Social Savvy: Tips for avoiding tone-deaf messaging and tactics during rapidly changing market conditions – Aug/Sept 2025

By Irene Williams

Tariff whiplash, interest rate uncertainty, inflation fluctuations-these are uniquely challenging times across all sectors of the marketplace, including the flooring business. Regardless of the challenges, people still need flooring from reliable sources. How can you connect with customers to generate sales without coming across as tone-deaf to the unpredictability? Let’s dive into strategies and tactics to help your messaging remain viable in just about any market condition.

Be sure your customer-facing team members are up to date.

Everyone on your staff who interacts with customers is part of your marketing team. As such, team members need to understand what’s happening with the economy and current events, because these factors will affect customers’ perspectives and purchasing decisions. Encourage the team to read reliable news sources, such as FloorDaily, but take it a step further. Share key info and news links supported by your own explanations anytime you really need everyone to be apprised. Understanding of and empathy for customer viewpoints is paramount for effective marketing and foundational for lasting relationships in business and beyond. 

Schedule social posts, ads, etc., no more than a week out.

Though I recommend using social media scheduling tools (e.g., Hootsuite or Later) to queue up content in advance, I advise never setting up your posts more than a week out. This has long been my recommendation because the supporting technology can sometimes crash; if you’ve set up a full month’s worth of posts, that means more work to re-upload all that content. However, these days, I’m even more strongly recommending this abbreviated cycle because your messaging must be timely, and you need to be nimble. With situations changing fast and frequently, it’s wise to create content for shorter time frames so that you can pivot responsively if needed. It’s tough to generate and schedule posts that will be fully relevant a month in advance when market conditions are moving targets. 

Proactively communicate with clarity and authenticity.

Are you increasing prices? Facing inventory issues? Discontinuing certain products? Step up and let your customers know ASAP. Proactive messaging is always the best tactic to take, but it’s absolutely imperative during uncertain times. By taking the lead to convey challenging messaging or even mundane information in a forthright tone, you’ll transform each touchpoint into an opportunity to deepen and nurture customers’ trust. Side note: Do not acquiesce to the creation of challenging messages to ChatGPT or other AI tools; people crave truly human interactions and can often innately sense when communiqués are bot-generated. 

Risk being redundant.

Your customers are likely on information overload, soaked by a veritable fire hose of media day in and day out. Don’t presume your one-off posts and emails are reaching them. Repeat and repackage your messaging multiple times to increase chances of earning customers’ attention and use all channels and modes of communication to reach them. Turn that email to your full list into a series of social posts, a hard copy mailer, a new blog post on your website, and a paid ad online. Then lather, rinse and repeat to convey key messages and stay connected.

Prioritize connections with established customers.

When the market is scattered and smothered by rapid changes, it’s hard to acquire new customers, yet it can be relatively simple to nurture relationships and loyalty with established customers. Bearing this in mind during tough times, focus on ways to be in touch with those who already know, like and trust your business. Go beyond social posts, emails and the like to create content tailored for those presently in the fold. Offer informational/educational webinars on topics germane to your key audiences. Host an open house to answer questions and spend time in conversation. Release an educational email series for those who opt in to learn about the latest industry trends. Invite two-way communications through feedback forms and surveys. Support your salespeople so they can be in direct touch with their customers on a regular basis.

Be a trusted voice and a needed resource.

When circumstances don’t follow expected patterns, people all but clamor for insights from experienced leaders. Step up as a resource by offering helpful guidance. Create purely informative, educational social media content. Let media outlets and podcasts know you (or a designated team member) are available for interviews and information sharing. Attend local networking and association events to participate in community interactions and engagement. Offer insights through LinkedIn posts and in relevant social media groups. Your altruistic, informed presence with relevant audiences is helpful in the short term and has the potential to initiate connections that hold strong in the long term.

Highlight the value and benefits of products and services.

Sure, “pretty” is a perpetual selling point, but customers may be equally or more motivated to purchase because of quantifiable features when times are challenging. Develop messaging that drives home measurable benefits such as durability and longevity, lifetime value and ease of maintenance. Highlight products’ warranties, environmental benefits and performance testing. Promote any terms or payment plans that may ease decision-making and compel purchasing decisions. Be ready to update your content accordingly based on consumer priorities, sentiment and preference for the safest, smartest choices. 

Realize that respectful quiet can be the best marketing message.

Any time that news of current events proves to be particularly intense or emotional, your business/brand may benefit from being reserved or completely quiet amid an ensuing media melee. Consider pausing any posts, ads or marketing emails that could be construed as tone-deaf were they to go out as if nothing were unusual. A respectful pullback or cessation of marketing during widely trying circumstances is preferable to blasting out “as-is” messaging to customers who are collectively concerned about the day’s headlines. Importantly, any occurrences of respectful quiet can be quite brief (sometimes just a day or two of altered presence is appropriate) yet still be purposeful. 

All the above comes more easily and runs more smoothly when you have a vibrant, healthy marketing strategy and a finely tuned communication system already in place. Take this article as your cue to review every aspect of your marketing program: website and social media content, email newsletters, advertising, mailers, in-store signage, etc. You and your customers will benefit from your established strategies, existing channels and preparedness to pivot. 

The Author

Irene Williams is a marketing consultant with 25+ years of experience in the flooring and building-products industry. She’s also a coach, speaker and author on personal and professional development and digital wellness. Learn more and get in touch at irenewilliams.biz.