Recent research, by Google, indicates we are rethinking the spaces we live in. It’s not surprising that with the time most of us have had to spend in our homes, many of us are rethinking what we’d like to have around us. We’ve moved from spending a few hours a day here, to days on end, and as such this space has become our workplace, schoolroom, gym, and hobby centre. This has reshaped our thinking around expectations, and has inspired a mindset change and so too a change in purchase behaviour.
The statistics support this; many home and decor product sales trends are on the up already, and with the festive season around the corner the expectation is that many families will redirect their disposable income accordingly.
It may be that we are looking at home improvements, e.g: energy saving, water collection, lighting, insulation, tiling etc. or it may be the interior we’re decorating, e.g: mirrors, plants, furniture, rugs, curtains etc.
While some of us will look to bring in an expert to guide and assist us, others will do research to inform our purchase decisions (either locally or online).
Some ways you can leverage this trend if you offer home-orientated products or services include:
- Ensure your products are tagged and labelled online in a way that they can be easily found by those searching on this trend, your descriptors are particularly important. Not sure what to include? Google other products in the same category for inspiration.
- Increase or modify your activity on your social media platforms (and through your database mailers) to describe how your product or product meets the need for home improvement. Tell your brand story in a way that allows us to understand why we should make this purchase from you now. By planning the posts together and then scheduling them, you will also be able to be effective, as well as time-efficient.
- Identify, and consistently include, relevant trend hashtags in your social media posts so that you can ‘join the conversation’ on key home and decor trends. Five hashtags are the recommended maximum so don’t overdo it or choose ones that are directly related to your product.
- Consider expanding your presence on social media by adding an additional platform on which to promote your products. Choose the platform most relevant to your audience i.e. Pinterest may be a good space for sharing aesthetic aspects of a product, it is a place where people go for that dose of inspiration.
- Start, or increase, digital advertising spend to broaden your brand’s reach by looking at opportunities such as Google Adwords, or Facebook Boosting. By spending a small amount of money, e.g: R30, over a short period (24 hours) to a tightly defined group, you can reach approximately 2000 to 3000 people. You can have a very cost-effective campaign for as little as R200-R300 a month.
Don’t sell a product or service that easily ties into this home and decor trend? This season’s tight budgets mean people are weighing up spending on home and decor products relative to yours, they’re making choices. So ask yourself about the value of the experience you can offer. If you are in accommodation, perhaps it’s a focus on restorative care after a long year of the same scenery. If you are in the health field, draw attention to the quality of life benefits the procedure will offer. Reframe your product or service to help them see you differently and value your product or service more.
And just a reminder, no matter your product or service, 80% of the buying decision is made digitally; before they contact you. Investing in refining your brand’s digital experience is now, more than ever, an essential part of being perceived as remarkable.
Over the next few weeks we will be sharing more on trends that are here to stay after COVID-19 so keep an eye out for the next in this series.