Stationery Brands Leading The Way in Social Media Marketing
As a leading Belgium marketing agency, we love to watch brand behaviour on social media. Recently we looked at the best tech brands on social media, but what about stationery? Despite our leap to digital tools and online communication in 2020; pens, paper and writing implements are more popular than ever. In this article, our team is taking a closer look at this growing market and checking out some of its top players on social media. We will also be looking at some tips for adding colour to your own channels.
Photo by Estée Janssens on Unsplash
The Stationery Market – An Overview
Stationery is a wide umbrella term that covers paper, mailing supplies, tapes, pens and marking devices (hand stamps, & stencils). Also, paper-based products like exercise books, message notes, notebooks, planners, scrap books, writing pads and art & craft supplies.
The stationery market is often dismissed as being outdated but, this is a market with an overall visibility elevation of 16%. The global stationery products market size is expected to reach USD 128.5 billion by 2025 and specific products are seeing a huge resurgence in popularity.
Beautiful “Instagrammable” stationery products are seeing a huge surge in sales. Planners, notebooks and diaries in particular. On Instagram, the hashtag #planneraddict has nearly 4.5 million mentions. On the search engines, the most competitive term – ‘pencil case’ – gets 60K+ a month in search volume.
Additionally, handwriting is making a real comeback. Not only amongst journaling Instagrammers but also in schools. Research shows that handwriting engages the brain in ways that typing does not. In addition, it improves information retention and basic reading skills. “Despite expectations that planning by hand would disappear in the digital age, it’s really rebounded,” says Amy Steel Vanden-Eykel, vice president of merchandising for Staples.
So which stationery brands are leading the way in social media marketing? Here are our top picks.
#1 FILOFAX
We are big fans of Filofax, not only because of their great products but also their social media presence. Filofax is a brand established in 1921, that has evolved and moved with the times. Filofax was yuppy goals in the 1980s and featured heavily in movies and tv shows of the time.
Filofax often nods to its history, but its image has evolved and is now one of sophistication, elegance and Insta chic. Using the phrasing EST 1921, Filofax appears to be more of a fashion house than a stationery brand.
Filofax uses relevant and trending hashtags for its Instagram images. Top trending planner hashtags include:
#planner #bujo #bulletjournal #journal #stationerylove #studygram #planner #plannergirl #luxuryplanner #planner #planneraddict #plannergirl #bulletjournal #plannerlove #plannerstickers
Filofax separates its products on Instagram making it easy for fans to find exactly what they’re looking for. It also features gift guides
Filofax has a cult following which includes groups and fan pages. This is an interesting facet of the stationery sector which also has buy/sell groups and conventions.
Filofax also shares products that reflect its story and long history. We love the Jack Collection with its whimsical pastel designs and British vibes. What we really love is that this Insta post corresponds to a blog post that promotes London and reiterates the history of the brand.
In the blog, Filofax recommends places to go in London and of course encourages us to shop the collection.
Over on Pinterest, the vibe is more home office than fashion brand. It’s really important that social media channels are unique so we love that Filofax recognises this.
On Pinterest there are plenty of images that break down the features of each product- like this one. This image was saved to The Budget Mom Wallet board. This is a very smart way to target specific users and present relatable products. Women with home offices is a rapidly increasing market segment. Additionally, 9.7% of stationery is now purchased online and 57.4% of purchases are by women.
A look at Filofax’s Pinterest boards gives us insights into their targeting.
Planning
· Know your demographic and target accordingly. Are you B2B or B2C? If you are B2B then your target may be office managers and HR departments which will require a completely different approach.
· Tell your story on social media and on your blog. Be proud of your history but make it relevant for now.
· Have a different strategy for each social media network. Instagram can be the fashion angle whilst Pinterest is the business angle, for example.
· Fascilitate groups and communities but don’t micromanage them. These are spaces for users to compare, sell, swap and share tips.
· Know your hashtags. Each stationery subset has its own group.
#2 CLAIREFONTAINE
Fun fact, Clairefontaine was our founder Marie Helene’s favourite brand of paper when she was at school! Clairefontaine started production in 1858, in the town of Etival Clairefontaine. Taking advantage of rags supplied by the local textile industry, Clairefontaine began manufacturing envelopes in 1880 then expanded from there. On the company website, we can see a beautifully laid out timeline which features a now and then look at the company.
This message is echoed in the featured video on their YouTube channel. Papiers d'émotions depuis 1858 translates to Emotion papers since 1858 is a sensual and beautiful look at the evolution of their products.
The brand makes great use of YouTube with categorised playlists that showcase products and provide tutorials for drawing and painting.
We love that there’s a whole series on how to wrap gifts. This is a great way to share your product range whilst also providing helpful information. Promoting a series like this around the holiday season would be particularly beneficial.
On Twitter, the brand marks historic days. Not only in the company’s history but also in the history of literature, paper and storytelling. We love this tweet about Hans Christian Andersen.
Clairefontaine is an ethical brand that is aligned with Unicef France and involved with ecology & environment, childhood education, sports and much more.
Their commitment to corporate social responsibility and environment is relevant too. Clairefontaine emphasises how environmentally friendly its products are. A message that’s echoed on its social channels and through its products:
Planning
· Emphasise positive environmental aspects of your products and tie them in with a solid CSR (corporate social responsibility) program. This will also facilitate beautiful content and storytelling.
