Welcome to another edition of Dakota Design Company’s Guest Expert Interview series. Here, we regularly interview female business owners, service providers, and leaders in the interior design industry, and then we share their expertise with you in this blog series.

These experts are Dakota Design Company insiders, and many of them have worked directly with us and our designer clients in the past. We select women who support and interface with interior design business owners so we can provide relevant and helpful insights—to help YOU elevate YOUR business.

This month, we interviewed Tori Sikkema with Tori Sikkema Photos, an AD-approved photographer who works with Architectural Digest, House Beautiful, Aspire, Luxe, and Better Homes & Garden magazines. She honed her skills and her eye for composition and lighting while doing photoshoots for House and Garden magazine, and today, she specializes in capturing editorial images for prestigious brands such as Villeroy & Boch, JANUS et Cie, and Phillip Jeffries. Her photography business focuses on markets in NY, NJ, CT, and FL, but she has worked with designers nationwide to showcase the essence of their work with precision and artistry.

Tori strongly encourages designers to invest in professional photography to showcase completed projects. She noted that professional photography “elevates your brand, attracts ideal clients, and opens the door to exciting press opportunities.”

When considering the investment in professional photography, she encourages interior designers to remember that these photos will do double duty:

They’ll highlight your best work from your portfolio in a professional way AND
They’ll allow you to share a narrative about you, your work, and your relationship with your clients.

We asked Tori to share how interior design business owners can use photos and reels on Instagram to connect with potential clients and keep them engaged. Investing in professional photography for your online portfolio is just the first step; it’s then essential to continue to leverage that investment for maximum visibility across social media platforms.

Here’s what Tori shared shared with us:

Tip 01 | Tell the Story Behind the Interior Design Photos

First of all, you want your work to be seen in its best light. So, by all means, invest in professional photography! But, it’s not enough to post and show off those stunning pictures. You must also tell the story behind them!

When you post your room photography on Instagram, share the inspiration, challenges, or creative decisions that went into each project. Adding details about your approach and process will demonstrate your depth as a designer and help clients connect to your unique design voice.

Photos by Tori Sikkema, bathroom sinks and tub, living room with couch, interior designers, dakota design company — Photos by Tori Sikkema

Tip 02 | Get Personal (but still make it about design)

Yes, Instagram posts are a fantastic way to showcase your professionally photographed projects. People love to see stunning images like these on Instagram.

But at least every 9th post should feature a photo or behind-the-scenes glimpse of YOU! These do not need to be professionally photographed and could include candid shots of you at work in your studio, selecting materials, or creating color palettes. These on-the-job photos of you are great to share because they illustrate a bit about your process and give potential clients an idea of what it’s like to work with you.

Tip 03 | Create Engaging Reels and Stories

Create fun, engaging Reels that take your audience through the highs and hustles of installation and photoshoot days, from moving in all the furnishings and styling the perfect vignette to capturing that final magic shot. Reels and stories are a great way to show your passion and personality, keep your audience hooked, and make your brand memorable.

You don’t need a professional videographer—you can easily create your own short videos directly on your iPhone. With such advanced video features on the new iPhones and Androids, you can easily capture and edit.

Tori’s favorite editing app? InShot.

Unlike still photography, content for Reels and stories can be much more casual and candid. Have fun with it. The key is to capture you and your team as you engage in your design work.

Tip 04 | Extend the Life of Your Press Features with Social Media

So, you’ve created fabulous designs and had them professionally photographed. You’ve put in the work; now get it out there!

Professional photos are your ticket to being featured in top industry publications (and are essential to booking those “bigger and better” projects interior designers are after). Being in the spotlight boosts your visibility and establishes you as a go-to expert, strengthening your brand and keeping your clients excited to work with you.

When your work DOES get published, announce that press coverage across your social media platforms. Getting published is a big deal, so make sure your audience is aware. Draw attention to the photos, the written content, and where the article can be found.

