Showing up on social media can feel like a full-time job – not great when you’ve already got one of those, running your interior design firm. You’re trying to track conversions, building brand awareness (whatever that means!), and hoping to connect with clients in ways that make them see your designs and go “yep, I want to hire them.”
The last thing you want to do is hold yourself back from growing… but with all the important tasks on your plate, you’re struggling to figure out the strategy that will work for what your design firm needs. So, instead of letting you take another guess and hope this time it works, here are some of the social media tips working for design firms that you can put into practice right now:
Quick side note: This is exactly why I created SMM on Speed Dial – to give you direct access to someone who can help you navigate social media without having to figure it all out on your own (or waste time on strategies that weren’t made for design firms like yours).
The Secret to Social Media as an Interior Design Firm
Hint: there’s *actually* no secret.
A secret “hack” for growing on social media would be amazing! Then you wouldn’t have to spend so much time figuring out when, what, and how to post.
But alas, there’s no strategy (don’t worry, I’m sad about it too – I could make SO much money if I had that one figured out!) Instead, you’re forced to figure it out through trial and error to find a strategy that works for you.
However… while there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to social media, I don’t want you to feel like there’s no hope of finding your way, faster – so in this post, I’m sharing some of the social media tips I give my clients and membership students to help them build their online presence in a strategic way:
#1. Copy and Paste Strategies Are Out
It doesn’t matter if the strategy worked for that huge design studio you admire – just because it resonated with their audience doesn’t guarantee it will have the same effect on yours.
There are best practices and recommendations you can lean on as you craft your game plan, but you can’t expect to copy and paste what Studio McGee has done and get the same results. They built their brand at a different time, for a different target audience, and with different resources.
To grow your design firm this year, take the time to consider the unique elements to your brand – your design philosophy, your approach to working with clients, your stories and mistakes and preferences that influence how you create. Pair these with your social media preferences (maybe you hate being on camera, or conversely, you love it!) and your capacity for creating content to create the plan that will serve you and your needs.
I also caution you to be wary of following growth tips and hacks from people whose job is to be on social media, versus other designers. Creators focused on Instagram growth or making money online have a mass appeal that other industries don’t, and many of their “tips” or secret hacks can lead to burnout.
#2. Stay Consistent (Whatever That Looks Like for You)
You don’t have to publish every day on social media, but you do need to map out what staying consistent looks like to you.
Everyone has a different capacity and demands on their time, so just because another designer can post 5 times a week doesn’t mean you need to. Map out a number of posts that feel doable even on your busiest week, and stick with it week in and week out – it’ll get you much further than posting every day for a week and getting so sick of Instagram you ghost the app for months.
My standard recommendation (without knowing you and your business) is to post 2-3 times per week (and plan your content BEFORE you post to make it even more efficient!) This number might go up or down depending on your unique capacity, but it’s a good jumping-off point.
(and if you’re still stuck on where to start, join SMM on Speed Dial – you’ll get 1:1 access to me to ask any questions you have and get advice on your strategy)
TL;DR: stay consistent, not constant.
#3. Consistency Isn’t Just for Your Posting
It isn’t just something social media managers say to convince you to sign long-term contracts; It takes time to see results on social media, and changing up your strategy too soon can end up hurting your growth in the long run. Give yourself time to see how your strategy works – over at least 90 days – before you make a big change.
#4. Test, Test, & Test Again
Not to contradict myself from the above tip, but don’t feel like you have to stick to the same old same old while you’re posting. It’s important to maintain a posting cadence (say, 2-3x per week), but within those posts, you can experiment with different types of content to see what resonates with your audience (and you).
Maybe carousels with before & afters perform the best, or you find that a reel with a voiceover describing a project leads to a surge in website clicks. Without experimenting, you won’t be able to collect that important data on what drives engagement and leads.
#5. Keep it on Brand
It’s okay (and even encouraged!) to use trends to grow your brand, but don’t sacrifice the core elements of your brand for the sake of a funny video.
Trends need to be aligned with your values, style, and goals to make sense to create. You might feel the pressure to hop on a trend because you’ve seen other creators’ views soaring from it, but before you do: ask yourself if doing so is staying true to your vision?
If you want help figuring out which trends you could apply to your interior design business, join SMM on Speed Dial for three trending audios with reel prompts every Monday (plus a bunch of other goodies that are included for members!).
Ready to See Results From Social Media This Year?
If you’re tired of working on your social media and feeling like you have nothing to show for it, it’s time you had support that’s customized for your needs.
You deserve answers to your questions about content, Instagram, Pinterest, or threads, answered by a social media manager who specializes in your industry, without feeling like you have to pay thousands of dollars to fully outsource your socials.
To get exactly that, join SMM on Speed Dial, the membership that gives you access to unlimited on-demand support as you craft a unique-to-you social media strategy that you can not only maintain but use to grow your business.
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