Instagram Tips for Interior Designers

Welcome to the My Deco Marketing Blog. I guess you’ve landed here looking for Instagram tips for interior designers. Are you an interior designer struggling to get growth or attract the right type of follower on Instagram? Have you been posting beautiful pictures but you still struggle to get any engagement on the channel. Do you want to know the secret of making more connections and getting business from Instagram?

6 Instagram Tips for Interior Designers

Well here’s the one thing that you can start to do today… create an ideal target audience. This means an audience filled with your perfect customer. Want to know how? Here are 6 Instagram tips for interior designers to help grow your target audience.

 

Instagram for interior designers

1. Create the Right Kind of Content

Create content related to your niche that will attract your ideal audience. Any kind of content marketing is all about knowing your audience and creating the right kind of content which will attract them to your offer. Instagram is no different. Many times when I look at designer’s feeds and whilst I see beautiful project pictures on their website portfolios, meanwhile over on Instagram I see pictures of their cats, last night’s restaurant meal, and a wonky selfie taken at a wedding.

One of the key Instagram tips for interior designers is to only create content that informs or inspires. Remember Instagram is a free opportunity to showcase your talents, achievements, and offers. If you want to sell design services through social media platforms make sure you say this in your captions. Additionally, your images need to showcase the best of what you have to offer. It’s a great opportunity to share your knowledge and position yourself as an expert in your field.

2. Follow the Right Kind of People

If you want your Instagram to focus on bringing your business follow people in your industry. The more you follow people in the interior design niche, the more your posts will show to them.

Interior design marketing tips for instagram and social media

Additionally, try and make sure you only follow accounts

  • who you’d like to do business with either as your client or their customer
  • that your ideal clients would follow
  • if they inspire and inform you

The Instagram algorithm works like a spider web of connections between you and the accounts it thinks you should be connected with so make sure you tell it where you want to be seen.

If you’re only interacting with celebrities or your friends and family, you’re unlikely to gain any traction and visibility in the niche of the interior where you’d really like to get seen.

3. Use the Right Hashtags

Using hashtags boosts your visibility on the platform. Make sure the hashtags you use are relevant and active. An effective hashtag strategy differs depending on the account.

Using hashtags in the wrong way can result in Instagram making your posts invisible in hashtags, so research your hashtag strategy thoroughly.

There’s no one size fits all solution for hashtags. The right hashtags to use will depend on lots of different factors including your design niche, location, and your number of followers.

Head over to our Instagram services page to book an Instagram power hour and level up your hashtag strategy.

4. Welcome Your New Followers

Send a DM to your new followers. Tell them about your business and ask them about their home. Build a relationship from the start by thanking them for following you and give them a link to your website where they can find more information about your services.

5. Engage with the Right Accounts

Don’t just post and pray. Another mistake I see a lot of is people just posting pictures then anxiously waiting for the likes and comments to drop in. You also need to take some time each day to like or comment on other accounts especially if they take time to comment on yours.

I always visit the accounts that comment on my posts and like some pictures and leave a comment as a thank you – comment on one of my posts @fiona.mostyn to see.  You’ll find that the more you give the more you get. As with the earlier advice stick to people in the interior design niche and like accounts similar to yours so Instagram knows where you want to be seen.

6. Choose the Right People to Help You

Instagram marketing tips for interior design businesses

Need help to grow your Instagram profile?

You could spend a lifetime searching across the internet for more Instagram tips for interior designers or you could take action today to get your Instagram working effectively with a tailored program for your interiors business.

Whilst there are lots of social media managers to choose from finding one that really understands your industry can be key to your success. Not just in growing your followers but in connecting and collaborating with the people who can build your business too.

If you’re considering hiring a social media manager take a look at their Instagram profile to see if they have built an active engaged audience in the design community.

Work With US

Whether it’s full platform management or a one-to-one power hour to audit your profile and get you started on the right track. Take a look at our Instagram services page to get started with growing your Instagram today.

Finally for more tips on marketing your design business make sure you follow me @fiona.mostyn on Instagram!

Designers Making a Difference

In times of crisis look for helpers is how the saying goes. But how are designers making a difference in the current crisis?

We are currently living through times of unprecedented change and disruption to our daily lives. Stay home is the message to live by right now. Whilst many see this as a chore I feel we should take a moment to consider what a privilege it is to have to simply stay at home whilst frontline workers care for the sick and keep our daily lives as normal as possible under lockdown.

