Social Content Marketing + Gallery Furniture | Rob Garner, SearchHOU

#searchHOU #workhacker

Local Social Content Strategy


Introduction• @robgarner• Dir. Content Services, NA iProspect• Exec dir. of WorkHacker and The Digital Career

Center• 20 years in online marketing

– Search, social, and content practitioner– Writing and speaking about converged methodologies for 14 years

• Focus on digital marketing strategy, paid media, SEO, social, content, web development strategy

• Previously worked for Omnicom, iTraffic, Agency.com, iCrossing, Hearst


Author of one other book that launched my digital career back in 1995…

3


The Digital Career Center - Mission- Improve the quality of life for the people it serves, and their immediate families–Evangelize and advocate for digital and technology industry employment to a disenfranchised audience–Help reduce the cost of welfare and government programs to tax payers –Help businesses find new talent–Help improve local economies


The Digital Career Center• We are looking for

– training volunteers/ambassadors– Donations of laptops– Charitable donations– All donations are tax deductible


CONTACT INFO• Twitter: @thedccorg

– Hashtag #DCCorg• Facebook:

www.fb.com/digitalcareercenter• Website: thedcc.org• Volunteer email:

[email protected]


Opening

Without content, search engines and social

networks do not exist

7


Top Social Priorities for Marketers - Content


“Social” Activities are Largely Focused on “Content”


Elements of Real-Time Content Marketing

• Organizational shifts from passive to real-time engagement

• A redefining of audience• A redefining of brand to include the audience• In some cases, a redefinition of business practices• A greater commitment to sincerity• A reworking of the definition of social media to

become more inclusive of search principles• A deep understanding and executional capability in

search and findability issues• A deep understanding of building out earned

attention in social networks• A redefinition of the word publishing • A commitment to being a “marketer as media

publisher”

10


ComdataSVS

Book-marking Accounts

Press Releases

Twitter Followers

Blog

Google+

Facebook Friends

Discuss-ion

boards

Email

RSS Feed

Sharing

Passive Content Sharing and Distribution


Bloggers Discussion Boards

New Content Streams

2nd Tier visibility

Geographic keywords

Your Blog Audience

Discovery Streams

Content Tagged from Keywords

Bookmarking Sites

RSS Feed Subscribers

Popularity Streams

Twitter Followers

FB Friends

Press Releases

YOUR Publishing

Platform TriggersACTIVE SHARING —

ExtendingYOUR

Content

Active Content Sharing and Distribution


Gallery Furniture Case StudySocial Content


About Mattress Mack and Gallery Furniture

• Started in the ear[y 1980s in Houston with $5,000 by Jim McIngvale and his wife Linda

• Now has over $150MM annual revenue at three locations in Houston

• Heavy traditional media – until 2013• Mack is all about real-time marketing

• Slogans are “Today” and “Saves you money”


Gallery Furniture Notable Facts• Built on Hard Work, Great Ambition

– Mack’s work ethic in instilled in everyone at Gallery Furniture

• Influence on American Industry– Emphasis on “Made in America” has reignited American

furniture industry • Houston's Philanthropist

"We believe in 'Capitalism with a Cause'," "Why work so hard if you can't do something positive with what you earn?“

– GF had a commercial running somewhere in Houston every 7 minutes of the day at one point

• Retailing Innovator– Largest independent furniture retailer in Texas — and

bigger than most in other states • A Well Recognized Citizen

– “The most famous man in Houston”, has spoken at over 3,000 community and civic events in the last 30 years


Gallery Furniture Strategy Goals• Act fast with content production• Be nimble with response to real time news events• Amplify content through paid ads in Facebook• Cast a wide net, and produce content across a wide

variety of social spaces• Measure and reinvest accordingly• Treat every content interaction as a marketing

opportunity


Content and Social Hub

Solid Wood Blog / News

Email List

Enhanced

Content Buildout

MattressMack .

com

GF.com

EN ES

Mobile APP

Sleep Blog/ News

GalleryFurniture .com


We Identified Content Opportunities by Theme

• Houston – Geo branded and vendor terms, news, etc. No localized stories were off limits

• Wood• Sleep, insomnia, mattress tech, sleep disorders, sleep news• Houston Relocation Guide – competitive space• Community – showcase for community efforts – GF.com blog• Interior Design Guide and Newscenter• Seasonal – 12 Weeks of Bedding

– Prepare content for holidays and peak seasons


And then everybody got to work


Blogs


Blogs


Youtube





Pinterest


Twitter


Mack’s Personal Twitter Page


The Proof is in the Numbers:The Proof is in the Numbers:

Most successful social posts ever: routinely exceeding over 10,000 likes on single Facebook posts


Facebook Video



The Proof is in the Numbers:The Proof is in the Numbers:

2014 best year since 2006

Weekly sales attributed to Facebook and content posts are higher than ever ($$$$$$$) for week of XXXXXX

2013 - 2013 - TransitionTransition

2014 - First 2014 - First YearYear DifferenceDifference

RevenueRevenue +6% +33.3% +45%

Net ProfitNet Profit +11% +60% +78%


Gallery Furniture Executed on the Plan

Blog / News

Email List

Enhanced

Content Buildou

t

MattressMack .

com

GF.com

EN ES

Mobile APP

Sleep Blog/ News

GalleryFurniture .com


Results• Content plus paid amplification has redefined the GF marketing strategy• A sophisticated attribution model has been created to show social

content touchpoints which contribute to a sale• As a result, a major portion of the traditional media budget has been

shifted to real-time content marketing– Spend is currently $15,000 per day in Facebook to amplify posts and

other content• As many as 30 people work on the social content team, depending on

the time of year• GF credits social content with a significant growth in sales, and

continues to reinvest


Thank You• @robgarner• [email protected]• Fb.com/garner• 469.347.4090

mailto:[email protected]