Atlanta Market – Furniture Today https://www.furnituretoday.com Mon, 23 Oct 2023 17:36:54 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.2.2 https://www.furnituretoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/favicon.png Atlanta Market – Furniture Today https://www.furnituretoday.com 32 32 You can take it with you at the Atlanta Fall Cash & Carry https://www.furnituretoday.com/americasmart/you-can-take-it-with-you-at-the-atlanta-fall-cash-carry/ Tue, 24 Oct 2023 12:32:40 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=310066 Andmore’s Fall Cash & Carry event offers buyers an opportunity to source same-day products across home and gift temporary exhibits and permanent showrooms ...

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ATLANTA – Andmore’s Fall Cash & Carry event offers buyers an opportunity to source same-day products across home and gift temporary exhibits and permanent showrooms, including those of a number of indoor and outdoor furniture producers. The event is set for Nov. 6-8 at AmericasMart Atlanta.

The final Cash & Carry market of the year will showcase nearly 400 permanent showrooms and more than 80 temporary exhibitors.

Temporary exhibitors, offering jewelry, accessories and gift items, will be on in Building 3, Floor 1, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Nov. 6-7 and 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Nov. 8. Exhibitors with permanent showrooms will be writing orders and selling samples, with home décor in Building 1, gift in Building 2 and apparel and accessories in Building 3. The will be open each day from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.

For more information, visit www.AmericasMart.com/Markets/Fall-Cash-and-Carry.

See also:

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Outdoor Design Days provided fall follow-up to inaugural Casual Market Atlanta https://www.furnituretoday.com/casual-market/outdoor-design-days-provided-fall-follow-up-to-inaugural-casual-market-atlanta/ Thu, 12 Oct 2023 14:16:50 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=309596 Following the inaugural Casual Market Atlanta in July, Andmore’s Outdoor Design Days at AmericasMart Atlanta welcomed retailers and designers ...

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ATLANTA – Following the inaugural Casual Market Atlanta in July, Andmore’s Outdoor Design Days at AmericasMart Atlanta last month welcomed retailers and designers to discover additional casual resources this fall.

“Outdoor Design Days not only offered casual and outdoor retailers an additional Q4 buying opportunity, but also introduced cross-category retailers and interior designers to a popular consumer category,” said Bob Maricich, Andmore CEO. “The success of the inaugural Outdoor Design Days signals the beginning of year-round exposure for casual resources at AmericasMart Atlanta.”

Outdoor Design Days, held Sept. 18-20, showcased some 50 casual permanent showrooms, spanning four contiguous floors at AmericasMart Atlanta. The event concurred with Andmore’s Fall Market at AmericasMart Atlanta and Discover ADAC at Atlanta Decorative Arts Center.

Attendees included local and regional interior designers, furniture stores and outdoor/patio retailers, and casual-focused events and seminars provided education and networking opportunities for marketgoers.

Casual furniture and outdoor living resources will continue to expand at AmericasMart Atlanta, with the opening of 15 new showrooms in time for the Winter 2024 Atlanta Market, Jan 16-22, 2024. With this additional 65,000 square feet of permanent showroom resources, AmericasMart Atlanta’s Building 1 will house nearly 400,000 square feet of casual showrooms.

The second annual edition of Casual Market Atlanta is set for July 15-18, 2024, concurring with Atlanta Market, July 16-18, 2024.

See also: Outdoor for the win: Retailers and exhibitors give thumbs up to first Casual Market Atlanta

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Armen Living to introduce 300 new collections, announces big showroom expansions https://www.furnituretoday.com/new-products/armen-living-to-introduce-300-new-collections-announces-big-showroom-expansions/ Fri, 29 Sep 2023 12:29:45 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=308923 The contemporary case goods and upholstery supplier will launch more than 300 new collections at the coming High Point Market.

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HIGH POINT – Contemporary case goods and upholstery supplier Armen Living will launch more than 300 new collections at the coming High Point Market, with a focus on expanding its dining and outdoor lineup.