Designers Making a Difference

So how exactly are designers making a difference right now? Well, there’s the bigger picture in that design is all about solving problems so we see some of the UK’s most innovative designers and engineering firms such as Dyson and The Ventilator Challenge UK Consortium coming together to make urgently needed ventilators.

Meanwhile, on a smaller scale, there are designers making a difference by using their skills and materials at their disposal to help however they can. Charity begins at home so they say so I’m starting by highlighting some of the projects I’ve been able to connect within my local area and through the Decorcafe network which I host in Brighton.

Decorcafe Members Doing Good

Designer and Decorcafe member Anna Hayman has produced this beautiful signed print to order. The profits from each print go to The Lewes Food Co-operative. A collective of local food businesses who are providing free meals to NHS workers at a local hospital. At the time this blog was written within just a week of launch this project has raised over £2,000. 

Anna Hayman Designs Charity Print

I’ve ordered one and I feel in the future when it’s on my wall at home it will remind me of the good people who helped us get through these strange times. Order your print at annahaymandesigns.com

I’ve also donated to a collection for NHS Charities by Decorcafe member Emer Gillespie from Spark and Bell.

Spark and Bell Charity Raffle

Every person who donates will be entered into a raffle to win a very generous £500 voucher to spend on beautiful lights at Spark and Bell. The raffle is open until Sunday 3rd May and you can enter here  

Caron McQueen from McQueen Bespoke is another member of our Brighton Decorcafe hub using her skills to help the cause. She’s been busy sewing these beautiful scrubs from patterns available from a local neighbourhood watch scheme.

 

NHS Scrubs for charity

 

Meanwhile in London Decorcafe member Mel Porter has listed these beautiful rainbow fairy lights on her website. The profits will go to South London Scrubbers – a charity organization financing and sewing scrubs for the NHS.

Mel Porter NHS lights for Charity

 

The Instagram Community is Helping

Next, I’m looking to my Instagram community which I have to say has been an inspiring place to be lately.

Poodle and Blonde is an Instagram account I love to follow because 1. They have beautiful fabrics and wallpapers and 2. Dogs are a major part of their marketing strategy. If you’re wondering why I like the dogs take a look at my Sunday Instagram posts on Dogs and Interiors!

Poodle and Blonde offered sample packs of fabric offcuts in exchange for donations to help NHS charities. The fabrics were hugely popular and sold out very quickly.

Poodle and Blonde NHS Charity

Luks Linen sells beautiful hand-loomed Turkish cotton towels and blankets.  Ethically made and hand-loomed by master weavers in family ateliers. Every Wednesday they’re sending a free blanket to an NHS worker. You can nominate someone you know to win a blanket by tagging the #blankethugs post on @lukslinen on instagram from Saturdays.

Luks Linen NHS blanket

 

One of the things I love about Instagram is it connects you with like-minded folk across the world. Based in California, Nathan Anthony is an account I follow which makes beautiful bespoke furniture for interior designers. They were able to transform their facility to temporarily make PPE masks to supply to local health care workers.

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by N A T H A N A N T H O N Y (@nathananthony_official) on

Last week they donated 150 masks to the LA Food Bank. However, when friends, family, and Instagram followers asked to buy the masks they also put them on sale and now donate a share of the profits to the Global Giving Corona Virus Charity.

Back in the UK Homesense, one of our favorite places to find discount designer homewares closes its doors temporarily. But did you know that on closing all products from the food departments from each store were taken to local food banks in the community? The brand also donated vouchers for the Red Cross to buy clothing and essential items for those in isolation who are in need.

What Can You Do to Help?

Well, I’m delighted to tell you that I have offered to help with the Design Havens for Heroes project. Quickly mobilized via Instagram by interior designer Francesca Rowan-Plowden the project will offer free room makeovers to our NHS Heroes. So far she has pulled together dozens of interior designers to help. As well as this home decor brands and design bloggers across the UK have also pitched in to help. All committed to making over a room for an NHS hero in their region.

I’ll be writing more about this soon but in the meantime head over to the Instagram account @designhavensforheroes to nominate someone you know who deserves a haven for a home. If you are a home decor brand or tradesman that would like to donate products, skills or time to the cause – especially here in Sussex where I’m based – please contact me so I can put you in touch with designers making a difference through this wonderful project.