Dakota Design Co. Tip: To maximize the mileage of your press features, share about the publication often on your social media. Don’t just share it once then let it sit hidden on your website!
Also, whenever you post an image from that project on your social media channels, make sure to cite the publication. Like this:

Interior Design & Styling: Emerson Interiors
Contractor: Sterling Homes
Photographer: Avery Campbell
As Seen In: House Beautiful
**And, in all reality, you should be citing your projects and collaborators like that on every post anyway, IMHO.
Being recognized by reputable sources helps validate higher pricing and increase client confidence in your abilities.
Plus, depending on the publication, if they see that your article brought in a lot of views and traffic to their site, they may be more likely to publish a project of yours in the future.

Tip 05 | Use Journaling to Gather Subject Matter

Tori encourages interior designers to keep a journal for each new design project they begin. Capture the rich, funny, frustrating, and intriguing anecdotes and situations that arise throughout the project’s lifespan. These stories will not only shape the visual narrative but also help tell a compelling story about each project on your social media.

When it comes time to create a post or Reel, you won’t have to rack your brain for a fun story about your work. You will have already captured narratives you can publish on Instagram!

Dakota Design Co. Tip: If social media is something you outsource or plan to outsource, get into the habit of documenting this information as you go so it’s readily available when someone OTHER than you is creating content and finding interesting angles to share.
Make this extra easy by adding a Google Doc to each project pro photo folder and documenting all the information right there. Then, when you share the link to your pro photos with your marketing coordinator or agency, they have all the details, anecdotes, and stories to pull from right there alongside the photos.

Tip 06 | Show the Behind the Scenes

Tori shares an experience that illustrates this concept of bringing a design story to life in an Instagram reel.

“For a recent interior design photoshoot with a design client, I created a behind-the-scenes reel that captured the magic of our collaboration. We started with a pre-production creative meeting to nail down the design vision and shot list so we were ready to hit the ground running on shoot day.

I include a pre-production meeting as a key part of my workflow for every photoshoot. It’s crucial to ensure we’re aligned on my client’s goals and expectations right from the start. With my background in marketing, I understand how essential it is to have a structured workflow—it helps us create a cohesive plan, builds trust, and strengthens the client relationship. This way, they feel confident in the process and know exactly what assets they’ll receive at the end of the shoot.

Throughout the day, I documented candid moments—tweaking decor, perfecting each shot, and celebrating those little wins that make all the difference. We edited all this behind-the-scenes content into an IG reel to showcase not only the gorgeous design but also the creative teamwork that brought it to life. The Reel received such great engagement for the designer and for my company as well!

It strengthened my connection to this interior designer and potential future photography clients, and likewise, it strengthened her connection to HER design clients and to prospective clients she wanted to reach. This Reel positioned me as a go-to photographer who helps designers fully leverage their photography investment and it showcased her as a true creative professional and gave potential clients a peek behind the scenes of what it’s like to work with her.

When people feel connected to you, they are much more likely to reach out and inquire about working together. The proverbial “ice” has already been broken!”

Dakota Design Co. Tip: Remember: Customers often think interior designers are “only for ‘fancy’ people” or for 'people who have beautiful homes and perfect lives. It can be intimidating to reach out to a designer when you need help in your home, and it can be embarrassing knowing a professional designer will SEE your home and how you’ve been living 😱.
By showing potential customers the REAL you, unscripted, imperfect, and setting up a client’s house for the big reveal, you’ll feel more relatable which will remove some of that fear factor. This means they’ll be more likely to reach out.

So, by all means, share your best work on Instagram—it’s like a handshake with your ideal client, and it’s often where they go to see your most current work (so don’t let it sit idle for too long). As the face of your brand, showing up authentically helps you connect with and grow your audience. Don’t be shy about sharing your personal essence with your followers. Your genius lies in YOU: your work, your design approach, and your process. Let the world see it!

One Last Note!

Tori will be involved in two events at Fall Market in High Point. If you are at Market, please consider attending!

Picture Perfect: Strategies for Shooting Your Project for Media Coverage
Saturday, October 26, 2024 @ 11 am EST
Hooker Furniture Theater: Beyond Social Media: How to Stand Out in an Oversaturated Market
Saturday, October 26, 2024 @ 2 pm EST