Are you making these Instagram mistakes that could be costing you clients? As an interior designer, it’s easy to get caught up in your day to day operations and overlook the perspective of your potential customers. Things feel obvious to you – but they’re not so obvious to your potential clients. But these mistakes that can feel small or unimportant can have a serious negative impact on your ability to attract clients.
How do you fix them? Put yourself in the shoes of someone searching for an interior designer on Instagram. When you do this, you can gain valuable insight into how someone looking to buy from you is going to view what you do on social. In this blog post, I’m sharing my recent experience as a customer looking for an interior designer (cause ya girl is finally updating her bedroom so it doesn’t look like the photos on the zillow listing!). From optimizing your Instagram presence to creating an appealing website, let’s explore a couple mistakes I saw many designers make – and the changes you can implement that will help you attract and retain new clients.
Oh and if you’re wondering what to do to attract clients with Instagram? Give this blog post a read. Now let’s dive into today’s post!
Mistake #1: A Name Field That Isn’t Optimized
You’re probably limiting your searchability to the people who already know your name + your business name. And if you’re Pure Salt Interiors or Studio McGee, that’s fine – but if your name is not known nationwide, you need to consider that the Instagram search bar is like Google. It’s crucial to consider the terms you want to show up for, such as “Miami Interior Design Firm,” and ensure they are included in that name field. While your name/business name is absolutely important, that’s likely already in your username. Don’t spend those valuable characters on terms that someone who doesn’t know you wouldn’t actually look up.
Instagram Mistakes #2: It’s Way Too Hard to Get In Touch
When a potential client is ready to reach out, the last thing they want is to spend precious time searching for contact information. Ensure that it’s effortless for them to get in touch with you. Put your contact information in a very-easy-to-find place on your Instagram profile and website. Consider adding a contact form or scheduler to streamline the communication process. Make it simple for people to give you money.
Mistake #3: Not Showing Off Your Portfolio (Or Not USING Your Portfolio)
Your portfolio speaks volumes about your style, experience, and professionalism – and someone looking to hire you will often make judgments based on the projects you’re posting. Avoid going inactive for extended periods as this may give the impression that you are no longer active or taking on new work. Not sure what to post? Check out this blog with 10 Instagram ideas. Invest in high-quality photos and videos – the cost of a professional photographer is worth it. And most of all, do not share other designer’s work. Not only is it a copyright issue, but it doesn’t let potential clients fall in love with what you can do.
(P.S. Using other designer’s work is one of the four mistakes I talk about how to fix in this free guide – with the solutions of course)
Bonus Mistake: Your Website Experience Matters Too.
Instagram is fantastic for building connections and increasing your brand’s visibility – but your website is where potential clients are going to go to find more information and make decisions. So don’t skip over this piece of your marketing puzzle! Provide a clear explanation of what you do and who you do it for, show off testimonials and past work, and make it easy to navigate. Honestly, a lot of interior designers I looked at lost me when I got to their website (your digital first impression matters!
How to Prevent these Instagram Mistakes from Costing You Business
By stepping out of your role as designer and putting yourself in the shoes of a potential client, you can see where the gaps are that might be hurting your conversions. Consider how they might interact with your business, what information they would look for, whether it’s easy to reach out for more information. Make it SIMPLE for them and they are more likely to pay you!
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