3 Mistakes You're Making On Instagram That Attract The Wrong Clients with Marketing Interiors by ES

MARKETING

Jul 7

Welcome back to another edition of Dakota Design Company’s Guest Expert Interview series here on the blog. We’re so thrilled to share expertise from female business owners and leaders that run the gamut of the interior design industry – from interior photographers, to social media moguls, financial advisors, and branding experts.

Each of our expert guest bloggers were selected because they can share their unique insights and perspective on a range of topics that will help any interior designer take their trade and business to the next level. These experts are Dakota Design Company insiders, and many of them have worked directly with us and our clients in the past. We hope you enjoy this series and that it brings you new insights, tips, and tricks to add to your interior design toolbox!

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This week, we’re joined by Emanuela Schneider of Marketing Interiors by ES to discuss social media strategy for your business. You’ll learn about the best platforms to show up on to reach the right audience, content strategy, and mistakes to avoid that might cause you to attract the wrong audience on social media.

Led by Emanuela Schneider, a social media manager with a journalism degree, Marketing Interiors is a boutique marketing firm for home improvement brands. Focused on Pinterest and Instagram marketing, Marketing Interiors uses current research to create a social media strategy for your interior design business, execute it with consistency, and increase your brand awareness.

Here’s Emanuela’s expertise on the top three mistakes you’re making on Instagram that are attracting the wrong clients.

What are the top three mistakes businesses make on Instagram that attract the wrong clients?

01 | SHARING TOO MUCH EDUCATIONAL CONTENT AND HOW-TO’S.

If your posting strategy focuses too heavily on educational content, you'll end up attracting a DIY audience and not high-end clients who are looking to hire an interior design firm. Instead of giving detailed instructions on how to space out a traditional gallery wall (how many inches apart, if you use tape, etc), show behind the scene photos of your team installing and measuring. Showing behind the scenes attracts your ideal audience, humanizes your brand and helps ideal clients imagine the process in their own home.

02 | YOU’RE NOT TALKING ABOUT YOUR SERVICES AND YOUR PROCESS.

This is the main issue we've found designers struggle with. They don't want to sound too salesy (rightfully so) and don't know how to add calls to action or even talk about what they do. The more you inform your audience about your process, the better. What is the discovery call like? When is it time to visit the client's home? How do contractors get involved? Once your audience knows how you can help them, they'll be more inclined to reach out! And if you're still uncomfortable talking about your process, think about this: why would your audience take any action towards hiring you when they don't know your availability or if you are the right designer for their particular type of project?

03 | SHARING OTHER PEOPLE’S WORK IN YOUR FEED.

It just confuses your audience! They won't see your style, your ideal client's design direction or your personality infused into the project. Potential clients won't be interested in working with you after seeing someone else's work in your feed, it won't drive any business. Plus, you could be infringing on copyright.

04 | BONUS TIP: YOU’RE ON THE WRONG SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORM.

If you're not on the same platforms where your ideal clients hang, you're wasting time and mental energy. Instagram is an amazing tool for marketing, but some clients still use more Facebook than Instagram. Others love watching Youtube shorts. And some spend hours scrolling through Pinterest. Do extensive research on your ideal clients, survey your past clients and use geotags and keywords so they can find you locally.

If a designer isn't quite ready to hire you or invest in your services, what are two things they should do to start on the right foot with social media marketing?

01 | INVEST IN PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND ORGANIZE YOUR PROJECT PHOTOS IN A FOLDER.

Often, designers simply don't have the time to post consistently on socials and think of a marketing strategy, much less execute one. With professional photography and an organized Google Drive or Dropbox, you'll have everything set up so someone can take social media marketing off your plate.

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02 | REACH OUT TO EMANUELA FOR A STRATEGY SESSION.

Even if you aren’t ready to hand over your social media marketing, a quick strategy session will help you figure out the kind of content to share that will get you results!

Preparing an effective social media strategy can feel overwhelming and posting relevant content consistently is a big undertaking. If you create aligned content for the right audience, Instagram and other social media platforms can be an amazing tool for attracting new clients to your business. Emanuela says, “Don’t be afraid of marketing! Instead, use it to show your unique personality and the faces behind your brand.”