Social media is such a huge boon to small businesses when it comes to marketing. But of course, you have to do it well. So the title of this article may seem like a no-brainer, but there’s a reason why we’re thinking about it here at ActionCOACH Bristol.
Earlier this year, the cosmetics giant Lush made headlines when it decided to stop using social media to promote it’s products. The brand stated that they were tired of “fighting with algorithms” and didn’t want to pay to appear on potential customer’s newsfeeds. Unsurprisingly, this left field decision produced a lot of interesting think-pieces on whether this would soon become a trend. But we believe it’s just another step in content marketing.
So before you decide to pull your Facebook ads to catch up with the next trend, consider these points.
Lush had an Established Audience
We’ve all likely seen, heard or smelled Lush when out and about. Their kooky, fragrant cosmetic products are very distinctively tied in with their brand. Lush position themselves as a out-spoken, inclusive and positive company.
So when Lush decided to cut their successful social media channels, how likely was this to affect them? With a committed client base already in tow. As well as a prominent stronghold in the field of eco-friendly, cruelty-free cosmetics, Lush don’t need to do social media marketing to stay relevant. In fact, their tech-savvy client base will do it for them. Which leads us on to the next point…
The Rise of the Social Media Influencer
With Lush still sharing content in the branded #LushCommunity hashtag, it appears that the company are merely adapting their social media marketing. Shifting from original content towards the burgeoning social media influencer marketing. And who could think of a better opportunity for synergy? Expect to see a rise in bath-bomb touting influencers on your Instagram feed.
The question is how long will this model sustain? And will it be enough to keep Lush’s presence afloat? The use of social media influencers doesn’t appear to be slowing. However there has certainly been a more pronounced backlash in recent months. Let’s hope Lush aren’t considering putting all their bath bombs in one basket…
No Social Media Marketing is Still Marketing
When you’re a company as big as Lush, that the mere act of deleting your Facebook page is enough to generate articles, you probably didn’t need Facebook. This kind of goes back to the first point, but it’s also to make a wider point: No marketing is still marketing!
In the music industry, the surprise album drop has been a sustainable marketing model for the better part of ten years. Industry giants such as Beyonce and Drake have used this so-called ‘anti-marketing’ move to huge success. It’s not a new thing. Just earlier this year, Ed Sheeran celebrated the fact that he could release his latest project “with zero promo”. Keep in mind, Ed Sheeran has been the face of a Heinz Ketchup campaign and took a prominent role in British rom-com hit ‘Yesterday’.
This ‘zero promo’ approach is just a new marketing strategy. One that allows brands to posture their business as different by refusing to play along with algorithms and pay-per-clicks. The reality is that in order to really strike-out effectively with this kind of campaign, you’d better have a huge following already.
For smaller businesses, social media has made marketing even easier. But it really helps to have a strategy in place. More on that next time…
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