so I’ll be fast.
Weblog posts are long-form written articles printed in your weblog or web site to share information, information, or your organization’s distinctive perspective together with your viewers.
They’ll showcase your credibility and experience to construct belief with potential patrons and persuade them you’ll ship in your guarantees.
Weblog articles are often search-engine optimized to assist your web site get discovered, and, minus the price of a content material author, beginning a weblog is pretty low-cost.
Need assistance organising your weblog? Take a look at our free weblog maker.
Visitor Running a blog
Visitor running a blog is whenever you write weblog articles for publications apart from your individual. I did this rather a lot for previous employers. The truth is, HubSpot was one among my most frequent locations.
The objective is to get publicity to a brand new, related viewers and introduce your model to them. Sometimes, this implies contributing to a publication with bigger readership or extra engagement.
Search Engine Optimization (website positioning)
website positioning, or natural search engine advertising, is whenever you optimize content material in your web site or different on-line presence to be discovered by your audience via search engines like google.
Whereas social media channels are inclined to get probably the most consideration, the very best place to spend your time with natural advertising is website positioning, because it tends to drive 1000%+ extra visitors.
Uncertain about your website positioning energy? AI Search Grader and Web site Grader will help consider how your technique stacks up and the place it’s essential enhance.
Learn: Find out how to Create an website positioning Technique for 2025 [Template Included]
Person-generated Content material (UGC)
UGC is content material your patrons create about your model, product, or providers. They haven’t been paid to put up or discuss you, however maybe they’ve been inspired to tag your model or use a selected hashtag.
This content material is nice as a result of it showcases what actual clients expertise and really feel after shopping for from you. It’s social proof of every part you declare.
E-mail/Newsletters
Newsletters are long-form emails you ship to an inventory of contacts who’ve opted to obtain them. As a result of these aren’t publicly posted on-line, these are a terrific place to be extra candid and unique with the knowledge you share.
The truth is, e-mail advertising, basically, is.
Additionally, not like many different channels we’re discussing right here, e-mail doesn’t have a paid choice, although some adverts are designed to appear to be e-mail, comparable to Gmail Sponsored Promotions.
Learn: Find out how to Create an E-mail Publication [+ Expert Tips & Checklist]
Public Relations/Media Relations
With Public Relations (PR), we’re discussing media protection you didn’t pay or ask for. Assume product critiques, interviews, or options about your group, model, or provide.
YouTube Movies
YouTube is exclusive as a result of its movies are included within the search outcomes of its dad or mum firm Google. Many additionally contemplate it the world’s “second largest search engine.”
If you wish to give a video the very best potential to succeed in a big, new viewers, YouTube is the platform to host it.
Learn: Find out how to Begin a YouTube Channel [Expert Tips + 30 YouTube Channel Ideas]
Podcasts
Video or purely audio, podcasts are a create method to construct belief and relationships together with your viewers.
Mix’s Advertising and marketing Supervisor, Dan Stillgoe defined saying, “It‘s true that you may’t straight attribute leads or income from a podcast, however that is not its objective.”
“Podcasts are the right method to enhance affinity and connection on your model and craft participating and genuine content material — one thing patrons are starting to crave on this AI period.
“Whenever you understand these long-term and surrounding advantages, podcasting turns into a transparent and apparent funding.”
Learn: Podcasting in 2025: What You Want + 9 Steps To Get Began
Let’s check out some examples of natural advertising in motion.
Natural Advertising and marketing Examples
1. Chili’s Grill & Bar: Natural Social Media Advertising and marketing
One model that’s doing significantly nicely with its natural social media advertising currently is Chili’s Grill & Bar.
The American restaurant chain credit its “cheeky” humor on social media for serving to it join with Gen Z audiences and boosted enterprise.
In line with Insider, “The dad or mum firm of Chili‘s, Brinker Worldwide, reported a 7.4% improve in same-store gross sales at Chili’s in 2024; gross sales jumped 14% on the identical foundation within the first quarter of fiscal 2025.”
2. Canva: Weblog
who has terrific natural weblog content material? (Apart from HubSpot, in fact.) Canva.
The design software program firm shares complete, related content material on its weblog, which educates its viewers on graphic design basically and how you can use its instruments.
This content material speaks to their viewers’s pursuits and issues, providing them the worth they crave without charge and likewise positioning them as specialists of their area.
That is all whereas creating pages to get present in search engines like google and shared/linked too.
3. Everlasting Works: Visitor Running a blog
Admittedly, visitor running a blog isn’t a channel we hear a lot about in 2025, however that doesn’t imply the advantages aren’t alive and nicely.