5 Ways corona virus impacts interior designers

5 Ways corona virus impacts interior designers

Corona virus is having an effect on businesses across the board. As I’m having conversations with clients and brands in the interior design world here’s some of the concerns they’re raising about how Corona virus impacts interior designers.

1. Day to day working in your business

As I write this remote working from home is now the new normal. This may not be much of a change for many interior designers who are often sole traders working from home or alone in a studio.

However its important to try and continue to keep your projects on track as much as possible. This means talking to people and staying connected. Make sure all the tools you need to run your business are cloud accessible.  Zoom.us is a video conferencing app which I use to consult with many of my clients. Use it to set up virtual meetings with multiple participants, screen share to show information such as documents and plans.

If you are larger interior design practice and employ people you’ll need to keep abreast of the government guidelines for employers. At the time of writing the government advice is that businesses should encourage people to work from home as much as possible. Check the latest guidance for employers.

The government has also laid out a package of support available to small businesses which includes help with reclaiming statutory sick pay, business interruption loans and support with business rates.

2. Disruption in the supply chain

There’s never been a better time to shop local. One of the main ways corona virus impacts interior designers is through uncertainty in the supply chain. The impact on the supply chain has been felt for some time now. There’s reports of delayed shipments from China, cancelled orders and long lead times due to factory closures. Whilst some of the factories are now back up and running it may be some time before they are back up to full productivity. We are yet to discover the impact on retailers here in the UK. Similarly we are yet to feel the effects on furniture export of the lockdown and travel bans of countries such as Italy and Spain. At a time like this you need to be in close contact with your suppliers and manufacturers as the situation changes day by day.

3. Design shows postponed

KBB at the NEC in Birmingham may be the last event we’ll see for a while. The Spring season of design shows across the globe takes a huge hit from the Corona virus epidemic. Corona virus impacts interior designers look at the new season’s offerings as trade shows such as High Point in the US and Salon del Mobile were cancelled. Here in the UK Clerkenwell design week has postponed from May to July. Grand Designs in May will now be in August. The Ideal Home Show is postponed and we await further news of a future date. For more details see my  interior design events calendar which I’m updating as quickly as I hear of the new dates.

4. Home decor product sales to slow

It goes without saying sales of home decor products will be affected. Sales of everything are affected as people rein in on spending down to the bare essentials. However the good news is that there is a precedent in that after recovery from global events that financially affect us such as 9/11 or the 2008 recession people spend more on their homes in order to feel safe and nurtured. Similarly the luxury goods market is always one to recover quickly. Consumers that spend more on say high end furnishings and luxury interiors are more likely to have the means to ride out this storm of financial insecurity whilst it lasts. They will come back stronger as we already see now in China. The malls are reopening and consumer confidence returns with consumers “revenge spending” at the joy of being free again. Let’s hope that happens here too!

5. Property development and sales

There is an expected slow down and delay of construction projects due to shortage of labour and materials. Estate agents are already reporting viewings being cancelled. Whereas some are offering virtual viewings to avoid customers having visitors in their home. Additionally, when things get back to normal we’ll have to wait and see how the banks react with new mortgage approvals after this period of economic uncertainty. We can expect a knock on effect from these impacts on property development and sales into the interior design and home staging sector

How to keep your business visible and trading during the slow down

I’m not going to say I have a magic wand here. This is going to be a tough time for all of us. We are facing something we’ve never seen before and it is hard to predict what the outcome will be. Some of you may have experienced tough times before in 2008 and it’s time to dig deep to that resilience that got you through.

There is good news in that we are seeing the figures of new cases in China are now almost negligible. Things there are slowly returning to normal. With that in mind we can hope that it is just a matter of just a few months that we have to ride this out before we too are back to business as usual. With that in mind here’s two things that you can do to help you get through this that involve minimum expenditure.

Keep in touch with your customers

80% of your business comes from 20% of your customers. Contact them and let them know how you are still operational in the current circumstances. Let them know you’re still here and ready to help, how you are able to manage this and that right now no job is too small!

Be flexible and diversify

Offer a variety of services that position your service at different price points. Break down and stagger services room by room if possible. Offer online consultations via questionnaires or colour consultations. If you offer home decor products introduce products at entry level price points if you don’t already have them.

