Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021 - 23

THE NKBA LIST

4 Ways to Build Social Media Presence
N K B A m e m b e r D e n i s e B u t c h k o o f f e r s t i p s t o s t r e n g t h e n a b r a n d 's s o c i a l s t r a t e g y
AS THE WORLD HAS BECOME EXPONENTIALLY

more digitally focused, companies are learning to
navigate social media platforms or trying to increase their current online presence. With digital
saturation, finding a way to stand out is key.
Denise Butchko, a residential sales consultant
for Caesarstone Midwest and the programs chair
for NKBA's Chicago Midwest Chapter, merges
her skills in design and sales and marketing to
help businesses grow. She shared social media insight during Chapter Officer Training, which was
sponsored by Monogram and Kohler Co. at KBIS
2021. Here are four ways to create and amplify a
company's social media presence.

ABOVE Illustration by

gorcbachlena/Adobe Stock.

3. KEEP IT SNAPPY

Although social media is ideal for connecting, it's not effective without careful
content curation, noted Butchko. People's media consumption habits have
shifted, creating a desire for instant gratification and a need to accommodate
shorter attention spans. Butchko said she has compared the reactions to
longform emails and shorter versions, and almost invariably, most people
respond only to the condensed versions.This means the sender needs to grab
attention quickly, with succinct copy and striking visuals.There's no time for
long, rambling introductions. By providing small amounts of information
over time, a brand can create more engaging content, build trust with the
consumer and become an authority.

1. ELIMINATE SOCIAL ZERO

" Social zero " means a company has no social media
strategy in place and therefore needs to create
one. Start by focusing on core platforms, specifically ones you like as a user, and then establish the
goals you want to achieve for each. For example,
Instagram is a popular choice for designers, so it's
a great place to start building a network. Don't use
preset templates to avoid a cookie-cutter look, and
add branded banners, images and profile photos.
" If you're at social zero, that's a problem, because
three out of four consumers say that they're going
to trust a company more when a high level of leadership participates in social media, " said Butchko.
Nurturing strong social sites is beneficial to maintain branding and build a company's credibility.
2. MAKE EQUIVALENT COMPARISONS

Starting the digital journey might seem difficult,
but it is important to remember to take it one step
at a time. A company should compare its brand to
those that are more or less equal in size, as opposed

to much larger brands, but that does not mean entirely ruling out learning
from larger players.
" You want to pay attention to what the big brands are doing, but then you
filter that to fit your own scenario, " said Butchko.
Studying major brands is an effective way to develop an overarching
idea, but it's important to remember that larger brands will always be
able to outspend and outproduce a smaller company. This is why using
similar companies to set initial goals is the best approach - it allows for
realistic expectations.

4. HIT THE BULLSEYE

By LOREN KESSELL,
NKBA Social Media
& Creative Content
Associate

Targeting the right audience is one of the most important parts of social
media marketing. Rather than throwing content at a wide audience, identify
those who will most likely consume it based on key trends and habits of
frequent consumers. Define their demographics and psychographics, which
will help generate keywords for posts and messaging. Treat posts like talking to someone in a one-on-one setting, so the reader feels more inclined to
click and read.
" Don't be afraid to be very targeted, because if you know who your buyer
is, you can focus on their habits, likes and dislikes, " said Butchko.
Another way to gain more traction is to pay for advertising within a
social platform. It's important to remember, however, that spending should
not be random. To get the most out of paid social advertising, the identified target audience comes into play, and there must be a clear goal and a
specific call to action that the desired consumer will take.
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5/11/21 7:07 PM

Kitchen & Bath Business May/June 2021

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