When it comes to marketing interior design businesses, you have a lot of options. Instagram is one of my favorite social media channels for interior designers (if you’re curious what the other top platforms are, check out this blog post with my ranking after being a social media manager for interior designers for the last 2 years).
But, as amazing as Instagram is for a visual industry like yours, and as many leads as I see clients get from it, I also know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea. Whether the algorithm exhausts you, you don’t want to create videos, or you find the platform frustrating, there are alternatives. In this blog I’m diving into 9 methods for marketing interior design businesses that aren’t posting on Instagram.
How do I market my interior design business?
You might think marketing begins and ends with social media – but there was a world of marketing before Facebook was ever invented, and even beyond digital. There are so many options that you can find one (or three!) that work for your business, your preferences, and your clients.
How do I promote myself as an interior designer?
Promoting yourself as an interior designer and marketing your business go hand in hand. Marketing puts you in front of new eyes – eyes that are hopefully potential clients, when done right. Through this marketing you’ll promote your work, your processes, and your unique value that you bring to your client that they can’t get with other designers.
Marketing Interior Design Businesses On Social Media OTHER Than Instagram
Instagram isn’t the only social media you have available to you. Here are 3 other channels you can explore, depending on your target audience’s demographic and your preferences when it comes to content.
After Instagram, Pinterest is my favorite social media platform for interior designers. Honestly calling it a social media platform is doing it a disservice – it’s more of a visual search engine! People searching on Pinterest are typically more prepared to buy, with Sprout Social reporting that
- 1 in 3 Pinterest shoppers have an income of over $100k
- 85% of weekly users have made a purchase from Pinterest pins
- and in news that is especially good for designers, 85% of Pinners use the platform to start a new project
TikTok
If you don’t enjoy video content, TikTok won’t be for you. But if you do (or have a great videographer on your team that can assist), you may find success promoting your projects here. Certain niches do well on this platform, including short-term rental design or more DIY-focused design.
If you want to position yourself as a thought-leader in your industry, network with potential clients (especially more corporate clients) and you prefer written content over visual, LinkedIn might be a great fit for you.
Marketing Interior Design Businesses WITHOUT Social Media
But, like I mentioned earlier, marketing interior design businesses isn’t only about posting on social media. You have a lot of options that don’t require having an Instagram or Pinterest presence. Here are 6:
Invest in Your Website’s Search Engine Optimization
Many interior design clients begin their search in their local area – so showing up in Google’s search results when someone looks up “Palm Beach Interior Designer” or “Miami Interior Designer,” for example, puts you at the top of their mind. SEO is a long-game strategy that involves on-page SEO, technical SEO, and consistent blogging – but can pay off (and can have more longevity than social media marketing).
Google My Business
The next thing potential clients look at after finding you? Your GMB profile. From your reviews to past projects to contact information, you can present a lot of helpful information here for potential clients. For example:
Go to local, in-person events
Marketing doesn’t have to happen online! Whether you have a local chamber of commerce or you join a networking group, going to in-person events to meet people – from potential clients to potential referral sources to even just friends – is a marketing strategy that will always stand the test of time.
Speak (virtually or in-person) where your clients/potential referral sources will be
And if some of those events offer opportunities for you to speak (especially if potential clients are in the audience), jump on them! From summits to podcast appearances to conferences, speaking engagements can get you in front of huge amounts of people – where they will not only drive traffic to your social media channels and website, but potentially leads as well.
Reach out to your network
Sometimes, marketing is about getting gritty and reaching out to potential clients you’re interested in working with. Whether you send an email or ask for an introduction from a mutual friend, lean on your network for new opportunities (and be sure to return the favor!)
Invest in PR
PR – from features in print and online magazines to podcast appearances – expands your reach and gives you more authority in the eyes of potential clients. You can start small with local opportunities, or consider working with a PR firm/consultant to help you get in front of larger publications.
How many strategies for marketing interior design businesses should I use?
I am not recommending you try to use every single one of these strategies. Unless you have a team in place (and the budget to support!), that would quickly exhaust your energy. Instead, I recommend choosing 1-2 social media channels to market your interior design business and experimenting with 1 or 2 of the other marketing strategies. Keep track of which efforts translate to more website visits, inquiry form submissions, or discovery calls booked, and don’t be afraid to re-evaluate based on the data.
How to get leads for interior design business?
Speaking of evaluating based on the data – you might be wondering, how do I figure out if all this marketing is helping me sign new clients? How do I get new leads from my efforts?
In order for your marketing – whether on social media, through SEO, or through in-person connections – to result in leads, you need a clear customer journey:
- How does this potential client find you? Is it through a google search, your pinterest pins, an event you spoke at?
- How do they then learn more about your services? Is that information readily available and does it make them feel like you can solve their problem?
- How do they take that next step to find out more? Is it an email list or an inquiry form? Or a free discovery call?
As new clients come in, keep track of how they found you. Sometimes it’s a mix of channels (they found you on Google, read your blog and followed you on Instagram then reached out) and sometimes it just took finding one Pin on Pinterest to inquire. Around every 6-9 months, evaluate which efforts are working, which might need refining, and which you could consider dropping if they aren’t translating into progress towards your goals.
Want more where that came from?
Check out these related blog posts:
- 10 Instagram Post Ideas for Interior Designers
- Hashtag Tips for Interior Designers
- How to Create a Content Funnel for Interior Designers
And don’t forget to sign up for my weekly newsletter, where every Tuesday you’ll get 3 content ideas, 2 trending audios, and 1 social media resource for further learning.
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