Finally here’s one more thing that I’d recommend you must do at whatever level you can afford to.

Don’t stop marketing your business

Right now everyone will be thinking of cutting back on their advertising and promotions to save money. However think about the fact that this makes it a much less crowded field to stand out in. If you can afford to plan campaigns in the next few weeks as things return to normal you’ll be really visible in your marketplace. If your budgets are tight use social media and email campaigns to keep in touch and at the forefront of your customers minds.

Best wishes to you all as I hope you all get through this ok, stay safe and keep your projects on track. 

Corona virus advice for interior designers

Perfect Interiors Pictures for Your Design Business

What’s the best tool you have for marketing your interiors or decor business?

Does it surprise you to know that it isn’t social media or email or networking? It starts way before you employ any of those elements with perfect interiors pictures.

Tips to Create Perfect Interiors Pictures for Your Design Business

Creating perfect interiors pictures is a fundamental cornerstone of your marketing and here’s why. In any industry, you are only ever as good as your last job. However, in interior design, the success of your last job, your unique style, and every good reason people will hire you or buy your products are easily apparent from your pictures.

As a digital marketer, I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to present beautiful, captivating pictures of everything you do. The ability to create the picture of the perfect interior is the tool you need to make your business visible. Social media, online and print editorial, advertising, and email marketing only work if your pictures are the best quality to showcase your work at it’s finest.

Good photography is the starting point of any marketing campaign and will help to elevate you against the competition.  It’s also the backbone of your portfolio.  Online photography, in any shape or form, is often people’s first encounter with a brand.  It can be a single image or a consistent style that defines your work. Make sure you get the best images to position your work and brand as professional.

Here is a step-by-step guide to getting the most out of photographing each completed job. I’ve also asked some industry professionals to give us their tips on how to get the perfect picture so read on and get ready for perfection in your next project photoshoot.

Hire a Professional Photographer

It always pays to employ a professional.  A good photographer will have experience shooting interiors.  As well as the experience they will have the best equipment and good lighting.  Lighting is essential for illuminating your interiors work in the best way, even on a dull day. They can do wonders to get the best photos from the most challenging situations such as bad light or awkward shaped rooms or products.

When hiring a professional photographer you should always agree in advance on the number of images you can expect from the shoot. Additionally, who will own the rights to images, and where they can be published.

 

Perfect Interiors pictures

Image: Cathy Pyle – interiors photographer

Do it with style

Styling also goes a long way to creating the perfect picture. It may be worth investing in a stylish, here’s why. A stylist will bring props such as plants, cushions, throws, fresh produce, rugs, and flowers. The photographer may have someone they work with regularly or you and the photographer can do this together.

If your business is product-based consider hiring a location space for your shoot. Presenting your products in a beautiful home or perhaps a more quirky location such as an industrial space, garden, or historic building is creating a lifestyle vision of your products which is key to your brand. Lifestyle photos are an essential part of your marketing assets. Alongside the lifestyle products, cut-out photos are a must-have for eCommerce online catalogs and featuring in the media.

Decide on a Shoot List

This is a plan of the shots you would like to achieve and the order you would like them done.  Also to consider at this stage is how to shoot them. Wide angled shots will best represent the context of each space or room. By wide-angled I mean where the most part of the room and furniture in it can be seen.

However avoid using any lenses that distort the image just to fit in the whole room. Awkward or small rooms are where the trained eye of a professional can really get the best results for you. Well-lit images that display the whole room are the type of shots that do best on social media.

Instagram, Pinterest, and Houzz algorithms all seem to favor showing pictures that display all or a large part of a room. Close-up pictures don’t do as well here. However, you’ll want to consider more particular close-up shots that will communicate ideas about materials and design details. These can be used for your own websites, brochures especially if you are working with products.

Deciding in advance the list of rooms, products, and the particular elements you want to highlight will help you put together a shoot list. This all forms part of the brief you give to the photographer to discuss how you will get the best out of your project.

Tips from the Professionals

I asked some industry professionals to share with me their top tips for perfect photoshoots. Between them, these ladies have created countless beautiful images for our favorite interiors magazines, brand catalogs, websites, and social media. They’ve been kind enough to leave with me some great advice on this topic which I’m so pleased to share with you.

