Why Should You Market Yourself As An Interior Designer?
Whether you are a freelance or full-time interior designer, it’s essential to have a steady stream of clients. Building your customer base will require several strategies, whether the tested and tried clichés or innovative ways.
In the interior design business, there are many competitors and marketing plays a big role in helping establish your brand. You can implement several marketing strategy aspects in your marketing campaign to create a booming business for your potential clients. You can market to your ideal client about your new business, pricing, and discount on referrals through the word of mouth.
As business owners, it’s crucial to have know-how in interior design marketing, make follow-ups, and establish content marketing for your design career. If you are a freelancer, marketing may require some graphic design, home decor, and an interior design blog for your interior design firm.
In the interior design industry, it will require marketing efforts, marketing ideas, and marketing tips for retailers and in real estate. You can use social media platforms for your target audience and target market.
Read also – How To Become An Interior Designers?
23 Best Ways To Market Yourself As An Interior Designer:
1. Establish a portfolio
A good portfolio will be like an open book for your clients to view. You can diversify as much as you wish by using your creative ideas, style and taste. Ensure your portfolio is balanced and detailed.
Read also – How To Create A Successful Interior Design Portfolio?
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You can use social media to showcase your portfolio as it gives you the platform for visibility at all times. You can use social media posts to show off your projects, videos and insights on how to do different things. You can even use behind the scenes posts or before and after pictures to showcase the transformation in your projects. Showing behind the scenes will build trust and connection on your projects as people can relate with them.
Read also – Best Social Media Platforms for Interior Designers
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3. Print your portfolio
Print your portfolio and share it with your clients after you are done with your projects. You can also share your prospects. Then deliver them for free on your website. It is crucial to have your printed portfolios and handed over to your clients.
In as much as you may have several portfolios on your website, some customers appreciate the hard copy version. Your customers will spread the word to others building your popularity and customer base.
Read also – 12 Ways To Create Best Architecture Portfolio for Designers
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4. Collaborate with the rest
Through working with others, you learn and acquire more experience. You can build your network of customers through sharing theirs and building better relationships. Better relationships will give your more projects to work on hence, more productivity. You can invite your friend to work with you on your new projects. In the process, you will get new insights and will broaden your view of things.
Read also – Best Interior Design Communities
5. Attend design contests
Showcase your prestigious award on your business premises to build confidence in your customers and boost your sales. Awards are an indication of your seriousness and professionalism. Awards do not have to be necessarily based on being the winner, it could also be a remarkable and special mentioning by a renowned company. The connections may as well boost you on your next projects.
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6. Work together with an influencer
You can talk to several influencers on social media and offer your services in return for more exposure. You can choose influencers based on your customer demographics. You can discern their services by googling and finding more information from people who directly know them. Working with influencers will not only draw an audience but will drive traffic to your audience. They will increase traffic on your website and increase your social media following increasing your sales.
Read also – Influencer Marketing for Interior Designers
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7. Update your business cards and signature lines
Ensure your business cards represent your appellations like NCIDQ, LEED or PMP. Remember to also list your professional memberships like ASID or IIDA. Include project photos or sketches to show your work behind the scenes. NCIDQ certificates distinguish you as competent with a proven ability to design safely for code-regulated environments such as commercial projects.
The certificated may offer you the privilege to submit drawings for permitting. It will give you a niche for clients who dislike dealing with many experts. You can use the opportunity to show them how to save on time and money. You can as well discuss the whole process behind the project and seek permission from the client when sharing their completed projects.
Catching up with your old customers and reconnecting them can be achieved by your impeccable business cards. It is crucial to avail and makes sure the business card contacts are updated, including your email address.
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You need to constantly refresh your networks and update them. Ensure your recent projects are reflected and update your profile and headers on Facebook, LinkedIn, Houzz, Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat and Pinterest. Connect with both your clients and peers in the industry.
You can take advantage of podcasts by narrating your success stories and offering ideas to help small businesses that will help them take off. Podcasts are portable and convenient and your audience will listen to them even on the motion. In the end, they will be directed to your Facebook or website. You also need to work on consistency to build the bond.
Read also – 10 Powerful Networking Tips for Interior Designers
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9. Get a facelift for your website
Your website should enhance your business and not distract it. Therefore, get rid of websites with confusing navigations to your visitors. Ensure your site is searched and user-friendly. You can link up with a talented web designer and create a plan. The web designers will wireframe your website and help in optimizing it to assist in leading new clients than letting them walk away.
Read also – Best Interior Design Websites And Blogs To Follow
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10. Speak, speak!
Volunteer in panel discussions in interior design events. It will boost your popularity and attract more customers to your business. You can also participate in portfolio reviews and meet other professionals who will help you in attaining different perspectives. You can as well recruit new talents to work on your firm from the college portfolio reviews.
