There are two potential reasons you’re here:
- You’ve been pouring hours into your Instagram – the strategy, the aesthetic, the careful presentation of your projects and testimonials to attract just the right client, but it’s not working.
- You’re new to Instagram, but you want to get the absolute most out of the platform, and this is just your first – or second – stop along the way.
The good news: either way, you’re in the right place 😉
My job is to get interior designers clients on Instagram – in fact, it’s my specialty. But that’s the end of the funnel; Instagram is near the beginning. So, how do your followers (or random Instagram users) find you, follow you, and book a consult? Strategic posting, a fully finished client journey, and realistic expectations to start.
Here’s how to start building the foundations, showing up, and taking your people from point A to point B – aka how you’re going to get more clients on Instagram as an interior designer:
Psst… feel like you’ve followed all the “tips” from every “expert”? Here’s three mistakes that could be costing you clients.
#1. Optimize Your Instagram Bio for Your Dream Clients
Your Instagram profile is your first impression – and the best place to start when you want to get more clients. What you decide to write is the difference between someone sticking around and falling in love with your work, or if they keep on scrolling.
Here’s the deal: you need to optimize your
Name Field
This is your opportunity to take advantage of Instagram SEO (more about that here) and make your account searchable. Have your name – or business name – AND terms that someone who is looking for you (even if they don’t know it yet) would search for. For example, “Alexa | Florida Designer for Luxury Family Homes”
Your Bio
AKA the meat of your profile. It’s 150 characters – use it carefully. The perfect combo?
- Line #1: A statement that describes what you do or who you work with.
- Line #2: An authority builder of some sort (ex. Homes designed, features, years designing)
- Line #3: A call to action directed at your link.
And before you ask – 100% YES to using emojis. It makes reading your bio easier on your eyes!
Your Link
Don’t cave to the peer pressure of getting a LinkTree. Stuffing every possible link into your bio might feel like you’re just giving options – a good idea, in theory – but you’re actually giving your followers decision fatigue.
Point to ONE link (I recommend your inquiry page on your website) to increase your chances of someone actually following through.
#2. Have a Content Strategy (Don’t Just Post Anything)
Re: low effort content creates low impact results.
If you’re committing to spending the time creating content – you might as well get the MOST out of it. Instagram can bring you your first design inquiries, it can help you sign clients for full-service design and design consulting services, and it can grow your visibility by the hundreds of thousands with one strategically created reel.
Keyword: strategically.
You’re not re-using the photo you published last week (and the week before), and you’re definitely NOT snagging photos off Pinterest OR from another designer’s IG feed – that’s copyright infringement.
There’s an easier way, and it includes:
- Creating a long-term content bank (or steal my done-for-you one here) – I recommend planning out 30 to 90 days.
- Investing in professional photography and videography of your projects – it’s a time (learn it yourself) OR money (pay a professional) investment that’ll make content creation 10x easier.
- Repurposing your content strategically – do more with what you do have and don’t be afraid to re-use old content. Just give it a 3-month buffer (most people won’t remember that they’ve seen it posted already).
#3. Get Personal
If you want to get clients on Instagram, you have to stop hiding behind your work – people want to connect with other people!! Your feed doesn’t need to look like an influencer’s, but your followers should know who you are and what you look like.
The highest-performing posts across all my clients are the ones that feature THEM – so feature YOU. Share a personal story, a life update, or celebrate something.
Share with your audience who you are and how you stand out in the sea of interior designers.
(Take this a step further and work on actually building relationships through engagement by interacting with other accounts on Instagram for 10-15 minutes a day.)
Bonus Tip for More Clients: Pay Attention to More Than Just Your Instagram
One of the biggest mistakes I see interior designers make when they want more clients is focusing too much on the lead gen – and ignoring the part where you get those leads to actually inquire: your website.
You could have the BEST strategy in the world, and have no one book a consult because your website functions and/or reads like it was built 10 years ago.
All the conversations you’re having in the DMs? They’re DOA.
^^ Dead on arrival (to your website) 👀
If you want to get more clients from Instagram, consider your entire client journey – not just your lead gen.
How to Get More Clients on Instagram This Year as an Interior Designer
If you’re only going to remember ONE thing from this post, it’s this: treating your Instagram like a digital storefront is out – getting personal and focusing on connection to differentiate yourself from other designers is in.
People don’t want salesy and confusing, they want clear and connected. Tell your audience who you are and what you can do for them. That’s how you’ll turn your followers from casual viewers to wanting to inquire.
First step: optimizing your profile.
Ready to get started? Book your IG Audit and take the stress out of social media here.
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