Cathy Pyle

Cathy Pyle is an interior and lifestyle photographer who works with some of the UK’s leading interior magazines as well as with creative brands and designers. She is known for her calm, light-filled images of homes and creative spaces, and she seeks to bring her love of all things seasonal, handcrafted, and vintage into both her work and her own home.  Cathy also offers workshops and one-to-one photography tuition from her home studio in Guildford.

cathypyle.com

@cathy.pyle

perfect interiors pictures bathroom my deco marketing

Image: Cathy Pyle

Cathy Says…

  • Compelling images are all about emotion and story. So before you start, think about the mood you want to evoke, or the story you’d like to tell, in your image. This will guide the choices you make in setting up and capturing your shot.
  • Light is, of course, key to a great image. Notice where the light is coming from, and see if you need to remove or add light (which can be done easily by turning off lights, and using a diffuser or reflector). The quality of light you’ll need will depend on the story and mood you’re aiming for.
  • Less is more – I’m a huge fan of simplicity. It’s always better to start with fewer items in the shot and then add elements in where needed.
  • Pay attention to the lines in your image. In any interior shot, straight lines – especially the verticals – are a must.
  • It’s often tempting to rush to get your shot, but attention to detail is key.  Take time to tidy away any distracting elements such as wires, wipe away dust, and straighten cushions, etc, before you start photographing. I speak from experience when I say it’ll save you time (and the frustration of a less than perfect shot) later!

 

My deco marketing perfect interiors pictures

Image: Cathy Pyle

Leona Harper

Leoma Harper is the founder of Style the Clutter a styling service to transform your home into a stylish functional space, you will love to spend time in for years to come. Leoma frequently styles photoshoots for brands and homes for magazine shoots. Style the Clutter always has perfect interiors pictures with high visibility on Instagram to share with her growing following

styletheclutter.com

@styletheclutter

Bedroom image by style the clutter My Deco Marketing photography tips

Image: Style the Clutter

Leoma Says…

‘A good picture always needs a focal point, but its also what is around it the really counts. Using accessories such as rugs, sheepskins, candles and plants softens a the scene drawing you in to the picture and making you feel at home. Floors are usually pretty plain, its nice to fill them up with pattern/texture through rugs and sheepskins, pets are also always a good and  fun way to fill a dead space on the floor. Walls again look sparse, ensure they have pictures, a mirror or wall hanging to draw the eye and add interest. A tray on a coffee table candle, eucalyptus in a bud vase with a little pile of books to the side adds character and interest. In summary the space being photographed needs personality to give the viewer a sense of dipping into the lifestyle within the setting.

 

interior desgn photography tips by style the clutter

Image: Style the Clutter

Alex Crabtree

With many years of experience, in the bespoke kitchen, interiors and property market Alex Crabtree is an expert at styling kitchens for shoots. You can also get a taste for Alex’s love of styling on Instagram where she’s built up a loyal following who love her daily dose of unique style as she posts photographs of beautifully styled eclectic maximalist home. Here Alex kindly shares her 12 tips for perfect interiors pictures alongside these images she styled for Brayer Kitchens

alexcrabtree.co.uk
@alexcrabtreepr

Styling a kitchen photography tips

Image: Styled by Alex Crabtree for Brayer Kitchens

Alex Says…

Working with Magazines

  • For kitchen styling — one of the most important things to remember is that magazines don’t like any lights on or strange wide angle shots!
  • The magazines change what they like fairly often. One needs to keep up with their styles and also if an editor changes of course they have a different view too.
  • Also, the magazines generally don’t like shots over-propped. Although equally, it mustn’t look too sparse either, as it looks like no one lives there.
  • Try to use clients china etc if possible. However if it doesn’t fit with what a magazine would want to feature, I use my own.