HubSpot has labored with a number of exterior contributors over time, together with Tim Jones.
Jones is a Founding Member of development company Everlasting Works and shares insights from his private gross sales expertise via articles like this one on our weblog.
We get high-quality, skilled content material and Jones will get to succeed in a big, new world viewers. It’s a win-win.
4. Glossier: UGC
Loads of manufacturers put money into user-generated content material lately. The truth is, the 2025 State of Advertising and marketing discovered that it’s one of many prime three channels entrepreneurs plan to extend their funding on this yr. Glossier is one model that has at all times completed UGC significantly nicely.
The wonder model encourages UGC by providing possibilities to be featured and creating enjoyable, interactive experiences in its retail areas.
That is additionally a terrific instance of natural social media advertising.
5. Airbnb: E-mail
Whereas nonetheless promotional, Airbnb’s emails go for the “delicate sale.” On this instance, they use a scientific reality in regards to the results of being round water on people to focus on its choices with crisp photos and compelling calls-to-action like “play it cool.”
6. HubSpot Advertising and marketing: YouTube
Our HubSpot Advertising and marketing YouTube Channel is all about sharing actionable advertising and enterprise information, nevertheless it’s not solely promotional.
As a discovery channel, YouTube permits us to construct consciousness by sharing content material that speaks to frequent enterprise ache factors, and our viewers will get worth whether or not they’re a HubSpot consumer or not.
Natural Advertising and marketing vs. Paid Advertising and marketing
Whereas natural advertising is targeted on producing visitors to your web site over time, paid advertising, or inorganic advertising, makes use of paid strategies to focus on, attain, have interaction, and convert audiences rapidly.
Paid and inorganic advertising methods embrace:
- Paid Search Advertisements (i.e. Key phrase Advertisements)
- Paid Social Media Advertisements (i.e. Sponsored Posts, Boosted Posts)
- Sponsored Articles
- Show Advertisements
- Video Advertisements on YouTube, and so on.
- Paid Media Mentions
- Shoppable Advertisements on Social Media
In a nutshell, it’s conventional promoting with a digital, data-driven twist. You possibly can micro-target your perfect viewers and attain individuals who you might have by no means gotten in entrance of in any other case. (Fb Advertisements, for instance, are famend for this.)
Plus, you possibly can assure distinguished placement over opponents on the platforms your audience is already utilizing, like Google or TikTok.
Whereas natural advertising could also be measured basically return on funding (ROI), paid advertising is often measured in return on advert spend (ROAS). Alternatively, each could monitor and set objectives for impressions, conversion charges, and visitors, amongst different issues.
On the finish of the day, all advertising is about attracting an viewers and in the end closing gross sales. The important thing variations between natural advertising and paid advertising come right down to price and pace towards the objective.
Moreover, natural advertising and paid advertising can and infrequently ought to work collectively. As an example, if somebody comes throughout your web site organically, you possibly can retarget them later with paid adverts (on social media, search engines like google, and so on.).
So, wait — does natural advertising nonetheless work in 2025?
Right here’s the factor: Natural advertising nonetheless exists. I exploit it virtually day by day for myself and my facet hustles, and also you can get outcomes from it. However the setting has modified — and outcomes aren’t straightforward.
The web is a worldwide market, that means somebody might be your competitor on-line even when geographically, they may by no means truly steal your clients. Form of wild, proper?
With that a lot competitors for consideration plus each platform’s transfer to monetize, natural outcomes (like visitors, engagement, follower development) have grow to be tougher to come back by. Algorithms and noise bury nice content material and types. One of the best options usually get missed.
Paid advertising goals to beat that. It guarantees to get you previous all of the noise and in entrance of your clients, however, in fact, it comes at a value. Not each enterprise can afford to pay to play this manner.
Personally, I feel each paid and natural advertising are wanted.
Natural advertising must be the muse and huge focus of your effort, whereas paid must be used strategically to boost it. Typically, paid will help you determine that basis, or as I discussed earlier, natural will help you inform your paid technique.
No matter method you select, you’ll want a method to get you began.
Natural Advertising and marketing Technique
- Determine your mediums.
- Create your content material calendar/backlog.
- Create content material.
- Optimize your content material.
- Publish
- Consider and enhance.
Now that you understand the ins and outs of natural advertising, how do you create a method?
1. Determine your mediums.
To construct an natural advertising technique, you first have to know what sort of content material you wish to put money into. The best method to determine this out is by analyzing your perfect purchaser persona in addition to your present visitors sources.
Natural advertising solely works whenever you really perceive your viewers and what they wish to see.
