I’ve been in the furniture business for over 20 years, and I’ve witnessed every marketing trend, from loud holiday ads to “lowest price in town” banners. But none of those tactics builds lasting trust anymore. The stores winning today treat their brand like a media company and take content marketing for furniture retailers seriously. They show how intentional video helps you tell a better story, build trust, and move product – without a Hollywood budget.
In this article, we’ll cover why intentional content wins:
- It tells a clear story about who you are
- It shows real people using and selling your furniture
- It feeds paid marketing funnels with fresh assets
- It feeds AI and search with the right signals
And it can be done on a realistic furniture budget.
The Importance Of Creating Content In Furniture Retail
For decades, furniture marketing was primarily focused on geography and creating memorable impressions. If you had a big sign on the freeway and a goofier TV commercial, you were in the game. However, today, customers have an unlimited number of choices at their fingertips. Being the loudest isn’t enough — you need to be the most useful and most trusted.
Content marketing has become the new form of trust-building. Shoppers don’t walk in hoping a salesperson teaches them everything. They research first — and your content shapes that research. It positions you as the expert before they ever pull into your parking lot.
“Most of the industry is made up of furniture companies that happen to market. The winners today are marketing companies that happen to sell furniture.”
That’s what real content does. Not fancy slogans. Not another “48-hour sale.” But clear, honest proof of who you are, what you do best, why a customer should trust you with a big-ticket purchase, and an irresistible offer that provides value and a sense of urgency.
Storytelling
Great content starts with storytelling, not specs. People remember the feeling behind a piece of furniture way more than its dimensions.
What shoppers want to understand is:
- Why this product was created
- Who it’s really designed for
- What specific problem does it solve in someone’s life
Whenever I’m filming, I ask myself the same thing you should: “What’s the story?” Not “What’s the SKU?”
Adding A Human Element To Your Brand Or Store
If your content only shows empty showrooms and static shots, you’re missing the point. People buy from people, not buildings.
In a recent video we shot while visiting an Ashley Homestore, the standout moments weren’t when we showcased the furniture. It was about the people like Robbie, the regional visual merchandiser — walking us through the store, laughing, and explaining Ashley’s commitment to staying on trend.
“To me, the heart of every great furniture store is the people who work there. They’re the guides who help customers find furniture that really fits their home and their style.”
Put your best people on camera: the owner, the buyer who knows every fabric, the salesperson who remembers every regular. That’s what turns a generic retailer into someone customers feel like they already know.
Using Content In Paid Advertising
Many retailers still treat content and advertising as separate. In reality, content is the fuel behind high-performing ads. We’re not just creating random content to post on Instagram to gain seven likes; we’re crafting content to be used in paid media ads. Instead of pushing discounts, we show clarity and expertise.
When Ashley commissioned us, their goal was to shift the story: from “cheap and disposable” to “surprisingly stylish and solid quality for the price.” The video we produced for them wasn’t a one-off — it is becoming dozens of cut-downs for ads and social clips. That’s real ROI.
More Content, More Signals For LLMs
Here’s the piece that most retailers still overlook: AI is already an integral part of your marketing.
“LLMs like OpenAI and Google look for one primary thing: consensus.”
The more high-quality content mentioning your brand on your site, YouTube, and third-party sites, the more likely you are to show up when someone asks an AI:
- “Best sofa brands under $2,000”
- “Is [Your Store] any good?”
Every review video, every brand comparison, every how-to article is a signal that teaches AI how to talk about you. No content = no signal.
How To Create Content On A Budget
At this point, many people think, “Sure, but I don’t have a production studio.” Good. You don’t need one. Most of the best content we’ve made started with basic tools and a clear plan, not a giant budget.
Nobody thinks they have extra money for content. That’s why everything I’m about to recommend is built for real furniture margins, not Silicon Valley.
You Don’t Need To Be A Videographer Or Editor
I’m not a trained filmmaker — I’m a furniture guy who learned just enough to be dangerous. You don’t need formal training, just a straightforward setup and a clear narrative.
