Social Media Marketing Do’s and Don’ts for the Furniture Industry

If you’re in the furniture or mattress business, you can’t deny that social media is a go-to tool for your customers. They may not be on Facebook, Instagram, or other social platforms to buy right then, but they are taking time on social to do research, check out reviews, get inspired, and explore local shopping options.

Even though social media is a marketing tool worth investigating, not every furniture business’ social media venture has been a successful one. That’s why we’ve put together a quick list of do’s and don’ts for the furniture industry. Make sure you’re following the Do’s, steer clear of the Don’ts, and if you’re just getting started, click here for a business owner’s social media marketing checklist.

6 Social Media Do’s and Don’ts for Furniture Marketers

Do…

1. Post Visual Content
   Visual content like images, videos, and infographics are easier for your audience to connect with and relate to than text-based posts. Pinterest can be a particularly strong outlet to showcase decorating tips, product images, interior design how-to’s and more for furniture customers. Don’t stop at pictures of furniture. Social media is the ideal outlet to showcase your store (all departments), your staff, fundraising and charity events, community involvement, and more.

2. Pay Attention
   Listen to what your social followers are saying, both directly in their comments and indirectly with their engagement. It’s important to follow up when people comment or reach out through channels like Twitter and Facebook Messenger. It’s also important to understand what’s getting interaction and driving traffic to your website and offers.

3. Have a Plan
   Like any tool, social media marketing will be much more effective and valuable for your business if you determine a plan to follow from the start, covering everything from what content you share and how often to how you reply to a negative comment. Part of having a plan is outlining goals and tracking progress against those goals regularly.

Don’t…

1. Post Too Much
   Don’t fatigue the social followers you gain with too many posts, especially if you’re noticing a drop-off. Posting daily is generally a good practice (although each platform is a little different), but always ensure your content is valuable and relevant to your target audience.

2. Post Too Little!
   You can’t grow a social following or establish yourself as an industry leader if you don’t publish for weeks at a time. Not sure what to post about? Your promotions make a great start. But for every piece of promotional content you develop, you should have two or more non-promotional pieces—things like blog posts, articles and eBooks, videos, and case studies that aim to inform, entertain, and educate.

3. Sell, Sell, Sell
   Your brand’s Facebook page is not the place for your elevator speech or sales pitch. If your social posts, your ads, and your latest press release sound the same, you’ve got a problem! Writing for social media is different—it’s less formal, should support your brand voice, and should avoid coming across as blatant advertising. It’s OK to keep things simple and show some personality.  

In the furniture industry, opportunities abound to create content people find relatable and enjoy interacting with. Social media is a great place to build your brand by showcasing your people and community connections, demonstrating how helpful you are, and offering customers a quick way to get in touch. Just remember to keep tabs on what’s working, approach publishing and monitoring with a plan, and stay focused on helping your audience (not selling).