Nowadays, digital marketing has become an essential tool in the arsenal of any aspiring business owner or seasoned entrepreneur. It involves a lot of different strategies that can help your business flourish and grow as effectively as possible. Your customers live on social media, and they use Google to find products and services that they need, so you can’t afford to be left behind when it comes to embracing technology to reach them.
Learn some digital marketing strategies that you should be using if you’re an interior designer looking to take your business into the future.
Play the Long Game
To become a thought leader in your niche and build a valuable online brand, you must develop relationships with other bloggers, content creators, and influencers. It is harder than it sounds because these people receive pitches from hundreds of marketers every day. Start by selecting 10-20 people who are active in your field and begin reaching out to them on social media or via email. If they respond positively to your outreach, try to create relationships outside of Facebook, Twitter, or LinkedIn.
Stay Connected
Technology changes every day, meaning you need to stay connected to what’s going on to stay competitive. Stay up-to-date on everything from trends and news stories that pertain specifically to your industry, or learn how different apps and social media platforms can help your business run more smoothly. Not only will staying updated give you valuable knowledge that’ll benefit your business now and in years to come, but it could lead you down new paths — and maybe even help you discover a new career.
Make an App
It’s possible to build an app on your own, but it’s a lot easier to bring in experts and professionals. Firms are specializing in both design and development—and they can create an app from scratch or revamp a pre-existing one. Working with consultants will cost you more upfront, but it could end up saving you time and money down the road. You can make an app showcasing your services. Include customer reviews and homes and designs you’ve done that best show your work.
Build Your Brand with Social Media
By establishing a personal brand on social media, you’re letting people know who you are and what you stand for—this helps strengthen your authority in your industry. Start building your social media presence by having a presence on LinkedIn and Twitter. Also, make sure to have a Facebook page as well. You can make content, post photos, and customers’ reviews on your pages.
Think Outside the Box and Take Calculated Risks
To remain competitive in 2022, learn to think outside of your box. Be open to different ways of growing your business and taking calculated risks that may benefit you and your clients. If a client recommends a social media platform you don’t often use, try it out—perhaps that platform is better suited for your audience than one you have previously used. You can hire an Airbnb or do it in your own home and set it up to show off your skills and services.
You can decorate it to your style and take photos to post on your social media pages. Besides common rooms, include decorating a backyard, too. Light it up with intricate lamps and decorate the patio with high-quality outdoor cushion covers. Show potential clients how you make their stuff look great by using your expertise as well as new technology like virtual reality and drones.
Use Data to Make Business Decisions
While you’ll likely spend most of your time thinking about how to convert potential customers into actual customers, you must keep tabs on all other metrics—especially those that will help inform your business decisions. Data objectively informs our decisions, helping us see exactly where we stand and where we need to improve. In short, measurement allows us to make better business decisions. Focus on these five key metrics: (1) traffic sources; (2) conversions; (3) engagement rate; (4) cost per conversion; and (5) cost per thousand impressions.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
Search engine optimization is a large and evolving niche in digital marketing. While paid search advertising is still a dominant force in most industries, having a successful SEO strategy will provide significant benefits to your bottom line. SEO focuses on improving keywords and building quality backlinks, which go into presenting compelling content to search engines. The higher the page rank of your site, the greater exposure you receive from relevant searches.
Take Advantage of Tools and Resources
Almost any business or industry can benefit from having a strong presence on social media—and interior designers are no exception. The key to using social media effectively as an interior designer is thinking of it as more than just a way to sell products and services; rather, you need to use it as a platform that gives your audience a sense of who you are and how you fit into their lives.
Using digital marketing for your business and services can help you stand out from competitors. In many cases, it can also bring in new clients and keep existing customers coming back for more.