· Shine a light on users of your products including artists, writers, students and teachers. You can do this by tagging their work and giving them a shout out on your channels.
· Include key dates and hashtags in your social media marketing. As the company is French, this was a significant mention.
#3 STABILO
Everyone needs highlighters and fun pens and here at Moondust Agency, we have plenty of Stabilo products! Pens with cult status – a phrase echoed throughout the website and social media marketing. Stabilo has over 1,500 employees and has been operating for over 160 years. However, whilst this is emphasised on the website, the brand’s social media is trend-conscious, inspiring and visionary. It also reaffirms that the brand makes more than just highlighters!
Stabilo’s Instagram channel is largely user curated and this is something the brand encourages on its website with the hashtag #MYSTABILO. The grid pictured below links with Instagram and tags all the artists individually. Very cool!
When you click on a specific piece of art, you get to see the artist and the Stabilo product they used to create their work.
On Facebook Stabilo provides free wallpapers for fans with a real emphasis on positivity.
Interestingly, happiness has been found to be more sharable within social media marketing. Statistically, positive social media posts prompt an average of 1.75 more positive responses from friends. We also love the way Stabilo features employees on its Gratitude story on Instagram too.
This is echoed through creative challenges which range from drawing to flipping pens! Social media challenges have gained in popularity in recent years. Of course we’re not talking about the infamous “tide pod challenge” or other bad ideas. But positive challenges surrounding dance, singing and drawing have really rocketed on Instagram and TikTok. Social media challenges play on FOMO (fear of missing out) and a desire to showcase our own creativity for likes.
Planning
· Challenge your audience to submit their work in return for being featured or perhaps to win products.
· Focus on showcasing lesser known products in action to broaden your appeal.
· Share and tag the work of your audience on your Instagram channel and website. This will hugely boost web visits and your social media audience.
· Create a positive and happy vibe around your channels. This will make fans want to read your messages and stay tuned for more.
#4 LEUCHTTURM1917
Leuchtturm1917 are the official manufacturers of the Bullet Journal notebook. We love their ethos and the content they share on their channels. Let’s kick off with this awesome piece of text on their website. “Writing by hand is thinking on paper…” In German Denken mit der Hand* translates to Thinking by Hand. A message echoed throughout their social media.
This is a brand that’s less cutesy and more impactful. It positions its products at the heart of your personal transformation, encouraging you to be better and make changes.
This is shown in images and also videos on the brands Instagram channel.
Videos are in German but with English subtitles ensuring that they reach a wider audience.
Interestingly, hashtags used are more about personal development than stationery. For example, #change #digitaldetox #metime #selfcare #comfortzone and facethechallenges.
We love that Leuchtturm1917 has tapped into the psyche of its target users in this way.
On Facebook posts are meaningful and combined with special offers. The offer below requires you to read their story to get your gift voucher. Content is key for this brand and that makes sense as they are promoting products like journals. Their audience is seeking wisdom and creative inspiration, which is exactly what their social channels provide.
We also see tips and encouragement to write, through Leuchtturm1917’s Facebook posts. The brand’s focus on detoxing the digital is right on trend too. With people around the world forced evermore online due to covid-19, numerous studies show that people are craving a digital detox. Furthermore, 37% have deleted an app or program in the past month, 27% have limited their digital intake to emails and 24% have switched off notifications or emails.
Planning
· Think beyond your products to what they facilitate. Are you helping people with their studies, wellbeing, or creative ambitions? Focus on this instead of pushy sales messages.
· Ensure your content is impactful, beautiful, and relevant. Cut the waffle and start writing great social media captions.
· Keep your events page updated with any sponsorships, expos or conventions. Events are huge in this space and may be beneficial to your brand. Moondust is an official partner and co-organiser of PlannerCon Europe an international event gathering hundreds of people from 30+ countries as well as major vendors such as Filofax and Leuchtturm1917.
· Create an official group to match your Facebook page and let the conversations flow.
#5 KAWAII PEN SHOP
Alright we admit, we are more than a little bit obsessed with Kawaii pen shop. Not only for its adorable Japanese inspired products but also for its awesome social media. The brand positions itself for Gen Z and Y (back to school and college). However, its products have a certain elegance that also appeals to millennials, Gen X and beyond. This is also aided by their sweet, but not childish, social media presence.
Firstly, the brand tells its story which is great for helping us understand where they are coming from. In the brand’s story, we can also see that they have emphasised free worldwide shipping. Great for us here in Belgium!
Kawaii Pen Shop also uses short videos and gifs to showcase products and create stationery envy. Regardless of our age, we all want beautiful planners, pens and stickers, and videos like this really sell the products:
Kawaii’s Facebook shop really is a thing of beauty. With pastel aesthetics, white backgrounds and clearly labelled and priced products, this shopping experience is a joy. The brand also has a shop on Pinterest and Instagram.
On Instagram, Kawaii shares drawings and paintings from other users. These show off their products whilst also pulling in additional fans.
The images they share are very much on brand and add to the overall aesthetic. They also inspire fans to start drawing and of course, order some stationery supplies!
And they create and highlight Stories like Spring, Reviews and Products so fans can easily find what they’re looking for.
Planning
· Decide on a clear brand aesthetic and content style and stick to it for consistency.
· Always make your products easily shoppable. You can check out our articles on Pinterest and Instagram for more helpful marketing tips.
· Showcase your products in action with short videos and gifs. Always include a shoppable link for featured products.