As a flooring or countertop professional, your showroom is your sanctuary: a place where you can showcase your work, meet potential clients, learn more about their needs and hopefully build trust. What many flooring and countertop manufacturers don't realize is how easy it is to create a similar experience online through social media.
What many flooring and countertop manufacturers don't realize is how easy it is to create a similar experience online through social media — reachable anytime and from anywhere without being bound by location or store hours. And while you have to run your hand over the countertop of your choice or see a sample of your dream flooring in real daylight, social media can help your potential buyers get a sense of your products.
You may not have realized that you're actually in the ideal industry to utilize all that social media has to offer!
Why? For starters, social media is driven by two things: visual elements and cultivating a community of people who share common needs and interests. Online, you have the ability to zero in on prospects who are interested in your product and have the opportunity to showcase products, finished projects, and so much more with the click of a button!
If you aren't already utilizing social media, you're probably looking for some inspiration to get you started. We've compiled a list of real examples from flooring and countertop pros who are utilizing a variety of different channels and doing it the right way to get you started:
Create Demand By Educating Consumers About Trends
Educate your audience on the latest trends (and create some new demand) - like these 3D tiles!
Ceasarstone US, for example, is drawing attention to a new industry trend while educating its audience on how to accomplish this new look. These types of posts show potential clients industry leadership and hopefully whet their appetite to use these products in their remodel. Make sure to use high-quality photos and present your products in a visually appealing way! By being informative instead of selling, you're building trust and establishing your company as a resource.
Educate About New Or Unfamiliar Materials
Take the opportunity to educate (and upsell as a result!) By the time you get on the phone with a potential customer or see them in a showroom, they have likely already done their own research online without the help of your professional knowledge. By making your social media posts educational, you can steer potential customers in the right direction while being helpful and establishing trust before ever communicating one-on-one.
So take a page out of Floorscapes New Mexico's book and educate your customers on new material choices.
Utilize Video To Showcase Product Options
Did you know that customers who view videos are 1.81X more likely to purchase than non-viewers? Not only has Mercury Mosaics & Tile (we are obsessed with the Moroccan Fish Scales) included videos on their Instagram page, but they are using them to showcase what makes their company different, customization!
Get Close Up & Personal
People buy from people! So, what better is there way than to use social media to create a personal connection between potential clients and your staff members?
Aside from the visual elements social media offers, it is an excellent place to foster a sense of community. By IceStone not only posting open positions on their social media but using their existing team to promote the post, they are digitally opening their doors to potential customers and potential employees alike. This post works on both levels and establishes both trust and transparency.
Let Them Peek Behind The Scenes
Speaking of creating a personal connection with your brand — letting your social media followers peek behind the scenes once in a while is an excellent way to build a memorable connection with your brand. Whether it is to show off your latest cover shoot with Stephen Taylor (WHAAAAAAAT?) like Cambria or letting them experience how you redecorated parts of your showroom, your followers are sure to appreciate it.
Build an Online Showroom
Utilize Facebook, Instagram, or Houzz as your online showroom!
Here, Cambria has done a great job showcasing the product in a way that makes it easy for potential customers to visualize the completed project in their own homes. Not only are both the room and photograph used beautifully executed, but the product details educate potential buyers along the way. Cambria also did a fantastic job leading customers along their buyer's journey by highlighting the next step, selecting full slabs, and linking to where they can view the product.
Create Promoters: Ask For Likes & Shares
Casa Blanca Tile & Stone Inc. recently asked their Facebook fans for referrals.
Social media, by nature, is a strong place to build a referral network. In this industry especially, word of mouth goes a long way, and social media makes it easy for happy customers to endorse your work with the click of a button by "Liking" and "Sharing". Take it a step further by sweetening the pot with prizes and discounts in return for their extra effort in spreading the word — but be careful not to overdo it by posting this too many times.
Testimonials: Share Customer Stories
Social media is a great place to display endorsements and great reviews, with the customers' permission. Now, while customers can post on your wall or leave a Facebook review, Bloomday Granite & Marble shared a comment they received from a happy customer who recently had her kitchen redone. Also, don't be afraid to encourage customers to share their experiences on their page! This open forum can seem scary, but the transparency goes a long way.
Use Internal & External Hashtags
Don't forget to use hashtags in your Facebook, Instagram and Twitter posts! Astonia Co. has done a great job utilizing both internal and external hashtags in the example below. External hashtags like #kitchen and #granite will attract external users who are looking for this type of product. Internal hashtags like #getitatastonia draw users directly to your brand and can be used to dial in specific campaigns.
Blanco Persa Granite with mitered waterfall ends! #kitchen #granite #stunning #getitatastonia pic.twitter.com/neMAXtgAm9
— Astonia Co. (@AstoniaCo) March 18, 2016
Use Local Hashtags To Attract Customers In Your Area
Hashtags can also be used on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter and are a great way to draw new fans and followers to your page! Use external hashtags to draw in a new audience and internal hashtags to make your business easy to find. Local hashtags are also a great way to reach potential customers and make it easy for them to find your services and know that you are in the area! Rhodium Floors, for example, is using #LA in the post below:
Create Mood Boards & Showcase Multiple Products
New Facebook features make it easy to showcase multiple products in the same post! If you have a collection of products to showcase you can make the images scrollable and link to that specific product page - creating a great opportunity to design a mood board. Not only does this showcase multiple products in the small amount of time potential customers are spending on each post, but you are directing them in the right direction and lowering the barrier to entry by making it easy to buy. Opustone uses a variety in the same color family to show off their new project:
Give Updates and Address FAQs
In the age of social media and mobile devices, many of us are glued to our phones all day. By interpreting the needs of your audience, you can address concerns and keep them informed right on their feed. Restocked with a new product? New summer hours? Create a quick post like Stoneshop updating their followers on their summer store hours. Not only will your audience appreciate the information but you've saved them a phone call and additional research online.
We hope you're feeling empowered to jump into social media head first and extend your showroom to your potential customers online.
Still need help with your social media? Download our easy-to-use, free social media cheat sheet.
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