I leaned back, scrolling through the engagement stats from a recent campaign. The numbers looked good—better than good, actually. But it wasn’t the numbers that mattered. It was what they represented: real people, genuinely connecting with the story we were telling.

Organic social had become my obsession, not because it was easy, but because it was powerful. But there were rules—three truths I had learned through years of trial and error, building brands like Fresh Chile Co. and Organ Mountain Outfitters.

The first truth was about community.

Organic social isn’t about pushing content; it’s about building relationships.

I thought back to the Facebook cooking group we grew to over 30,000 members for Fresh Chile Co. It wasn’t just a group—it was a community. People weren’t there for ads; they were there to share recipes, swap stories, and celebrate their love of New Mexico chile. Our role was simple: listen, engage, and respond. When someone shared a recipe or asked a question, we didn’t wait hours to reply. We jumped in immediately, keeping the dialogue alive.

The result? Trust.

And trust doesn’t just build communities; it builds brands.

The second truth was consistency.

Content isn’t a one-off effort—it’s a story told over time.

Every brand I’ve worked with, from Rio Grande Winery to Virgin Galactic, has taught me the same lesson: storytelling needs continuity. We scheduled shoots, planned posts, and made sure every piece of content reinforced the brand’s message. At Fresh Chile Co., that meant taking people into the fields during harvest season, showing them the sweat, grit, and passion that went into every jar.

Whether it was a Reel, a story, or a photo post, everything had a purpose. It wasn’t just content—it was the narrative of the brand, unfolding in real time.

The third truth was experimentation.

Not everything works. That’s the point.

For Organ Mountain Outfitters, we tried everything: lifestyle photos, Reels featuring hikers, influencer partnerships, and stories that celebrated the Southwest. Some experiments flopped. Others? They took off.

The key wasn’t perfection—it was iteration. We doubled down on what resonated, studied the data, and let it guide us. When a certain Reel format performed well, we leaned into it. When an influencer partnership drove engagement, we explored more.

The process wasn’t glamorous, but it was strategic. And over time, it worked.

As I closed the stats dashboard, I realized these truths weren’t just about social media. They were about how you approach anything: focus on people, tell your story, and never stop refining.

Organic social isn’t magic. It’s a system. A process of ongoing improvement. And when you commit to the process, you don’t just build a brand—you build a community that grows with you.

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