Thirty new dining sets will be launched, featuring stone and wood tops and metal and wood bases. New dining chairs feature high-performance fabrics with various color options, paired with a wide selection of metal finishes. New introductions also will include a wide selection of bar tables, barstools and bar chairs, which now covers more than 500 total SKUs to choose from in their bar category. Outdoor intros will include dining, bar, living, occasional and lounge furniture.

“We are excited to welcome guests to the fall market and to show clients the expansion of our dining and bar divisions,” said Reb Nicholson, national sales manager. “These are two of our best-selling categories and offer a wide variety of modern, contemporary to traditional design styles. It is paramount for our design and trade customers to be able to see, touch and feel each of our newest collections and to experience firsthand the larger assortment of our affordable luxury products we showcase at markets.”

The company is also expanding outside of High Point. It’s opening a permanent showroom at AmericasMart for the coming January Atlanta Market, and it is tripling the size of its Las Vegas Market showroom for January. The Las Vegas space will become the company’s largest showroom on the West Coast.

“The success we have found creating our own designs has helped to add fuel and creativity to our design team and to be more innovative in their product designs,” Kevin Kevonian, company president. “This has also helped to grow our container business, which has led to an increase in our annual sales and our company by being able to invest in larger showrooms. These showroom expansions have allowed us to feature even more introductions at market and provide us with more space to host our customers and to meet new buyers.”

See also:

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Jensen Outdoor launches designer education video series https://www.furnituretoday.com/outdoor-furniture/jensen-outdoor-launches-designer-education-video-series/ Tue, 19 Sep 2023 10:32:34 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=308419 "Outdoor Confidential" goes behind the scenes to bridge "design inspiration and hands-on knowledge."

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SANDSTON, Va. — Jensen Outdoor, a producer of luxury outdoor wood furniture, has launched it video series on YouTube: “Outdoor Confidential.”

The inaugural episode provides a behind-the-scenes view of Sunbrella, the designer and manufacturer of luxury outdoor fabrics.

“’Outdoor Confidential’ is our bridge between design inspiration and hands-on knowledge,” said Phillip Crowe, marketing director, Jensen Outdoor. “Our collaboration with Sunbrella embodies our collective vision of taking outdoor spaces to unparalleled heights.”

The premiere showcases chats with Sunbrella team members, revealing insights on topics from its “Color to the Core” technology to its sustainability pledge.

Matching Sunbrella’s ethos, Jensen Outdoor upholds sustainability using 100% FSC-certified Ipe timber from Bolivia’s tropical forests.

Crowe added, “Outdoor design transcends mere aesthetics; it’s about crafting experiences. ‘Outdoor Confidential’ offers viewers an immersive journey into the future of exterior design.”

See also: First-ever Outdoor Designs Days part of 3-shows-in-1 in September

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Now live! New webpage shows market news as it happens https://www.furnituretoday.com/las-vegas-market-furniture-show/now-live-new-webpage-shows-market-news-as-it-happens/ Fri, 28 Jul 2023 15:10:08 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=306409 New Live From Market webpage houses all of the at-market content created by our editors as they report directly from an ongoing tradeshow.

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To keep buyers up to date on everything going on at the major markets, Furniture Today has launched a new webpage called “Live From Market.” The new page houses all of the at-market content created by the editors that are reporting directly from the current ongoing tradeshow, like the upcoming Las Vegas Market. In fact, the new Live From Market webpage launched today, just in time for Las Vegas Market.

Viewers will have access to the news as it happens, including any product trends noticed at market, new product introductions, seminar and panel recaps, business insights and more.

“Our team has always worked hard to bring retailers news of the latest market trends and products, but since many retailers’ travel budgets have shrunk due to economic concerns, we thought it was time to up the ante,” said Lenise Willis, digital content strategist of BridgeTower Media’s Home Furnishings Division, parent company of Furniture Today, Gifts & Decorative Accessories, Home Accents Today, Designers Today and Home Textiles Today.

