Interior Design Marketing Strategies 2022
2020 hit us all hard, and 2021 felt just as intense. With 2022 well underway and life beginning to return to its new normal we are all feeling better equipped to adapt to all the change, including the way we market our services!
Whether you have a decent-sized budget for your advertising and marketing or you are looking to work more organically and have more time than money to grow your interior design business, check out our tips to ensure the right people are finding you and that your interior design business truly thrives this year and the following ones!
Pause & reflect
As we are writing this article, we are in June, marking the half of the year. This is a great time to stop, pause, and reflect on the past 6 months in order to end the year with a bang!
Whether you’re reading this in June or not, if you haven’t taken the time to slow down and reflect on your business recently this is your invitation to do so!
Too often we get caught up in the speed of life. Our fast-paced lifestyle doesn’t allow us much time to really pause and ask ourselves what is working and what is not. We’re often caught up with busy tasks, we put aside the long-term strategy, focusing on our day-to-day to-do list.
This is why it’s important to schedule this time. Without doing that, you increase your chance of running straight into a wall.
The more regularly you’ll check in with your business, the quicker you’ll catch when you need to make some adjustments. And when you catch that early you avoid having to do a 180° pivot!
Now let’s take a look at what you could be doing or changing to make your business thrive.
Offer online interior design services
By now we are all pretty adapted to this fully online era. 2020 had us all pivot in this way whether we wanted to or not. And we learned a thing or two during this transition!
Services such as interior design that weren’t really online before found their place on the market! And it shows with the designers that are still offering online services today and are thriving right now.
Whilst there will always be a place for in-person design services, the ability to access this virtually will remain popular in the long term.
Have you gone online yet? If not this is your invitation!
But what kind of services can you offer? There are multiple ways to go about it. You can either offer a fully online service or a mixed in-person/virtual offer.
Fully virtual services could look like:
A self-paced course people can take to redesign their bedroom on their own. Think DIY! This is your chance to teach your audience on a broader scale without doing 1:1 consultations.
Online 1:1 consultations where your clients upload current images of the space they want to redesign, you set up some initial online meetings, and then provide design options for their space. You can include bonuses such as a curated shopping list.
Part virtual services could look like:
Setting up online meetings in between in-person sessions. Define which part of your offer can be done online and which part needs to be done in person.
If the last couple of years made us realize how social we do need to be and how good it feels to be in person, it also taught us that not everything needs to be face to face. We realized that switching some of our activities online could help us save time, money, and energy. Time, money, and energy that can be spent with our family or with ourselves.
Adding online services will not only help you reach your audience in a more efficient way but it will also help you to grow your audience since they don’t need to be local anymore!
Imagine working with clients in Hawaï, Paris, New York City, Vancouver Island… Wouldn’t that be a great opportunity to grow?
Focus on your social
Social media is witnessing astronomical growth with more than 4 billion users actively online. And that’s because the massive world of social media has made it incredibly easy to make fruitful connections with your potential leads as a business owner. Never has it been easier for people to connect with you! But even in this crowd, there is one specific platform that leaves its competitors behind.
The best social media platform for interior designers to focus their time in 2022 is Instagram.
Instagram has tightened its grip since the pandemic and is outshining other giants. It gives you endless opportunities to market your services in a multitude of ways. If you’re not on Instagram, ensure you change that this year.
The latest social media statistics can vouch for Instagram's effectiveness:
More than 1.15 billion people actively use Instagram every month
90% of all users on Instagram follow at least one business account
83% of Instagram users discover new products and services on the platform
50% of Instagram users are more interested in a brand when they see ads on Instagram
59% of micro-influencers believe that they get the best engagement on Instagram
Instagram fits in well with your business and existing digital marketing strategy as it is heavily image-focused. Instagram essentially works as your portfolio and is a free and very effective marketing tool. Even better if you want to dive into Instagram Ads. People are much more likely to scroll on your feed than they are to use your website at the moment, this is because this is where most people spend a lot of their time!
People are also on social media far more than Google and use the platform now as a search engine!
Instagram is an incredibly powerful tool to increase awareness of your interior design business and showcase your style to potential clients worldwide which is perfect for that online interior design offering!
But don’t expect results without putting in the work. Without a smart strategy, Instagram can use a lot of your time for little results! So how do you assure it’s going to work?