So, ask your self the place you presently get probably the most natural visitors. Is it out of your YouTube channel, weblog posts, or e-mail newsletters? Then, take into consideration how your perfect viewers often discovers a enterprise like yours. (Trace: It’s social media for the majority of shoppers lately.)
These are the 2 areas you wish to give attention to initially. After you have some content material going, you possibly can see how they carry out after which fine-tune your technique.
2. Create your content material calendar/backlog.
As soon as you understand your channels, it is time to begin creating content material. However you possibly can’t put up simply something — it must be content material your viewers truly finds invaluable.
When you’re running a blog, key phrase analysis and competitor evaluation will help you construct an inventory of key phrases and subjects that you may deal with. These will also be used for YouTube movies and social media content material.
It’s additionally sensible to start out by answering frequent questions individuals have associated to your product or trade. Nothing is simply too primary. The truth is, an experiment by Conductor discovered shoppers who learn early-stage academic content material are 131% extra doubtless to purchase from a model instantly than those that don’t.
Addressing issues (good or dangerous) helps your viewers really feel heard and seen. It helps you stand out as a reliable, trustworthy useful resource and likewise provides your model an opportunity to point out your viewers you understand what you’re speaking about.
Few issues make somebody wish to purchase from you extra.
Get your content material concepts into a dated content material calendar and even only a record in a spreadsheet or textual content doc (I did this for a lot of yr).
Be as scrappy as you wish to get began. Simply get the concepts out and recorded so that you’re not consistently asking your self “what ought to I put up?”
When you’re a corporation nerd like I’m, obtain our free editorial content material templates. They will help you intend and optimize your advertising content material on Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, or Google Calendar.
3. Create content material.
Now for my favourite half — creating!
Write the weblog. Design the graphic. Movie the video. Curate the UGC.
Don’t neglect there are many AI instruments that can assist you get began right here. HubSpot’s Free AI Content material Author, for instance, will help you generate weblog content material, web site copy, and social posts amongst different issues.
However keep in mind — this content material is only a jumping-off level. AI-generated content material is unoriginal by nature. Taking the time to edit and humanize it earlier than utilizing is non-negotiable.
Be taught “Find out how to Humanize AI Content material So It Will Rank, Interact, and Get Shared in 2025.”
4. Optimize your content material.
You’ve bought your natural advertising content material, now it’s time to make it shine. Optimize your work so it should present up on search engines like google and seem its finest on social media.
In terms of website positioning, this often means utilizing your goal key phrases in any writing (weblog articles, video descriptions, social media posts). Nevertheless it additionally means ensuring your social media movies and graphic meet the technical specs of their platforms.
Like when you’re designing a body or filming a video for an Instagram Story, it must be framed vertically. Going towards the scale of your designed medium or platform creates a poor consumer expertise.
5. Publish.
Hit that put up or publish button!
Notice: When you’re a HubSpot consumer, you possibly can draft and publish blogs, schedule social media posts, and ship emails proper inside your portal. With our Advertisements software program, it’s also possible to run and handle adverts on Google, LinkedIn, Fb, and Instagram.
6. Consider and enhance.
Irrespective of how a lot information you base them on, deal with each piece of natural advertising as an experiment. You possibly can by no means actually know the way one thing will carry out till it is out on the earth. So as soon as your work is reside, monitor and monitor its efficiency.
HubSpot Reporting is usually a single supply of fact for all of your natural advertising information. You should use to view your web site visitors sources, analyze social media put up engagement, and monitor e-mail opens and clicks amongst different issues.
It was my private favourite even earlier than becoming a member of the group, however no matter platform you select ought to provide related analytics.
This information will aid you see what‘s truly working and what isn’t on your natural advertising and aid you pivot, evolve, and enhance your technique as wanted.
Don’t Sleep on Natural Progress in 2025
Whereas paid advertising has its plain benefits — pace, precision, and visibility — natural advertising brings long-term advantages that no sum of money can replicate: belief, authority, and a neighborhood of loyal clients.
The key lies in hanging the precise steadiness.
Use natural advertising to create a powerful basis of high quality content material, significant interactions, and a recognizable model presence. Then, improve your efforts strategically with paid campaigns to amplify your attain or goal particular audiences.
In a panorama the place the competitors for consideration grows fiercer by the day, natural advertising is your alternative to face out by being real, useful, and constant. So, why accept fast wins when you possibly can construct a sustainable future on your model?
With the right combination of creativity, optimization, and endurance, natural advertising might be your strongest ally in 2025 — and past.
Editor’s word: This put up was initially printed in September 2021 and has been up to date for comprehensiveness.