“This new page that lives on each of our sister publications’ websites will give an exciting look at what’s happening during a major market, through our editors’ eyes who are the ‘boots on the ground.’ Even if a buyer isn’t able to travel to a show, they can now visit our page and feel like they are there.”

When viewers see the “Live From Market” bar above the logo on the Furniture Today website, they’ll know that the team’s editors are covering a market and reporting on it. To access the page, viewers can click here or see the ticker of Live From Market articles at the top of the home pages. Or go to any article page and click the “Live From Market” button on the right side of the page. The “Live From Market” button at the top of the homepage will only appear at the top of the website when editors are physically at a major tradeshow and are reporting directly from it. This ensures that viewers are getting the latest and most enriching content.

“We tried to replicate the excitement — and learned behavior — from Instagram Live,” Willis said. “Just like how a user’s profile picture glows orange to signal to followers that they are ‘live,’ our site will have a button at the top that says ‘Live From Market’ that signifies our editors are currently covering a tradeshow and producing content for this new destination site. Of course, our hope is that viewers will also bookmark the page and make it a habit to visit it anytime they are curious about a major market.”

Furniture Today’s Live From Market webpage will appear when editors are at Las Vegas, High Point and Atlanta markets.

Check it out to read up on the latest market happenings. You’ll find product galleries, the latest market news, editors’ product picks, trend alerts, market videos and even the latest social-media posts all in one convenient place.

See also:

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9 design sessions slated for Atlanta’s three September events https://www.furnituretoday.com/atlanta-market/9-design-sessions-slated-for-atlantas-three-september-events/ Wed, 26 Jul 2023 11:52:50 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=306379 9 design-driven, educational sessions are set for September at Andmore's two Atlanta campuses: AmericasMart Atlanta and the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center.

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ATLANTA – Andmore, formerly known as International Market Centers, will host nine design-driven, educational sessions in September at its two Atlanta campuses: AmericasMart Atlanta and the Atlanta Decorative Arts Center.

The sessions will run in conjunction with AmericasMart’s Fall Market and the International Casual Furnishings Assn. Outdoor Design Days, Sept 18-20, and the Discover ADAC, Sept. 19-21.

AmericasMart will offer three educational programs, each set for 11:30 a.m. in Building 1, 14th floor:

  • Design to Dollars: How the outdoor category can help you grow your business, presented by Cindy Hodnett of Designers Today and Furniture Today, on Sept. 18
  • Sherwin-Williams ColorMix, presented by Rachel Moeller, on Sept. 19
  • A third session, with subject and presenter to be announced, Sept. 20

ADAC will offer two keynote presentations with interior design panels, color education and product introduction alongside showroom presentations and book signings.

  • Sessions on Sept. 19 are The Power of the Past in Present Design, presented by Margot Shaw, of Flower Magazine, interior designers Barry Dixon and Jared Hughes and Matt Gomez, owner of Jean Monro; and Defining Chic: The World of Carrier and Company, presented by Jessie Carrier and Mara Miller of Carrier and Company and Betsy Riley, of Atlanta Magazine.
  • Sessions on Sept. 20 are The Power of Authenticity, presented by architect Stan Dixon and Ellen McGauley, of Veranda; and Design Influence Beyond the Eurocentric Lens, presented by Kate Abney of Luxe Interiors + Design Southeast Homes with design professionals Beth Webb, Cheryl Luckett, Kelley Lentini, and Berkeley Minkhorst
  • Sessions on Sept. 21 are Forces of Nature, presented by Michael Del Piero of Good Design and Rozanne Jackson of The Iron Gate, and moderated by Leslie Newsom Rascoe of Milieu; and The Art of Color: Powerful Palettes & Visionary Design, presented by Lauren Iverson of Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles, with interior designers Melanie Millner of The Design Atelier, Monet Masters of Forbes Masters and New York-based designer David Frazier.

Sessions are presented daily at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

See also:

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Andmore realigns leadership in operations, marketing and digital teams https://www.furnituretoday.com/furniture-people/andmore-realigns-leadership-in-operations-marketing-and-digital-teams/ Mon, 24 Jul 2023 20:52:12 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=306250 Andmore, formerly known as International Market Centers, has made several promotions and new hires, which it says creates full organizational alignment with ...

