When it comes to creating a marketing strategy for your brand online, where should you even begin? What is digital marketing? And does marketing online actually make a difference in getting more visibility, sales, and happy customers or clients for your business? The answer is an absolute yes!
In this blog, we’ll review why digital marketing matters for even the most local of home industry and interior design businesses, as well as what you should prioritize first as you’re getting started.
Digital Marketing: An essential part of your brand strategy
Reporting from NPR tells us what we already know: The interior design and home improvement industry has been booming for years, and this increase in demand is likely to continue.
Apps, social media, and the internet in general continue to rapidly shape how consumers shop for home furnishings, renovations, and interior design services.
- An article in Fast Company notes how Instagram has been changing the game for the $10 billion interior design industry for years and will continue to do so;
- Research from the Missouri University of Science and Technology found that it only takes a fraction of a second for us to form opinions and first impressions; and
- 40% of users who regularly pin on Pinterest have a household income above $100,000/year.
The takeaway? Users use the internet and social media to look for design inspiration and make initial judgments based on what they find. If your brand isn’t at the front of the pack, someone else is, and they’re capturing new client interest each and every month when it should be you instead.
Thinking About How Clients Shop
Let’s say a local homeowner in your area – we’ll call her Maggie – wants to update two rooms of her home in the coming months. What will she likely do to learn more about who offers these design services in her area?
She’ll ask her friends for potential referrals, or maybe ask for recommendations on social media. Nothing really comes of those efforts, so she hops on her phone and does a quick Google search: “Nashville interior designer”. Perhaps she searches for “interior designer near me”, or “best interior designer in Nashville”.
She’ll look at a few search results and click to check out some different websites and social media channels. And each time, when she arrives, she’ll make some snap judgments. The questions in her head are things like:
- “This looks like my style, but would this designer be able to help me? Is it a good fit?”
- “How much does working with a designer cost? How do I think about budgeting this? What kind of services do I need?”
- “Where do I go to learn more information?”
In these few moments, Maggie makes decisions about which interior designer, architect, decorator, e-designer, or home builder will be her best bet if and when she’s ready to move forward.
These first impressions can make or break a small business, so it’s incredibly important that your business take the time to perfect your messaging, your positioning, and your brand.
If you want an honest initial assessment of what users are doing when they reach your website, consider downloading a tool like Hotjar. This tool will record the mouse movements of your website visitors, allowing you to see how they navigate your site, where their eye is drawn, and how long they stay before clicking to another page… or leaving altogether.
Messaging and positioning alone can help users find what they need, guide them toward working with you, and help bring in your next happy client! Make sure your website answers these essential questions.
For additional website strategy ideas, check out this article we were recently featured in with Business Of Home on how to get more out of your site.
Marketing your services: what to do first
You’re pumped about the potential of your website and social reach, and ready to market your business online. Woohoo! Now what should you do first to ensure you’re heading in the right direction from day one? Here are a few tips to keep in mind.
Start with why. If you aren’t clear about the exact problems you’re solving for your customers and clients, they will find someone else who speaks to them. This is the most important step in creating any content marketing plan, and maybe even the most important step in differentiating your business offerings. Clearly define exactly what it is that your customer is looking for (is it simply a style refresh or is it a complete living transformation after a huge life-change like a divorce, empty nest, or moving to a new city?).
Once you determine that the exact pain points of your clients are perfectly suited to the services you specialize in delivering, creating content that speaks directly to them will flow much more naturally than trying to follow what other people are doing and hope it works for you.
👉THE TAKEAWAY If you’re not talking about your client’s and customer’s problems, they likely aren’t listening. You’ll want to focus your messaging on how your business solves their unique problems before you bullet the list of all you have to offer. Show them through words and images (hello before/ after carousels!) what the end result of working with you might look like. Problem + Solution + Result. ✨
Clarity is key when it comes to your marketing—if you use language that is vague, overly flowery, or too clever, you can confuse potential clients about the value of your services.
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Tell people exactly how to get in touch with you. For most home brands selling any type of product to consumers and to interior designers hoping to attract new clients, the end goal is to get people to directly contact you. This could be a consultation call or even a direct message; in both cases, you’re getting into 1-on-1 conversations, and that is where the magic happens. Make it easy for people who are curious about working with you to take the next step; a direct link to your calendar or scheduler (Such as Calendly or Acuity) can help to reduce friction.
👉THE TAKEAWAY: Make this the most important part of your marketing plan. How you call your clients to action should be crystal clear, first, and second, extremely easy to find on your website. Rather than saying “Let’s get started” (doing what?) say directly what you want them to do: “Book a Discovery Call” or “Schedule a time to discuss your project” or “Buy now” or “Add to cart”. Be clear and confident.
Second, place this button or link in a very prominent location on your site, on the footer or header of your website and in your social media bio. Give your potential clients and customers a clear and direct path to working with you and you will find they do exactly that.
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Focus on building relationships. Most people who visit your website the first time won’t book a consultation call on the spot. How can they keep in touch with you in the meantime? Consider your social media content, blogs or project pages, and email newsletters a way to continuously nurture these relationships by showing your audience the extraordinary work you can offer them.
👉THE TAKEAWAY: Have links to your social platforms ready to go (with a simple, direct message nearby that says “follow us”) and encourage users to sign up for your email list to keep in touch on future promotions and updates. According to Demand Metric, content marketing produces triple the number of leads as traditional marketing. Focus on creating quality content for your email and social media followers that shows them exactly how you can bring value to their lives through design.
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With so many different tactics and approaches, online marketing can quickly start to feel overwhelming.
But it doesn’t have to be that way; the key is to zero in on what you want actions you want your followers and prospective clients to take.
Once you have a clear strategy and positioning that makes your brand pop, the rest will fall into place sooner than you think.
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💥 Ready to learn what the best brands know about marketing that you don’t? Watch our free marketing masterclass right here.