Search engine optimization (SEO), artificial intelligence (AI), engagement, and keywords. Marketing lingo alone can make wood flooring professionals feel overwhelmed. Between managing projects and serving customers, finding the time to focus on marketing may seem impossible.
This article highlights five areas of marketing to consider for building – or evolving – your strategy to attract clients and grow your business. Here, industry peers offer practical advice you can implement, whether you have a team of one or 100.
PLANNING
Before you start throwing the various marketing tactics at the wall to see what sticks, have a purpose. Despite the perception, a marketing plan does not have to be a novel. According to Burt Bollinger, director of marketing for the National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), a simple, focused plan of only one or two pages could be the key to growing your business.
“Writing it down forces you to clarify your goals, test ideas, and build on what works. Without a plan, marketing becomes guesswork, and improvement opportunities can slip through the cracks,” he explains. “A solid plan helps you focus your time, energy, and resources on the most impactful strategies. It doesn’t need to be perfect. It just needs to be practical, actionable, and something you revisit regularly.”
Bollinger says to begin by answering a fundamental question – who are you as a business? Create a concise overview that captures what you do, who you serve, and what makes you unique. Next, define your target audience.
“Are you working primarily with homeowners, interior designers, commercial builders, or a mix? Understanding exactly who you’re speaking to helps you craft precise messaging and choose the right marketing strategies,” he says. “Finally, you need a clear plan for how you’ll reach those potential clients. This might involve posting project photos on Instagram, running local ads, attending networking events, or even something as simple as adding your company logo to your work vehicles.”
Mike Totta, owner of Totta Hardwoods in Kansas City, Missouri, says determining their target market was key to building a marketing framework.
“I think a lot of people assume their target is anyone who will hire them, but we all have things that make us unique when we bring our goods and services to the market and we need to determine who are those the best fit for,” advises Totta. “Who are you targeting geographically, demographically, and psychographically? Are you trying to reach high-end general contractors and designers, or are you trying to reach home flippers and rental landlords? Know who you are targeting no matter how you advertise.”
“Determine the three things that make you unique,” he adds. “For us, we’ve said what makes us unique is our ability to achieve the look you want, the lasting results you need, and the exceptional experience you deserve. We also say we care, we create, we connect. What are the things people want to know that makes you unique so they can determine if you’re a fit for them?”
Totta says identifying your company’s target market, three uniques, proven process, and guarantee provides a great base for crafting the message behind your marketing efforts.
ADVERTISING
One of the top ways to promote your services and products is through paid advertising. This can be done via a variety of channels, including newspapers, magazines, radio, television, social media, websites, billboards, direct mail, or emails. While all of these options may not be the best fit for your organization, you want to have some variety in the ways you try to reach your audience.
“A multi-channel approach works best when your brand strategy supports your business strategy,” says Seth Gladden, principal of The Gladden Group, a marketing and consulting agency. “For example, it’s pointless to run ads if your website isn’t ready to handle the traffic. Not every channel is right for every business.
Choose platforms that align with your audience, budget, and abilities. Start where you’ll see the most impact and expand as you grow. Marketing isn’t about doing it all; it’s about doing the right things well.”
Totta Hardwoods does Google Ads, pay-per-click, direct mailers, email drip campaigns, and social media advertising. “There’s a rule that suggests you have to reach a customer seven times before they make a decision on your brand or take action,” says Joshua Lawson, general manager of Totta Hardwoods. “So, I do think multi-tiered is the way to go because I’m sure that number has grown now with social media. All of those strategies have to go together, and it all goes to building your brand awareness and authority.”
“Good marketing is often how customers find you, trust you, and choose you. Without it, even the best companies struggle to grow. Focus on the basics: a strong online presence, great customer reviews, and consistent messaging. When done right, marketing doesn’t just bring in business – it builds relationships that keep customers coming back.”
— Seth Gladden, The Gladden Group
Bridgebay Flooring, a retailer located in Hayward, California, advertises on Instagram, Facebook, in magazines, and utilizes Google Ads. Oliver Barajas, CEO of Bridgebay Flooring, is trying to reach flooring contractors who will buy their products. He says it is important not to lose sight of your goal.
“I think sometimes companies advertise a product, wholesaler, distributor, or brand, and they’re spending advertising dollars on a brand that’s not theirs, and the sale will end up going to somebody else,” explains Barajas. “You want to make sure you are spending advertising dollars on yourself, on your company, on your entity. Talk about the brand, but talk more so about your connection with the customer.”