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HIGH POINT – Andmore, formerly known as International Market Centers, has made several promotions and new hires, which it says creates full organizational alignment with reimagined roles in operations, marketing and digital innovations.

“Our new Andmore corporate vision is coming to life through strategic organizational updates that will allow us to further optimize the buying and selling experience for our customers,” said Bob Maricich, Andmore CEO. “We are elevating Andmore experts and welcoming new talent to lead the innovations that will enhance and extend of the value of our physical markets for both buyers and sellers.”

Operations

Andmore is streamlining its operations team with a new reporting structure. Each of the Andmore campuses in Atlanta, High Point and Las Vegas will have a single operations lead overseeing both building operations (property management and tenant relations, security, and facilities) and market operations (logistics, tradeshow, event sales, and event operations).

Jennifer Muna has been promoted to senior vice president of operations for Las Vegas and Shoppe Object. She has worked with Andmore for nearly six years, with management responsibilities for tradeshow, food and beverage and amenity operations during the High Point and Las Vegas markets.

Mike Magnotta has been promoted to senior vice president of operations for Atlanta. He has worked on the AmericasMart campus for 14 years transitioning from managing director, sales and operations for AmericasMart to vice president, logistics and tradeshow operations and later vice president, market operations for Andmore. In his expanded role, he will work closely with industry veteran, Bob Schuler, senior vice president of event sales and event and tradeshow operations, in the management of Andmore and third-party events at the Atlanta Convention Center at AmericasMart.

Jeff Gravitt has been promoted to senior vice president of development and construction. He will continue to lead capital and tenant improvement projects across the Atlanta, High Point and Las Vegas campuses in a centralized role. He has worked with the organization for nine years with his AmericasMart responsibilities expanded to Las Vegas and High Point properties after the organizations merged in 2018.

Muna, Magnotta and Gravitt report to Greg Avitabile, Andmore executive vice president, chief operations officer.

Marketing

In its marketing organization, Renee Loper-Boyd has been promoted to senior vice president of product marketing. In an expansion of her responsibilities, she assumes strategic direction of Andmore’s apparel category as well as digital product offerings in addition to her current responsibilities for the gift, home decor and furniture product and market categories.

Loper-Boyd has worked with Andmore for more than eight years as vice president of marketing with her responsibilities for Las Vegas Market, the Las Vegas Design Center and Andmore’s High Point Market properties expanded to Atlanta Market and the AmericasMart year-round offerings in 2020.

Renae Brown has been promoted to senior vice president of customer insights. In her new role, Brown and her teams are charged with working cross-departmentally to create a 360-degree view of the customer, create and manage customer feedback loops, and understand marketing channel impact and optimization.

Brown will continue to manage the market registration process while also taking on the added role of overseeing the Buyer Services Team, as well the inbound Customer Relations team. She has worked with Andmore for nearly 11 years, starting as strategy manager and most recently as vicew president of marketing analytics.

Sarah Mount has been promoted to senior vice president of integrated marketing. She leads a consolidated team that works with the product marketing team to develop global marketing strategies, translating those into channel-specific execution plans. They also leverage data and analytics from the Customer Insights team to drive marketing channel optimization.

Mount joined the IMC staff as director of content and interactive media after its 2011 formation. She transitioned to AmericasMart as executive director of marketing and later Vice president of marketing for its home, gift & rug portfolio. Most recently, she was vice president of digital marketing and content. Loper-Boyd, Brown, and Mount report to Karen Olson, Andmore executive vice president, chief marketing officer.

Digital

Andmore has added two to its Digital Innovations team: Sven Koppany joins as senior vice president of digital innovations, and Tanner Pratt joins as senior vice president of insights cloud and engineering.