 

Interior design photography styling a kitchen

Image: Styled by Alex Crabtree for Brayer Kitchens

 

Styling Kitchens

  • I start by stripping out all the personal items from the kitchen such as family photos and paperwork, children’s toys, etc! Also if there are too many piles of old recipe books too.
  • When I am styling a kitchen I take two large wheeled boxes of ‘props’ from my store! Such as plates, China , etc.
  • Always buy fruit, vegetables, and flowers to style the kitchen.
  • I walk around the kitchen at the beginning of the shoot. This way I see what I need to focus on and work with my photographer to see the best angles.
  • I virtually always use bowls of one colour of fruit e.g. green apples or lemons and then boards of mixed vegetables! Again, I try and stick to one palette of colours! Usually green and white and with flowers too.
  • It takes a little while to sort which is the best position for all the props and to make sure that they aren’t blocking the tap, oven, etc, and don’t conflict with each other in the shots making it look too busy.
  • I try not to move items around too much for each shot as there needs to be the consistency of props position. 
  • Also, a very good working relationship with a photographer is paramount.  I have worked with mine for several years and we both understand how each other works and what the clients and magazines need.

So there you have it the My Deco Marketing guide to creating perfect interiors pictures. Do you have any good tips to share on how to get perfect pictures? I’d love to hear them so please leave a comment below.

Photography tips for interior designers

Interior Design Blog or Instagram Post – Which is Best?

I’m answering a simple question for you in this blog. What’s the difference between marketing with Instagram versus marketing with an interior design blog?

Instagram is often seen as one of the most popular ways to showcase your services and products as an interior designer, designer maker or home decor brand. It’s visually appealing, easily accessible and has a large audience who focus on their interests and aspirations when choosing who to follow.

By comparison, blogging can now seem rather old school. It takes more time to create the perfect interior design blog post. However the impact of a great blog post can reach far beyond an Instagram post. I’m not saying there is neccessarily any less value in using instagram to market your business. However like everything in your business you need to evaluate your marketing channels carefully. To have a consistent strategy and use each one with intent is the key to success. With this in mind let’s look at a few of the pros and cons of blogging versus Instagram.

 

interior design blog vs instagram

Marketing with an Interior Design Blog

Having a blog on your website is a great way to showcase more of your business to your existing and potential clients. It’s an opportunity for your clients to get behind the scenes and find out what really makes you tick. Every successful piece of content starts with one essential marketing tool – great photography. This is the same for Instagram as it is for blogging. This is especially true in the world of interiors where visual aesthetics count for everything.

Inspire and Inform your Audience

One benefit to an interiors blog is that as well as that one scroll stopping picture, you also have the opportunity to educate and inform your audience and provide them with valuable knowledge that positions you as an expert in your field. Without the limit of having to be concise in a short punchy caption, you can easily expand with your explanations and take the time to really inform your readers. Additionally you don’t have to gamble on the one image you think will make an impact. Your blog can include several photos, graphics and even video to help you get your point across.

But here is where the blog really comes into it’s own. Google loves fresh content. Having a blog on your website means there’s always a place for news and information around your business. This is especially important if your services or products don’t change that much from season to season.  Ideally your blog should showcase your latest interior design projects or home decor products. However, projects take time to complete and product offerings usually appear seasonally so what do you write about all year round? If you are looking for ideas then take a look at my 35 interior design blog post ideas.

blogging tips for interior designers

The Power of Blogging and SEO

The power of a blog post over Instagram really is in the longevity of the post and it’s SEO value. See the infographic below for a quick and easy comparison. A well written blog post will provide you with keywords which are searchable in Google boosting your visibility in search engine rankings.

Guest posting on another blog or working with a blogger to post about your business makes you even more visible. This is because it will link back to your website which is another good sign to Google. All of this happens for the lifetime of the blog post which can be indefinite. Focus on well produced relevant content and those searches will keep bringing people back to your site for years!

Marketing with Instagram

Now let’s talk about Instagram. Instagram is a great tool for marketing your business. It’s easy to use and hugely popular with design enthusiasts. Using Instagram can be a huge boost to your business if you’re consistent with your posting. Whereas a blog post takes time to craft and then you leave it to do the work for you, Instagram is the exact opposite. It is what it says on the tin – instant. Posts are quick to create and can be very attractive however their effectiveness is just as quick too.

On a platform that claims to have 1 billion active monthly users, content churn is frequent, especially in a popular niche like interior design. Aside from those viral posts that top the hashtags and explore feed, the lifespan of an average post in the feed is around 1-2 days. After this is is most likely to be superseded with fresh content. This means you have to be consistent and post at least 3-4 times a week to stay visible, growing your audience so they can come to expect regular inspiration and information from you.

As captions are short and don’t allow for much information, video is a key tool to focus on here. Using stories is a great way to be present and give timely, behind the scenes insight into your business.