Rather than being generic, he says showing the customer what is unique about your business will help you stand out. “For example, when you want to buy a belt or shoes, Gucci makes you feel almost like you already have them. Connect in a way like you already have the product or how you feel about having the product.”
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE
AI is a hot topic now, but it has been around for years. For instance, it is spellchecking this article as I write, and it helps you decide what to watch next on that streaming service based on other movies you like. Bollinger notes that using AI is a starting point, not a complete solution. Think of it as a brainstorming partner that can help jumpstart your creative process.
“Start small and simple,” he advises. “Tools like ChatGPT can help generate social media post ideas, blog topics, or draft email newsletters. Design platforms like Canva can help you create professional graphics quickly. You might ask an AI tool something like, ‘Give me three blog topics homeowners would find interesting about hardwood floor refinishing.’”
Barajas likes Grammarly as a tool to help with spelling and sentence structure, ensuring that social media posts are correct grammatically. “I think it is important that people don’t lose their voice,” he adds. “My voice, my heart, and my soul are still what’s speaking on my posts. Make sure it stays personalized.”
Bollinger echoes that sentiment and notes that AI cannot replace your knowledge and judgement. “Remember that AI lacks your unique professional voice and expertise,” says Bollinger. “Use generated content as a draft, but always infuse it with your personal insights and professional perspective.”
With that in mind, be cautious about originality and accuracy. Always fact-check AI-generated content, especially for industry-specific information. Bollinger suggests using a tool such as Copyscape to ensure content originality and avoid potential plagiarism issues. Whether it is used for writing email replies or running a chatbot on a website, leveraging AI is sure to become more common and could save your business time and money.
“People often say that AI is scary, so they don’t want to use it,” says Mandy Sancic, co-owner of Olde Wood Limited, a wood flooring manufacturer located in Magnolia, Ohio. “I also remember a day when people said the same thing about the internet, and then social media, but here we all are using it daily. My thought is that as long as the technology is here, learn to use it to your advantage.”
WEBSITES
In the wood flooring industry, it often is said that a website is the online showroom of your business. Whether you are selling a product or service, or trying to reach a homeowner or distributor, it pays to have a solid website where potential and returning customers can learn about your business. In addition to having a professional-looking website, it also needs to be both user- and mobile-friendly.
“Providing valuable and relevant content, understanding your audience’s needs, strong visual appeal, and incorporating SEO best practices are what come to mind when we think of having a great website,” says Sancic.
“Marketing should be the primary focus for your company’s success. It is always evolving. Business owners should always keep on top of the trends and continue to learn the best ways to get their message across.”
— Mandy Sancic, Olde Wood Limited
Gladden notes that a website isn’t just a digital brochure; it’s an incredible sales tool. “If your site takes longer than three seconds to load, you’re losing leads,” he explains. “Flooring is visual – so your website should be, too. High-quality photos and room visualization should be easy to find.
Visitors should know exactly what to do next. Calls to action like ‘Schedule a Consultation’ or ‘Find a Dealer’ should be prominent.”
Once you have the website in place, how will you get (and keep) eyes on it? Be a resource, including content that showcases your expertise. Some examples include wood flooring maintenance tips, interesting flooring projects, and an inspiration gallery of photos. Doing so doesn’t have to be hard; gathering online-quality images of products or completed projects can be done from most smartphones, and a blog with maintenance tips only needs to be a few hundred words.
Video content is also known to capture people’s interest. “Videos can drive action, boost traffic, and increase sales,” explains Gladden. “Consumers prefer video content consistently, making it one of the most powerful tools for marketing success. Whether it’s an installation demo, a customer testimonial, or a product teaser, video tells your story in seconds and grabs attention faster than static content.”
Even with this content on your website, to maximize potential customers finding you, SEO comes into play. The American Marketing Association defines SEO as “the process of improving different website elements like content and structure in order to increase its visibility in search engine results.” Lawson says staying on top of SEO algorithms can feel like aiming at a moving target.
“We invest in SEO through AdWords mostly, but we also have a third-party company monitor our SEO to make changes to our pages and make sure we are hitting the right keywords because it’s a pay-to-play deal and Google will push you down if you are not staying up-to-date with their changes,” he notes.
According to Gladden, some straightforward ways to enhance your online presence include claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile, conducting keyword research, creating high-quality content, optimizing on-page elements, and building quality backlinks. He says implementing these strategies can enhance your website’s visibility and attract more potential customers.
“It’s important to get the marketing message out there so people will find you. If they can’t find you, it doesn’t matter how great you look. You have to have a good, strong message and a good marketing plan to get people to you first. Once they get to you, you have to have a nice website and something appealing to look at.”