Koppany will lead the design and adoption of mechanisms that create compelling experiences for buyers and sellers using new and innovative technology. Previously, he spent six years at Amazon Web Services. He has a B.S. in Computer Science from Southern Polytechnic State University and an M.S. in Computer Science from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Pratt will be responsible for developing Andmore’s data capabilities to deliver compelling insights to buyers and sellers. He joins Andmore from AWS where he was global head of data streaming. Pratt has an M.S. and B.S. in Management Information Systems from Brigham Young University.

Koppany and Pratt report to Chief Digital Officer Mark Crowther.

See also:

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How Andmore parent Blackstone surpassed $1 trillion in assets https://www.furnituretoday.com/financial/how-andmore-parent-blackstone-surpassed-1-trillion-in-assets/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:13:16 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=306170 In its second quarter earnings report, the New York-based investment firm noted a significant threshold for managed assets.

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NEW YORK — Blackstone, parent company of Andmore (formerly known as International Market Centers), revealed this week that its managed assets crossed the $1 trillion threshold.

In releasing its second quarter earnings on July 20, the New York-based investment firm reported that its total assets under management were valued at $1.001 trillion in the quarter, a 6% increase year-over-year.

“Blackstone is the first alternative manager to surpass $1 trillion of assets under management. This milestone reflects the extraordinary trust we have developed with our investors — built through performance — as well as our distinctive position as an innovator,” CEO Stephen A. Schwarzman said in a statement. “We believe we are in the early stages of the long-term growth of the alternatives industry, providing a vast opportunity for further expansion.”

Andmore, which owns and operates Las Vegas Market, Atlanta Market and many key High Point Market properties, was acquired by Blackstone in 2017.

See also:

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Straight from Atlanta: 3 experts in ‘home’ discuss what works and what doesn’t https://www.furnituretoday.com/retailers/straight-from-atlanta-3-experts-in-home-discuss-what-works-and-what-doesnt/ Fri, 21 Jul 2023 13:05:00 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=306172 During an Atlanta Market panel, two retailers and a trend expert share how brands can engage, diversify and adapt to today's environment.

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ATLANTA — In today’s constantly changing environment, the customer is in the driver’s seat, guiding retailers and business owners to adapt to their needs, habits and preferences. To stay in business and ahead of the curve, brands have to have a strong sense of self and yet also be malleable.

During a panel discussion at Atlanta Market, two Home Accents Today Retail Stars, guided by one of its trend advisors, shared how they hone their brand identity, evolve with the changing marketplace and engage with their customers. Moderated by Allison Zisko, editor in chief of Furniture Today’s sister publication, the panel included Cheryl Kees Clendenon of In Detail Interiors in Pensacola, Fla., April Warner of Oakland Home Store in central Ohio, and trend and lifestyle expert Tom Mirabile of Springboard Futures.

Highlights of the panel included:

Knowing your customer and brand identity

All of the panelists agreed that the first key to success is having a strong understanding of your brand identity and target customer. Retailers should be more focused on catering to their ideal customer rather than getting caught up on passing fads or trends.

Mirabile recommended that every business do a brand exercise and develop an “avatar” of who their regular customer is and who their target customers are. Indie “consumers aren’t trend oriented,” he reminded them, saying that trends are typically for the big-box stores, whereas independent retailers will draw in customers through their brand personality, atmosphere and experiences offered.

“We’re the outlaw and the magician,” said Kees Clendenon. “We’re not for everyone, and I don’t want to be because I’m not a big-box retailer. You have to go out and grab those people that are right for you. You have to know your ideal customer or clients … you have to have a fine point on that, and not just say, ‘hey, I’m open to anybody that comes in with green dollar bills.'”

Warner said that 70% to 80% of her store’s customers are their “avatar,” meaning the customers that they have determined are their ideal customer and that they have painted a picture of to better understand them. “The rest of our customers are an eclectic mix of consumers: the travelers, the curious,” she said. “When you walk into a big-box store, you’re gonna see the trends, and you can’t compete with that. We’re here for adventurers; we’re people’s happy place, and we’re constantly changing.”