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11. Press publish
You can show off your expertise in writing if public speaking freaks you out. Contribute to an already established blog. You can showcase your expertise through your knowledge in certain areas and showcase in interior design articles like Help a reporter out (HARO). Haro draws influencers and offers you a platform to tell stories and promote your product and services. The platform also allows you to give your business details and blog if you have.
12. Enhance your knowledge
Your CEU’s for your NCIDQ are not enough. With the competitive globe, you need to add your experience and knowledge. It will help you remain current and relevant. Schedule time to attend conferences or join online classes. You can learn about 3D rendering and help the clients visualize their home plans. You can join a class in Revit or Photoshop or you can work with remote teams.
Read also – 12 Best eLearning Courses for Interior Designers
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13. Update your apps
Learn to use new tools like slack, messenger and WhatsApp with your team to connect with them and share new designs. You can share mood boards, Parti and concepts with your clients using Pinterest private boards. You can as well screen share projects on live webinars like team viewer or zoom or project management tools like Plutio.
Read also – Best Collaboration Tools for Interior Designers
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14. Post regularly to a blog
A personal blog will help you learn new skills and increase your career prospects. It can help curve your way into the industry as fresh, and innovative. You will need to spend your resources on improving your site. Choose your search engine optimization (SEO) effectively and improve your google search ratings to become more visible.
15. Implement using Houzz
It’s the best site to get interior design advice and inspiration. When offering your interior designs on properties and projects, share the work and comment actively. Currently, customers focus on reviews before making decisions. Then ask your loyal clients and your friends to write about how much they love your work. It will build confidence in your clients and attract more clients.
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16. Find a mentor
A successful interior designer with an established business can be a great mentor for your interior business. They can help you focus on what the market needs. You can ask to train under them and implement what you learn. You are also not limited to one mentor; you can choose several to acquire more knowledge.
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17. Establish store partnerships
You can visit your favorite interior design stores and ask them if you can leave your cards on their counters after bringing in your clients to their shops. You can also check for partnership programs run by renowned brands such as Cresta who give their clients direct access to design consultants when integrating systems in residential and commercial spaces.
18. Engage in commercial projects
Concentrate also on commercial projects and not just residential as more individuals will view them. Focus on your speciality area and maximize it. For example, if you specialize in kitchen designs, you can talk to your favorite restaurant about working to redesign the space with them in exchange for free food.
Read also – Best Commercial Interior Design Ideas
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19. Establish your marketing plan
Plan for the whole year and include all the staff including the carpenters, painters, and fabric makers to market your work. You can ask questions and listen intently as you update your plan every month.
Read also – 12 Best Digital Marketing Strategies for Interior Designers
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20. Answer questions on Quora
As a leader, share your thoughts, the process behind the business, or a project idea. Answering the questions will draw people to you outside the platform and will follow you. You will serve as an expert with technical knowledge and the psychology beyond home remodeling decisions and skills.
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21. Host a weekly show on yourself and the design specialty
If podcasts are not your ideal media, your weekly show can be a better option. You can showcase topics that you feel are effective for your audience. You can make use of user-friendly sites. After gaining confidence, you can invite guests to the show.
Read also – 15 Best Interior Design Trade Shows
22. Invest in Google ad words
Being ranked the top in Google is easy; you will only need to pay a few bucks. However, the cost will be dependent on how competitive the keyword is based on how many people are trying to appear for the same keyword. Some places will cost more for traffic such as in London.
You can determine the keywords to use by optimizing your site for SEO. When setting your advert, you will need to choose your goal. Google ads combine many advertising options such as Search ads, Display shopping, Video etc.
You will be asked about the ways you may want to reach the goal and you will be required to select your daily budget which is unlimited to any amount. The ad will have two descriptions i.e. the headline and the description. It is crucial to include your value proposition such as free consultations if your business is established.
You can maximize your revenues from Google ads by sending your ads to a landing page specifically created for the keywords. It may be a different page with a few distractions. However, you will be obliged to focus on your major business strengths.
Read also – 20 Common Interior Design Mistakes To Avoid
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23. Create your own email tribe by listing
An email listing will help you get more clients. It is a source of repeatable, and high-quality clients. You can start free by using the Convert kit which, will free up to 1000 subscribers enabling you to grow gradually. You can then set up a welcome sequence. You may decide to also send monthly newsletters featuring your latest blog posts, case studies and trends. You can grow your email list through pop-ups, landing pages, and content upgrades.
The pop-ups may be annoying but highly effective. On average, 3 to 10 people out of 100 who see an email address sign up lightbox fill it and sign up. Sumo is the best tool that can be used for your ad pop up as it allows you to customize the pop up with a headline, copy, call to action and images. It is also easy to use. Your landing pages can also convert visitors to subscribers and is a key point to direct traffic and increase your chances of sales.
Having a few forms on your website will drive people to sign up for your newsletters. The content upgrade can put your lightbox pop-ups on supercharging and increase the number of individuals who will sign up.
Read also – 15 Problems Most Interior Design Business Faces
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