Why Lush quit social media: The marketing pros & cons

Last Monday, Lush UK announced the closing of its social media accounts. The home of bath art dropped the (bath) bomb on its Twitter account saying that, “Increasingly, social media is making it harder and harder for us to talk to each other directly. We are tired of fighting with algorithms, and we do not want to pay to appear in your newsfeed.”

“So we’ve decided it’s time to bid farewell to some of our social channels and open up the conversation between you and us instead,” Lush said in a subsequent Tweet.

This has raised questions over social media marketing, creating a discussion about its merits versus those of traditional marketing. We’ve come up with some of the pros and cons of each. It’s up to you to choose which one suits your brand and is most suited to help grow your business.

Traditional marketing: The pros

This kind of marketing is a staple for retailers. It includes print ads in newspapers and magazines, commercials on TV and the radio, as well as billboards and flyers. But what makes it effective and how can it help you create awareness for your brand?

You can easily target local audiences
You can advertise your brand on TV or the radio and target a specific location or region. This is very effective, especially if you are a business that only caters to one particular area.

It’s direct and easy to understand
The use of billboards is still one of the more effective forms of advertising because they convey messages efficiently and can reach large audiences.

Materials can be kept
Flyers and other printed materials can be read over and over again, making it easier for your audience to retain certain information.

Traditional marketing: The cons

If you’re interested in traditional marketing, you also need to be aware of its downsides.

TV, radio and print advertisements are costly
Print materials can be expensive, and you may need to hire extra people for distribution.

It’s hard to measure the results
Traditional marketing strategies can’t be analysed as easily as social media marketing campaigns.

Social media marketing: The pros

While traditional marketing is still useful, it isn’t the only way to raise brand awareness and target your audience. Technology plays a big role in every consumer’s life, giving the company’s other option to reach their customers. Here are the advantages of using social media:

You can target both local audiences and international ones
You can also tailor campaigns to specifically target your chosen demographics, such as gender, location, age and interests. If your brand caters to niche markets, social media marketing can be beneficial.

You can interact with your audience
Social media networks allow you to interact with your customers. This will encourage potential buyers and customers to learn about your product. It also provides more opportunities for them to buy your offerings, rate them and give feedback that is visible to your market.

It’s cost-effective
If you’re starting up your business and traditional marketing is too expensive, social media marketing is the best way for you to move forward. It doesn’t cost anywhere near as much and can still be valid.

It gives you data and results in real time
With the analytical tools provided by most social media channels, you can check whether your campaign is reaching its targeted audience and whether it is working for your business or not. One of the most significant advantages is that you can do it at any time.

Social media marketing: The cons

Although it may seem like social media marketing has everything your business needs, it also has its disadvantages.

Social media marketing is highly dependent on technology
Without the internet, it’s not possible to reach your audience and launch your campaign.

It’s very competitive
Most companies now have some form of web exposure, which can make it difficult for new businesses to jump in and make their presence known. For profitable keywords to gain high rank companies must dedicate a lot of time and effort to marketing. If businesses want to enhance their online visibility, they need to outwork their competitors consistently.

Traditional vs social media marketing: Which is best?

With all of this information, both types of marketing can be as effective as each other. But Lush’s decision to shut down all of their social media accounts is a massive shake-up to the industry. Whichever type of marketing you choose, it all boils down to knowing your product, knowing your audience and knowing what your company needs.