As much as the content is instant the best results come from Instagram when you build an engaged community around your account. This really does take time. Don’t just ‘Post and Pray’! Engage with your followers and the people you follow. Comment on their posts and reply to their comments on your posts to build a relationship. Connect through direct messaging and use every opportunity to link back to your website – in your bio, via direct messaging, and through IGTV and stories if you can.

If you haven’t yet built your own following yet on Instagram consider partnering with an influencer to boost your reach. This works particularly well with home decor products. Bear in mind that if you choose an Instagrammer that also has an effective blog, your campaign also benefits from all the plus points we mentioned in the blogging section earlier.

Blogging versus Instagram: A comparison

 

instagram or blog post which is best

 

In summary, both Instagram and interior design blogs are tools that you need to harness to build your visibility online. An analogy to the physical world is to compare the two media to the difference between a product flyer and a product catalogue.

A flyer like an Instagram post is an attention-grabbing small piece of media with essential information on it. You may save it in a folder (like you would on Instagram) if you find it shares really valuable information. However the likelihood is that you’re going to get another of these flyers tomorrow, and the day after and then the day after that for the foreseeable future. So unless this particular flyer has a call to action that suits you, you’re probably going to recycle it pretty quickly and look forward to the next one coming along.

Meanwhile, when you receive the catalogue it is full of so much invaluable information – page after page. You simply have to find a place for it in your office filing. When you need detailed product information you’ll search through the catalog (as you do on Google to find an article). There you’ll find all the information you need about the product or service you were searching for. You’ll then replace the catalogue keeping it for as long as the product information is valid. Similarly, Google will return search results to blogs for as long as the content they share is popular and relevant.

Two very different media where each benefits the other. Use Instagram to do the attention grabbing but don’t forget to back this up with more in-depth content on your website with your blog. If you’re thinking it’s about time you started that blog on your website I’m here to help. Download my 5  Essential Blogging Tips for Interior Designers. If you need advice on making your interior design or home decor business visible online contact me to book a consultation. Don’t forget to keep up with my latest tips, news, and events by following me on Instagram @fiona.mostyn, and make sure you sign up for my newsletter.

 

From Interior Designer to Online Vintage Store Owner

Selling home decor items online is a natural addition to the portfolio of services for many interior designers. The My Deco Marketing ‘Know Your Niche’ blogs focus on designers who have followed their passions to create a niche. This not only defines their ideal customer but also supports their business and lifestyle goals. In this blog meet Aline Mackenzie-Reid of The Textured Room, interior designer turned online vintage decor store owner.

 

Aline curates a beautiful collection of vintage decor which she photographs in her own home to sell online. Her signature english country house style is gaining a devoted following through her beautiful instagram account @thetexturedroom and was recently photographed to appear in Country Living magazine. Aline shares how she moved from the fast paced world of commercial interior design to build her new online vintage business. In doing so she combined her passion for antique and vintage furniture into her interior design practice.

 

How did you first start as an interior designer?

On an amateur basis, and I imagine like many designers, I spent many hours as a child rearranging the furniture in my bedroom. Then I tried to expand my influence to the rest of the house until my parents put a stop to it!   Following this I started my professional career about 20 years ago, slowly working my way through from junior to senior posts in some of the most creative design practices in London, including Fox Linton Associates, Ezra Attia Associates and then finally to Hotel Design Inc, where I was Senior FF&E designer/stylist.

We had huge amounts of fun as a team working on concept and completion of 5 to 6 star hotels around the world. From contemporary to classic as well as high- end residential projects, including some for celebrities.  About 12 years ago I started my own design practice.  I delivered numerous commercial projects for restaurants and cafes as well as houses and apartments in central London.

Tell us about a favourite project you’ve worked on.

This is split evenly between hotel projects in Algeria and Egypt. With a brief to transform a luxury hotel in Algiers where the scale of the project was rather challenging and the design brief super-contemporary.  Expectations were incredibly high. I was fascinated by the need to deliver concepts that would appeal to many different cultures.  Quite a different challenge than, say, designing the interior of a London hotel.  I also very much enjoyed working on the redesign of an old, French colonial hotel in Cairo, located just on the banks of the Nile. On balance Algiers wins, simply because it was whole lot safer when crossing the road!

