What role, if any, will social media play in lumber distribution? The answer to Question #3 for 2015 is provided in this informative webinar for homebuilders hosted by Weyerhauser. In the webinar, Mollie Elkman at Group Two Advertising tells us, “In our industry, social media is no longer a secondary marketing medium. In today’s world, it has to be a cohesive part of your overall marketing plan. Media isn’t evolving, it hasn’t evolved – it’s 100% changed”.

In this post we referred to a survey which found 80% of lumber and building material distributors and retailers have a presence on social media. While the acknowledged challenge continues to be defining social media’s practical value to business, some might argue that “proving ROI” is a tired excuse for not committing the significant time and resources required to do it well. Clearly the intangibles are enough reason to engage. “Social media immediately breaks down that barrier between personal relationships and business relationships,” says Elkman.

Much has been written about social media “best practices”. For best practices in our industry, I recommend checking out Canfor on Twitter here. Also, the meaningful content at Weyerhauser’s blog section here is an excellent example of “posting with a purpose”. Of course blogging is merely one social platform. In the past almost five years at Harderblog, it has certainly opened many doors to expanded relationships directly and indirectly associated with lumber.

“I often hear ‘this isn’t the right medium for our buyer’ and I have to call BS on that one because it is the right medium for every buyer. It’s how you use the medium. If it’s not working for you it means you’re not using it the right way.”
– Mollie Elkman, President, Group Two Advertising