When Instagram first made its debut in 2010, it largely consisted of poorly cropped square photos with chunky borders and overly saturated, unforgiving filters. Nothing about an Instagram aesthetic was cohesive. However, as social media trends evolved and increased in popularity, people began to realize that Instagram can be used for more than just sharing photos amongst friends.
Fast forward to today, businesses around the world—including flooring interests—have created their own profiles, spreading the word about their company to billions of Instagram users. The lesson learned for companies in the flooring industry is that focusing on a clear, inviting, branded Instagram aesthetic is crucial when it comes to attracting new customers and staying relevant in the digital realm.
Following are a few standout examples from the flooring world.
Karastan
First impression…
Karastan’s carefully curated page showcases close-up shots that highlight quality and texture, behind-the-scenes reels and photos of Karastan shoots and events, room inspiration and graphics. It’s all designed to give consumers insight into the latest trends while inspiring ideas.
The purpose…
Karastan utilizes Instagram, a powerful marketing tool, as a means to give a voice to the brand. “Before we post, we ask ourselves, ‘Does this build our brand?’” explained Nicole Priem, senior director of brand experience, Karastan. “And if it doesn’t feel like it should live in our Karastan world, then it doesn’t make the cut. Once you are set on your brand identity you have a guidepost to determine if the content you are creating is on-brand or not. The key is consistency.”
Emser
First impression…
“We aim to stop scrollers in their tracks by showcasing pops of color and stunning patterns, as well as classic neutrals,” said Sivonna Haas, social media manager, Emser Tile. “The strategic balance of eye-catching color palettes and timeless tones engages a variety of design tastes.”
The goal of this Instagram aesthetic, according to Haas, is to provide design inspiration and to ultimately encourage customers to choose Emser.
The purpose…
“Since our aesthetic includes a variety of content types, it’s essential to strategically alternate the categories of images and videos posted to maintain a cohesive look and feel,” Haas explained. “We thoughtfully vary or combine color palettes and angles of images to look visually pleasing side-by-side in the feed.”
Daltile
First impression…
No matter which way you scroll, Daltile’s Instagram feed is bursting with bright hues and textures in the form of room scenes, curated flat lays, Design Squad influencer projects and more. It’s all about capturing the viewer’s attention.
The purpose…
Effective engagement can position a brand, company or retailer in front of an audience that they may not have been able to reach otherwise. To that end, it’s important to find your brand’s tone and make sure everything that it put out echoes that tone. “Just because you get tagged in a beautiful room scene doesn’t mean it belongs on your page,” said Bobby Alonzo, senior director of digital marketing, Dal-Tile. “So much goes into having a company page. We only have quality products so our presence on social media needs to be top notch, too.”
Anderson Tuftex
First impression…
Anderson Tuftex’s Instagram page features various textures and neutrals, mixing it up between curated product swatches, room scenes and attention-grabbing reels.
The purpose…
When it comes to designing individual posts and selecting images for the feed, Anderson Tuftex strives to be intentional with the color tones and textures that appear within these little squares. This way, the team can determine the way each post interreacts with the ones surrounding it, ensuring a high-quality page with compelling content. “Practically, we plan our posts a month at a time,” said Madeline Hankins, senior graphic designer. “Within that month, we like to think of each post as a part of an overall ‘look’ for our feed that keeps our A/T branding as the string that ties it all together.”
