Hardwood Floors June/July 2018

Instagram: Why It Matters (Continued)

equipment selection, customer education, floor maintenance, staffing, and management. King had been helping Boror behind the scenes since the beginning, so taking a more active role was a smooth transition. Since King took over the Sunday night “Floor Talk” forum in February 2017, participation has continued to grow. A handful of flooring pros participate each week, hundreds “like” the discussion, and up to 180,000 view the posts. Is it worth the time? “I don’t want people coming to Instagram just to make money. I want to use it as a platform to educate as well. I’ve put a lot work into it; it’s literally been a second job,” shared King who built his huge audience by following others on Instagram and commenting on their posts. Despite being approached by several potential companies, King has kept “Floor Talk” independent and sponsor-free. But using Instagram has paid off in other ways for King, who estimates that 50 percent or more of his work comes from the platform. BEST PRACTICES FOR USING INSTAGRAM EFFECTIVELY These Instagram experts offered the following advice for their associates in the wood flooring business who are considering using Instagram. Share valuable information: According to Neuroh, “One of the biggest issues I struggle with and see others struggling with is quality content. I don’t think people understand how important this is. Show your work in different ways that pique people’s curiosity rather than posting the same things over and over again. Keep up with trends and share what you learn.” Think about it. You deal with wood flooring choices, finishes, installation, repair, and maintenance every day. But most people buy or install word flooring only a few times in their lives. They don’t have all the knowledge and experience you’ve accumulated over the years. Consider the questions customers most often ask, the problems or mistakes you commonly see, and the misperceptions you frequently encounter. Address those on your Instagram. Take great pictures: Picture quality matters. “The picture is the first thing to touch viewers’ eyes. So, try different angles, get creative, and don’t take the same old before and after pictures,” advises King. And include people in photos. Customers like to do business with interesting people that they like – or in Valenti’s case, animals. The Valenti’s Pit Bull Jackie appears in many of their posts. Create a portfolio of work: Take photos of your work and post them to create a digital portfolio; then, connect with others who do the same. Jason Arnold, the owner of Walnut Grove Hardwood Floors, sends customers to Instagram to see his and others’ work. “Onmy last quote for a customer’s house, I asked if they had Instagram. I showed themmy work and also showed

SAP’S KING REIGNS OVER “FLOOR TALK”

@sapwoodworking

Youmay recall seeing Stephen King of SAPHardwood Flooring (@sapwoodworking) on a social media panel discussion at NWFA’s 2017Wood Flooring Expo. King has 19.5 thousand Instagram followers and hosts a weekly forum called “Floor Talk” on the platform. Most (about 75 percent) of the participants are refinishers, installers, and other wood flooring professionals.

@callmetito

King and Jorge Boror (@callmetito) came up with the idea for an online discussion about wood flooring in July 2016 while visiting the Lägler sanding machine manufacturing plant in Germany. At the time, Boror was a hardwood flooring contractor turned artisan and owner of Providence-based Rende Hardwood Flooring. Boror hosted “Floor Talk” for several months before King took the reins. “When Tito started working as a technical field specialist with Loba-Wakol, he got really busy,” says King, “so I took it over.” Every week, King sets the tone for a positive, educational discussion with other flooring pros about topics like

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