June 2015 | ForResidentialPros.com |
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energy for the exhibiting spon-
sors, Miller says, as well as
increased industry and con-
sumer awareness.
FOR RETAILERS
Community is vital to a lo-
cal retailer and Mrs. G TV
and Appliances has been
engag i ng it s New Jersey
community since 1935. Cur-
rent owner Debbie Schaefer,
granddaughter of the original
Mrs. G, enjoys doing so with
social media. Twitter was her
frst platform, and one she's
still involved with. She also
began a blog in 2009 and it
is now the top source of her
store's Web site trafc.
"O w ner s must ma rket
themselves as a trusted ex-
pert in their feld," Schaefer
notes. "I have been able to do
this by continuing on Twit-
ter, Facebook, Instagram and
Google Plus and I continue to
blog. This drives a lot of po-
tential customers to the Mrs.
G Website and brands us as
experts in our industry.
"Retail is changing dras-
tically and it is all about
engaging with the customer,"
Schaeffer adds. In the ap-
pliance indust r y, 80% of
consumers do Internet re-
search before they visit a
store, she says. "By giving our
customers a great experience
on and ofine, as well as our
cooperative buying power, we
continue to compete success-
fully with the national chains."
LAST WORDS
Whether you're a designer,
retailer, manufacturer or
even an industry association,
social media, used smartly, has tre-
mendous potential for your brand.
Just don't get caught up in the cat
videos while working.
Jamie Gold, CKD, CAPS is an independent
designer in San Diego, the author of New
Kitchen Ideas That Work , and upcom-
ing New Bathroom Idea Book (Taunton
Press), and a blogger, design journalist,
seminar developer and industry consul-
tant. She is also a member of the Blogger
19 and BLANCO Design Council.
Circle No. 21 on Product Card
Bloggers often increase
exposure for manufacturers'
images in their posts.
Photo:
KitchenAid