Simple Marketing Now LLC has published its November Social Flooring Index, analyzing the flooring industry’s involvement with social media marketing tools, with particular emphasis on blogs.

The November 2011 update shows that more blogs have been launched than in April 2011 (190 compared to 168), and The Carpet and Rug Institute Blog continues as most influential. These 190 blogs have generated 8,174 total conversations or blog articles over the past 6 months, or 1.79 blog posts per week per blog.

Highlights of the November 2011 Social Flooring Index update include: Ninteeen of 190 blogs have high and medium influence in the flooring social media community – a decrease of 2% since April 2011; 48% promote other social network profiles (such as Twitter or Facebook fan pages) an increase of 7% since April 2011; blogs engaged in other social networks primarily focus on Twitter, then Facebook Fan Pages. Only 4% promote individual LinkedIn profiles.

Additionally, the rate of blog post publishing is relatively steady at 1.79 blog articles per week vs. 1.877 in April 2011. Although 43.6% of conversations specifically mention flooring products, ‘home’ comes up in 35%  of blog articles, ‘time’ in 26%, ‘design’ in 21% and ‘work’ in 20% of conversations.

“Blogs constitute the hub or core of a serious social media marketing strategy. They offer floor covering companies an effective means for connecting with core customers and establishing trust with them,” said Christine B. Whittemore, chief simplifier of Simple Marketing Now. “When combined with other social media marketing tools, such as Twitter or Facebook Fan Pages, they can be extremely effective in helping company get found online.”

Credibility, trustworthiness and influence in social media marketing tools are based on publishing high-quality and customer-relevant content on a consistent basis over time. Relevance comes from addressing topics, issues and concerns in terms customers understand and relate to. Credibility comes from being transparent, connected [i.e., ‘social’] with others in the flooring community and willing to interact as human beings rather than as impersonal marketers, according to Whittemore.

“As Google has documented in its recent ZMOT [zero moment of truth] e-book, consumers start the purchase process online using digital and social media tools to educate themselves based on content they consider trustworthy and credible. Blogs, when done correctly, represent the perfect vehicle for the flooring industry,” she said.

For more information about Simple Marketing Now and the Social Flooring Index, visitSimpleMarketingNow.comor e-mailcbwhittemore@SimpleMarketingNow.com.