Good marketing takes time and planning – but when advertising furniture, how do you promote your business, specifically? If you run a furniture business, you have plenty of competition to contend with, which means your marketing campaign must be exact and effective to push you ahead of your competitors and deliver the best RoI – writes Gary Peeling, who suggests the pitfalls to avoid when planning your next marketing strategy …
1. Missing the boat on merchandise
When people come into your furniture store or order online from you, will they remember your brand afterwards to ensure a repeat purchase?
Did you know that, according to a survey carried out by promotional products association PPAI, 80% of people can recall a brand after receiving a promotional product? If you don’t offer branded pens and notepads in your store, or a branded product that you can deliver alongside your customers’ furniture order, you might be missing a trick.
But first, test this out to see if it’s worth the investment. Order a batch of branded products and make a note of the date you start handing them out to customers. After a certain period (try six months), check your revenue and repeat sales to see if this tactic has made a positive difference and is worth further investment.
2. Not networking real estate agents
If you aren’t networking with estate agents to help promote your furniture business, you should be. A poll taken by Exposure Property Marketing discovered that photographers in the business of selling property believe that furniture makes a great difference in how easy it is to sell a home.
To help boost your brand, liaise with estate agents and companies to see if you can come to an agreement on offering pieces of your furniture to help make their empty properties look more inviting. This should, in turn, help advertise your products and could develop into a long-term arrangement.
3. Ignoring the benefits of door-to-door marketing
The Direct Marketing Association (DMA) conducted extensive research into leaflet distribution and its effects on its audience. It discovered that almost 90% of people recalled getting door-drop mail — which was more than any other marketing channel.
Adopt this marketing technique, and you can advertise your brand to a specific network of people — such as people who live near your store, but who may not have heard of your brand yet. As there are many dedicated furniture shops, as well as large department stores that sell furniture items, you need to target people as directly as possible – door-to-door marketing can help.
4. Sending out boring advertisements
Brochures, pull-up banners and other forms of print advertising are excellent ways to promote your furniture brand. According to research carried out by Benchmarketing, placing ads in newspapers can triple your brand’s ROI, while a survey by MarketingSherpa discovered that just over 80% of internet users trust print ads the most when making a purchase decision.
High-quality furniture is a luxury item that people spend time considering before purchasing. When creating your print ads, show how your products can create the perfect ambiance in a home by using engaging and positive language — adjectives like elegant, sophisticated, contemporary and rustic may help.
Tell people how each table, chair, and any other item of furniture can enhance their living environment or make their lives easier and more efficient. For example, a modern glass and chrome dining table can help a kitchen look more up-to-date without needing to redecorate – while a sideboard with multiple compartments, drawers and cabinets can help keep things in an easy-to-find place, as well as ensure that clutter is out of sight.
5. Using low-quality digital imagery
What about when you’re advertising online? Although print is highly effective, there is, of course, scope to promote your brand via the internet.
Images are very important when it comes to advertising furniture. According to a study by digital agency Bright North, poor resolutions lower the chance of a customer opting for your brand over others, so you must ensure you go for quality.
Imagery in advertising is hugely important in marketing today. A report by Social Media Examiner discovered that almost three quarters of social media marketers employ visual assets when promoting. Not everyone consumes all their advertising via billboards and print magazines in 2018 – are you on board with the trend to ensure your furniture business is capturing the audience that spends time online?
Whether in print or on your social media pages, high-resolution images that show the best of your products will work the best to create sales.
6. Not responding to queries and complaints on social media
A bad review is always difficult to deal with – but in 2018, platforms like Facebook and Twitter can make negative feedback more detrimental, which will make promoting your furniture brand tougher.
Social media is a great way to advertise your furniture for free, but it’s also an excellent way to engage with customers and potential customers. If you receive a complaint online, you must answer it as quickly as possible – the longer it’s there, the more annoyed the person will be and the greater the chance that it’ll be shared.
Remember that 72% of people use social media daily, according to digital strategy and design firm Sumo Heavy Industries. This is a lot of people who may be put off buying from you if they see a negative review. As Jay Baers, social media and customer services expert, claims: “A lack of response says, ‘We don’t care about you very much’.”
It’s a good idea to put someone who is trained in customer service in charge of your social media channels. This will increase the chance that any issues are resolved swiftly and positively, helping your brand maintain its good name.
In the furniture industry, creating the right marketing campaign and avoiding common mistakes can take your brand to the next level. Avoid the above pitfalls and make 2018 a success.
Gary Peeling is the CEO of award-winning London- and Sunderland-based commercial print specialist, Where The Trade Buys, which utilises the latest technology and software to produce low-cost volume print jobs, effectively and quickly.