“The best way to compete is by not competing,” Mirabile added. “People go to independents for relief” and for a break from what they’re seeing everywhere else.

HAT Retail Stars panel poses at Atlanta Market
Home Accents Today Editor-in-Chief Allison Zisko, left; Cheryl Kees Clendenon, In Detail Interiors, Pensacola, Fla.; April Warner, Oakland Home Store, central Ohio; and Tom Mirabile, Springboard Futures.

Determining strengths and weaknesses

Of course, it’s also important to play to your strengths in order to stand out from the rest. Mirabile recommended that every retailer and business owner determine what their strengths and weaknesses are and “don’t be easy on yourself,” he said.

Called a “SWOT” analysis, the process involves business owners determining their Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats. Complete this exercise on a regular basis to stay on track and continue to grow.

Diversifying products and experiences

Although all three panelists agree that you should have a strong brand identity, that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be flexible and respond to what’s happening in the world.

Warner gave a great example of how her store responds to their surroundings and current conversations. “During the pandemic, for example, people were wanting to lounge more in their outdoor space and not just dine, so we added more” outdoor living items, she said.

Kees Clendenon shared that her store’s turnover isn’t typical, but she regularly moves product around and recreates displays to keep the space looking fresh and new. She also reiterated that her store isn’t “a slave to trends” and instead sources products that are carefully curated for the customer in mind.

“Relevance is dependent on your audience,” Mirabile added about why retailers shouldn’t rely too heavily on what’s trending in the masses. “Trend is material, experiential, how they want to feel.” One trend Mirabile pointed out is that of the at-home cocktail movement because the popular products are more about the trend of experiencing something with friends.

Offering a variety of in-store events is also key to differentiating yourself from other businesses.

Oakland Home Store has seen great success with its “wine corner” and wine tastings on the weekends (since they have a liquor license), as well as its various workshops. Warner called attention to her store’s ABCs of Decorating workshop, in which they taught customers how to decorate their homes with the items in the store. “If you teach them how to be successful with a product, then they’re more likely to buy it,” Warner said.

Mirabile chimed in, adding that having areas in your store where customers can interact with the product also encourages sales.

Smart marketing

Of course, getting the word out about how great and unique your business is is also important to its success, which is why marketing is key. Some of the ideas mentioned during the panel included working with a local charity or organization, offering your store up as a free event space for birthday parties and more, and giving customers a free item out of a grab bag if they write a review about the store or an in-store event.

“Currency isn’t all about the money in the bank,” Kees Clendenon said. “Residential currency is really important to all of our profit centers.”

She also works with the Visitors Bureau and looks for any local partnerships that might be good for co-op advertising, too. Another idea shared included sending branded notecards with a gift card inside, because “who isn’t going to like someone who gives them a present?”

See also: Understand the shopper journey and then be there, every step of the way

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The ultimate starter guide to building a more meaningful, consistent social media presence https://www.furnituretoday.com/americasmart/the-ultimate-starter-guide-to-building-a-more-meaningful-consistent-social-media-presence/ Wed, 19 Jul 2023 20:22:12 +0000 https://www.furnituretoday.com/?p=306096 Feeling stuck with your social media strategy? Not sure you even have a strategy? Check out this presentation from Atlanta Market.

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ATLANTA – Are you a retailer looking to break out of your social media rut? Want to work on creating or refining your strategy or planning process? Just need help getting more meaningful and consistent results and engagement? Crystal Vilkaitis, founder of Crystal Media Co., had a must-see presentation at the recent Atlanta Market.

Opening up her seminar with the list of reasons why a company’s social media presence might be failing, Vilkaitis dove into what businesses have to stop doing before going into the new “rules” of social that can help guide them out of those common pitfalls.

“Fear of failure – putting ourselves out there – is a big one,” began Vilkaitis. “We’re over reliant on ‘what works now’ targeting, a big one for our retailers. They have the best store and the best products and the best team and think ‘people are going to love us,’ and so you don’t put yourself out there.