A basic starter toolkit is more than enough:
- Your phone — modern smartphones shoot great video.
- Wireless mics — sounds scary to some, but really good ones are $100 or less.
- Daylight — free, flattering, and better than most lighting kits.
And here’s the truth, I remind retailers all the time:
“The magic of telling the story is in the editing process. That’s the most valuable asset.”
You don’t need a full-time editor. A part-time editor or light-touch editing service can handle your basics, and you can save the bigger budget for the occasional hero video you’ll use all year.
Capture raw footage of walk-throughs, chats, and demos. Let an editor turn that material into something polished and usable.
Working With Creators And Customers Instead Of Expensive Influencers
This is one of the biggest places I see brands overspend. Traditional influencers rarely move the needle for furniture. You end up paying for reach, not results.
UGC creators and your own customers deliver content that performs better and feels more authentic. UGC creators will almost always create content for you in exchange for furniture. Consider using returned or closeout stock for this purpose.
But perhaps the biggest, mostly untapped resource is your past happy customers themselves.
“Your brand ambassadors are your customers, and they’re your best source of cheap content because they already have the product.”
Give them a small credit or gift card in exchange for simple deliverables like:
- A quick phone video review
- A few styled photos in their home
- A short testimonial about delivery or comfort
The content you get is valuable because it’s real, lived-in, and far more trustworthy than anything scripted.
How And Where To Publish Content
Creating content is only half the job. The other half is putting it where it can actually influence buyers — during research, during consideration, and right before they click “buy.”
YouTube: Why It Matters Even With Low Views
YouTube is the second-largest search engine, and it’s where high-intent shoppers turn when they seek genuine answers. They search for things like:
- “Ashley Furniture sofa review”
- “Mario Capasa Mellow Sofa unboxing”
When we posted a product review, Mario Capasa review, that video became:
- A top YouTube result for “Mario Capasa review.”
- A key citation inside ChatGPT when someone asked, “Is Mario Capasa good quality?”
You don’t need millions of views — you need the right views. A few hundred targeted shoppers are far more valuable than tens of thousands of random impressions.
Your Own Site: Turning Content Into Trust Signals
Your website shouldn’t just be a catalog. It should be a library of proof that you know your stuff.
Ways to use video on your site:
- Embed review videos on product pages
- Add short clips to category pages explaining how you curate or build certain lines
- Turn transcripts into SEO articles that answer questions like “How long should a sofa last?” or “Is performance fabric worth it?”
This type of content demonstrates experience, expertise, authority, and trust — the E-E-A-T signals that Google and AI systems seek.
Paid Advertising: Standing Out With Real People
When you run paid campaigns, real faces always outperform generic graphics. Shoppers respond to people, not templates.
Use your content to:
- Retarget visitors with a 30-second demo of the sofa they almost bought
- Run a carousel of short clips pulled from your longer brand video
- Highlight staff and customer reactions instead of just pushing prices
Paid ads are where your polished edits and strongest hooks belong. Organic channels are where you can experiment, be conversational, and test ideas.
Third Parties Like Couch: Stacking 3rd-Party trust
This is one of the biggest gaps I see in the industry. Third-party authority is incredibly powerful for shoppers and for AI.
When Couch publishes a brand review or video about you, that content:
- Gives shoppers a neutral, expert-style opinion they can trust
- Shows up as a citation in AI answers about your brand
- Becomes something your team can reuse in ads, emails, and product pages
Whether you partner with Couch or another publisher, the principle is the same: you need trusted voices outside your own walls talking about you.
Make Content That Actually Matters
You don’t need perfection. You need consistent, honest, useful content that shows why your store or brand is worth someone’s Saturday afternoon — or their online order.
If you’d rather not juggle cameras, transcripts, and AI on your own, that’s literally what my team at Couch does every day. But whether you work with us or go fully DIY, I promise you this: the retailers and brands who take content seriously now will own the conversation later.