— Joshua Lawson, Totta Hardwoods
SOCIAL MEDIA
To find prospective customers, you have to go where they are, and they are most certainly on some form of social media. However, being on social for business is different than sharing vacation photos with friends. You need a strategy for how these channels can help spread the word about your company.
“Determine which social media channels your clients/customers spend the most time on and then reach them where they are,” suggests Sancic. “There are so many social media platforms, it’s hard to keep up with them all. Define what is best for your company and customers and stick with what works the best.”
The most common social media channels wood flooring professionals interviewed for this story use for business include Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and YouTube. That may sound like a lot to manage, but the same content can largely be used across all of them. Sancic notes that consistency is more important than quantity.
“Believe it or not, we do not pay much attention to engagement or ‘vanity metrics’ as those numbers do not pay the bills. More importantly, pay attention to your analytics and watch what platforms/posts drive the most traffic and buying customers to your site,” she says. “We all love the ‘dopamine hit’ of a like or a share, but the cold hard truth is that they do not mean much other than making us feel good.”
At Totta Hardwoods, Lawson’s goal is to post on Facebook and Instagram at least three times per week. “Consistency is important to let people know you’re a business, you’re working, you’re active, and it keeps you in front of people,” he shares. “Slideshows are a great way to showcase your work to potential customers. Facebook is a good platform for that.”
Lawson says they have also tried to produce more video content over the past year, even contracting help with content creation with video and photography. “I look at video two different ways. I want us to create contentthat is industry specific and content that is customer/consumer specific. Mike and Ben (Totta)’s experience and involvement in the NWFA gives them a unique position to be industry leaders, so I want to put content out that establishes them as the experts, but I also want to put content out there that is helpful for the customer like maintenance tips or inspiration photos of jobs we’ve done to help a customer decide the look they want.”
When it comes to video on social platforms, Gladden recommends aiming for 30 to 60 seconds unless the content is highly engaging. “iPhone videos are perfect for quick, authentic moments like behind-the-scenes stories, customer testimonials, or social media clips,” he adds. “These informal videos foster connection and relatability, aligning with the casual, real-time nature of social platforms.”
Barajas has made business connections via Instagram successfully, including companies that have reached out from around the world with interest in being in his showroom.
“It’s a great opportunity to meet people that can end up being your suppliers or vendors,” he explains.
“Social media and real life have to complement each other, though. It cannot be on Instagram only; you have to go to the tradeshows like Expo, Surfaces, and more because it happens a lot where they say we’ve heard of you before, and we have people come all the way from Eastern Europe to our showroom just to meet in person and that speaks levels about how you can make a connection beyond Instagram.”
Don’t forget to measure how your marketing efforts are working. Bollinger suggests tracking a few key indicators and setting aside time, either monthly or quarterly, to review metrics.
“Use Google Analytics to understand your website traffic. Watch your social media audience growth and how people interact with your content. Compare new leads and completed projects against specific marketing activities,” he says. “Marketing is fundamentally about learning, testing, and continuous improvement.”
Finally, don’t be afraid to utilize an outside resource if you are unsure about figuring it out.
“Hardwood flooring people are experts at hardwood flooring, not SEO and AdWords,” says Lawson. “Find an expert that can help you walk through that to make sure you’re doing it right. It takes a weight off you trying to figure it out. You have a tax accountant, and you almost need to have somebody that understands SEO and AdWords.”
Libby White Johnston is the publisher of Hardwood Floors magazine. She can be reached at libby.johnston@nwfa.org.
Simple Ways to Increase Your Website’s Visibility with SEO
By Seth Gladden, The Gladden Group
Claim and Optimize Your Google Business Profile: Ensure your business appears in local searches by claiming your Google Business Profile. Keep your information accurate and up-to-date.
Conduct Keyword Research: Identify terms your potential customers are searching for, such as “hardwood flooring installation” or “best flooring for pets.” Incorporate these keywords naturally into your website content.
Create High-Quality Content: Develop informative and engaging content that addresses common customer questions and showcases your expertise. Regularly updating your blog or news section can keep your audience engaged and improve search rankings.
Optimize On-Page Elements: Ensure your website’s title tags, meta descriptions, headers, and image alt text are optimized with relevant keywords. This helps search engines understand your content better.
Build Quality Backlinks: Acquire links from reputable websites in your industry. This can be achieved through partnerships, guest blogging, or being featured in industry publications. Quality backlinks signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy.
Ensure Mobile-Friendliness: With many users accessing websites via mobile devices, it’s crucial that your site is responsive and loads quickly on all devices. Google considers mobile-friendliness as a ranking factor.
