Getting Results Through Social Media—Tips for Your Furniture Retail Brand

So, you manage social media for a furniture retail company. You post consistently and have a solid number of followers but are still not seeing the increase in engagement you are hoping for. Social media can be a great tool for engaging customers and getting them to your stores—but only when done right. And as search algorithms continue to advance beyond keywords and links, it is becoming increasingly important to develop a strong social media strategy not only to engage with customers but also to improve SEO. Here are a few tips to help optimize your social media strategy to increase engagement and organic traffic.

Be Creative—Social Media is Not a Sales Pitch

Typically, retailers default to posting content related to promotions, news about their furniture stores, products, etc. Instead of using social media solely as a sales pitch, consider adding in content specifically designed for brand recognition. Oreo has done a great job using social media creatively to generate buzz. Their 2013 Super Bowl blackout tweet is a great example of how being clever and opportunistic on social media can have a profound impact on your brand. Try a few creative social posts centered on culturally relevant events to not only engage current followers but also extend your reach to new audiences.

Drive People to Stores

Don’t post just to post or simply to maintain a presence on social media channels. Consider it an extension of your omnichannel strategy. Social media can be effectively used to drive traffic to your stores. For example, try a social media contest that urges customers to interact with your brand both virtually and physically to drive foot traffic and align promotional efforts.

Focus Your Efforts

With so many social platforms available, you might feel like you are spreading your efforts thin across all. Do some consumer testing to find out what channels your target audience use most often and how they use it to optimize your social strategy. Take for example Lowe’s recent success with Pinterest. Also, consider the SEO impact of different social platforms. While you might not have as many followers on Google+ compared to other platforms, it is worth your while to build your Google+ page for the SEO benefits.

If there is one key takeaway from this post, it’s don’t have a social page just to be on social media. Be creative and thoughtful with the way you market your brand through social media. It’s about being social with your audience and engaging them in a meaningful and relevant way to make your brand stand out above the rest.