“You’re not marketing because you know you’re great, and you feel uncomfortably resistant, and because we just feel like we’re the best, people will tell people for us we think. But we can’t rely on that. We have to make sure that we’re doing the job of marketing.”

Changing technology – something that seems to happen faster and faster every day – has also been a pain point when it comes to social media confidence and resistance to change per Vilkaitis. Many retailers did not grow up with cell phones and computers, and that has made them resistant to learning and leaning into those tools.

Comparison has also been a thief of social media joy for many according to Vilkaitis, who recounted the story of a local retailer near that was choosing not to invest in social media because a store a few doors down from her did well online. That retailer chose not to even try what that other retailer was doing for fear of not doing it as well.

“So we have this resistance, it makes us put it (social media) on the back burner,” continued Vilkaitis. “Then there’s also the dip. … There’s this thing that happens with us when we learn new technology, new strategies, social media marketing. And sometimes it feels uncomfortable, and we can find ourselves in the dip where all of a sudden things come up – ‘oh, yeah, that won’t work for me. I can’t do that. I feel overwhelmed. I feel overwhelmed’ – and we’re stuck in that dip not doing anything.”

To get out of that resistance dip, Vilkaitis said you first have to recognize and acknowledge where you are, and that learning and changing is a process.

“I don’t have to do everything I’m learning today because this is a process and it can take time,” explained Vilkaitis. “I can just observe and listen and learn, and then sort through what is going to be making the best sense for me going forward.”

Planning is the second biggest hurdle holding many back.

“Often when we’re busy running our stores, wearing a million a hats, we don’t really have a plan with our social,” said Vilkaitis. “Or, we just have no system for who is posting what and when.”

To overcome that, Vilkaitis said you have to design a “winning slot machine,” a system and team that can be used or “pulled” over and over again to see continuous results.

To start designing that system, Vilkaititis suggest starting by answering and establishing the following five things about your social media goals and plans:

  • Clarity on what you want to achieve
  • Courage to take action
  • Commitment to a plan
  • Consistency through a system
  • Help! A team to support you

Once you and your team are committed and clear on the above five, Vilkaitis said social media becomes about management and processes, which she breaks down in a simplified version of Crystal Media Co.’s Research Roadmap training course.

There are four parts of that training – foundation, content, processes and turning up the volume on what you’re doing – and for her seminar at Atlanta Market, Vilkaitis chose to focus on process, which she broke down in terms of car parts: Trip details stand for metric monitoring; accountability is navigation; tools, apps and software are the car’s maintenance; content plans are the fuel; and artificial intelligence (A.I.) is rocket fuel.

For Vilkaitis’ presentation, she focused in on the content plan and an everyday strategy she has dubbed “the daily five,” created to help retailers post to social media every day in five minutes or less.

“Your fuel is the content plan because that’s the biggest part of your social,” she explained. “What am I posting? Where am I posting it? How often am I posting it?”

The daily five includes the following five steps:

  • When brainstorming content and posts, think of what your favorite customers would want to see.
  • To attract the right people who resonate with you and your business, you need to be authentic.
  • Jump right in; especially when creating video content, you need to get to the point with little to no intro.
  • Seek out and make content that fits into one of the SHARE (Story, Human, Arrivals, Relevant, Events) categories.
  • You cannot just post your content and log off.  You need to take a few minutes to scroll and engage with your customers and who you follow.

As part of building on that foundation, content and process, Vilkaitis encourages retailers and their teams to set an alarm or reminder to do the daily five to be sure they are getting it done. Consistency is key in making the process more comfortable and more successful, she said.

Daily posting creates momentum, and once the team starts seeing results, retailers can move to the last step of her processL amplifying. Amplifying can include making new goals and taking on advertising, new social media sites, more posts, new content types and more.

“It’s an incredible time to own a business and be a marketer, because we have the opportunity to connect with customers every single day, multiple times a day,” said Vilkaitis. “Instead of saying ‘I have to use social media,’ I really want you to say ‘I get to use social media.’ … We have to have that mindset and commitment to it.”

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