1. Consistency is crucial
Consistency is really important! You need to be sharing on a regular schedule - it’s better to share 2 times a week for 1 year than 5 times a week for 2 months and then take a huge break. Keep your presence active.
It’s also important to have a consistent look & feel. When someone clicks on your profile do they understand exactly what you are all about? Are you recognizable and memorable?
2. Remember it’s a visual platform
The quality of your images needs to be high with a mix of before and after photos and some behind-the-scenes images or videos. People love to not only see what you're capable of but how you get that fantastic end result. Tell a story with your pictures.
3. Bring value
Don’t share just to share. Whatever you’re posting should bring some value to your audience. Now that doesn’t mean that every post has to be lengthy and serious! Making your audience laugh or inspiring them is a way to bring value, too!
Before posting put yourself in the shoes of your audience and ask yourself if this is aligned!
4. People want authentic content
Remember Instagram is a social platform. It means you need to show up and engage with your audience. People want to connect with the business owner behind the brand. They want to get to know you. The more they will feel connected the more loyal they will be. Imagine now if you decide to change industry or offer a brand new service… You’re not starting from scratch! With a loyal audience who knows you, you’ll always have clients!
Learn about how to turn your followers into customers in this blog.
Blogging is back
Blogging is a proven strategy to get more clients and media features in many interior design marketing strategies. Businesses that blog consistently receive on average 67% more leads than those that don’t. A blog can be very powerful for your interior design business for so many reasons including:
Clearly showing off your expertise as an interior designer
Improving traffic to your site through SEO and social media
Defining your brand positioning and offering, your blog shows people that you know what you’re doing.
Providing more proof and content so that potential customers on the fence can decide whether they want to work with you or not
Using blogging as part of your interior design marketing plan for 2022, especially when you include a clear SEO strategy, can supercharge your design business! You can even back up some of your blog ideas with client testimonials to really showcase your talent.
Learn more about how to reach your marketing goals using content creation.
Consider starting a Podcast
As a Public Relations agency, one of the ways we suggest for you to gain notoriety and business exposure is by participating in Podcasts.
Podcasts have become one of the biggest venues for exposure! You can find podcasts on every topic, in every industry! People listen to podcasts while working, commuting, and exercising.
This is your chance to be in your audience’s ears!
You can take a different approach depending on your niche. Whether it’s a more business-centered, informational, or inspirational podcast, this is a great way to connect with potential customers as well as with other people in the industry. Get your name out there and show your expertise!
Learn more about the podcast generation and how interior designers are transforming their businesses with this new trend.
To get inspired check out these 5 podcasts every interior designer should listen to!
Where’s your PR strategy at?
Public Relations, or PR, should definitely be a part of your marketing strategy if you’re serious about growing your business!
The fastest way to gain exposure, authority, and inquiries as an interior designer is to get your work seen by your ideal clients, and getting published in your favorite interior design magazines is the way to go!
Unfortunately, business owners still believe that in order to be published in a magazine you need to either be a world-known company already, know personally the editor-in-chief or spend a lot of money.
In reality, with a smart PR strategy, high-quality content, clear niche, and some patience, you too get to see your name printed!
Check out these 5 tips to get your interior design project published
If you’re curious about when is the best time to hire a publicist, click here.
Repurpose content
Checking-in. How are you feeling now that you’ve read all these tips and strategies?
If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed we want to share a little secret to save time!
It’s called… repurposing content!
Creating new content for your blog, Instagram, or podcast may feel like a lot. This is why repurposing is key here! Imagine one topic that you get to explore from different angles.
Let’s say you start writing a blog about 10 ways to make your bedroom cozier.
Now let’s turn this blog into a carousel for Instagram using the copy and putting it on different slides. Once that’s done start recording your podcast on the same topic.
For each medium, you’ll have to adapt the format and add or remove some information but the topic will be the same which will help you stay focused and feel less overwhelmed but also will help you to grow your audience: some people will rather listen to a podcast instead of reading a blog for example.
No matter where you are in your business, marketing needs to be adaptable. Whilst it’s great to plan ahead, ensure you’re aware of what’s working within your industry and be ready to switch things up when necessary. Plan throughout the year moments of reflections where you can pause and analyze what’s working or not working for you and your audience!
Would you like support to grow your online marketing strategy? Click here to schedule a Complimentary Brand Consultation.
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