Hardwood Floors February/March 2025

CRAFT

YOUR MESSAGE

SOCIAL MEDIA To find prospective customers, you have to go where they are, and they are most certainly on some form of social media. However, being on social for business is different than sharing vacation photos with friends. You need a strategy for how these channels can help spread the word about your company. “Determine which social media channels your clients/ customers spend the most time on and then reach them where they are,” suggests Sancic. “There are so many social media platforms, it’s hard to keep up with them all. Define what is best for your company and customers and stick with what works the best.” The most common social media channels wood flooring professionals interviewed for this story use for business include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube. That may sound like a lot to manage, but the same content can largely be used across all of them. Sancic notes that consistency is more important than quantity. “Believe it or not, we do not pay much attention to engagement or ‘vanity metrics’ as those numbers do not pay the bills. More importantly, pay attention to your analytics and watch what platforms/posts drive the most traffic and buying customers to your site,” she says. “We all love the ‘dopamine hit’ of a like or a share, but the cold hard truth is that they do not mean much other than making us feel good.” At Totta Hardwoods, Lawson’s goal is to post on Facebook and Instagram at least three times per week. “Consistency is important to let people know you’re a business, you’re working, you’re active, and it keeps you in front of people,” he shares. “Slideshows are a great way to showcase your work to potential customers. Facebook is a good platform for that.” Lawson says they have also tried to produce more video content over the past year, even contracting help with content creation with video and photography. “I look at video two different ways. I want us to create content that is industry specific and content that is customer/ consumer specific. Mike and Ben (Totta)’s experience and involvement in the NWFA gives them a unique position to be industry leaders, so I want to put content out that establishes them as the experts, but I also want

CRAFTING A REALISTIC AND ACTIONABLE PLAN

A practical marketing plan can be as simple as a one-page document or even a single web page. Start with the basics: Who You Are: Write a short statement about what you do, who you serve, and why customers should choose you. What You'll Do: List the key strategies you want to test, such as posting regularly on social media, attending local events, or improving your Google Business profile. How You'll Measure: Decide how you'll track success, whether it's leads, sales, or customer engagement. Getting something down on paper – even if it's rough – gives you a tool to improve over time. Share it with others to gather feedback and ideas. — Burt Bollinger, NWFA

to put content out there that is helpful for the customer like maintenance tips or inspiration photos of jobs we’ve done to help a customer decide the look they want.” When it comes to video on social platforms, Gladden recommends aiming for 30 to 60 seconds unless the content is highly engaging. “iPhone videos are perfect for quick, authentic moments like behind-the-scenes stories, customer testimonials, or social media clips,” he adds. “These informal videos foster connection and relatability, aligning with the casual, real-time nature of social platforms.” Barajas has made business connections via Instagram successfully, including companies that have reached out from around the world with interest in being in his showroom.

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