What’s your design style?

I’m originally influenced by French and Italian design, probably because I was born and raised in Paris. However, I have gradually fallen deeply in love with the simplicity and singularity of English design.

Online Vintage Store

 

Through life, I think your taste evolves constantly. Influenced as much by what life throws at you as where you live and the life stage you are at.  Today, after living in London for more than 20 years, I live in the beautiful East Sussex countryside. I know my attention and interest have shifted away from highly sophisticated spaces. I still appreciate these but  these days I’m now drawn towards designs that are more influenced by nature.

the Textured room online vintage store

Although I still love the French mid-century era as well as for instance contemporary Belgian and Spanish product designers, I have come to really appreciate the work of English designers and artists, for example William Morris and Eric Gill.

Starting The Textured Room as an online vintage store

Three years ago I started selling vintage and decorative antiques on the high street.  I have always been passionate about vintage shopping for myself, so at the time it just felt the most natural next step for me. Whilst being a busy mum I was able to apply my styling skills in this new enterprise.  However, social media means things move on very quickly and a lot of buying is done online.  So six months ago I rebranded and launched “The Textured Room”, an online-only vintage and decorative antiques store which I combine with my interior design practice where I design local interiors that improve people’s lives. I’m passionate about making homes more beautiful, with a real emphasis on nature, textures and sustainability.

What do you look for when choosing items to sell?

I carefully curate all items myself, as I am a big believer in things going right if you really believe in them.  I try always to just be myself in all aspects of the business. From my design for the website to the interior designs I deliver for my clients. This is especially true in the items I find and then sell-on (just occasionally keeping some for myself!).

 

Antiques and vintage online

 

I have a real passion for what I do. If you really enjoy yourself  with your creativity, for example when taking pictures, it radiates and shows through in your business.   I am all for sustainability, so for me buying vintage is just that.  Of course you can mix the old with the new – and that’s fun too.  However vintage pieces add something that a brand new item will never deliver in an interior.

 

The textured room

They have their own stories, they’ve often had pride of place in someone else’s life many years before. As a result of being owned, loved and handled, they are a little imperfect, but all the more beautiful for being so.  I like to think that when I buy for my store, I am looking for beauty in imperfection.

What challenges did you face transfering to an online store?

The challenges I am facing with the store online are probably the fact that people need to find us.  So one of my answers to this is getting on social media as much as possible. I mainly focus on Instagram and Pinterest. I probably don’t do enough activity on these channels at the minute as I am still working things through and learning, but I aim to have this all sorted in the near future.

What tips do you have for creating perfect pictures?

You need good light, a good camera, then throw what you like together and keep experimenting. I don’t really have any technical tips for creating good photos. I just try and show my items and interiors for what they are, and enjoy styling each room and item as best as possible.  Primarily I think it is important to try to establish a consistent visual style. Keeping simple clean lines is also essential.

 

antique leather chair

Tell us about shooting your home for Country Living magazine.

 

Country home the textured room

 

Behind the scenes during the Country Living shoot last month was actually very simple, much more so than I anticipated.   It was all about light and continuity of each scene.

I learned a lot about taking a good photograph, just by watching them at work. But most of all I had a lot of fun with the team and was really in my element all day!  What better day than making things look beautiful all over again!

What’s your perfect interior

My perfect interior would start with the all-important framing . Key original features such as fireplaces, plain or painted floor boards, attractive windows, interesting doors.  Then, with a clear functional purpose, it would be filled with beautiful vintage pieces. Occasional contemporary items where they fuse well, but topped off with gorgeous natural fabrics such as linens, wool and cotton.

online vintage store marketing

My perfect interior would need to have had a great deal of attention to detail brought to it, with many different textures such as timber, metal, ceramic, and natural materials and tones, all inspired by nature.   Textures are to me the most important ingredient in a feel good design, hence The Textured Room.

Most of all, it would have to be perfect in its imperfection, with the right amount of meticulously curated pieces of vintage in it.  Ultimately, a good and successful interior is one where it feels good to be in, rather than just stunning to look at.

 

Discover Aline’s curated collection of online vintage finds at The Textured Room and follow her on instagram @thetexturedroom

 

Online marketing for interior designers

 

35 Easy Blog Post Ideas for Interior Designers

Having a blog on your website is a really effective way to drive traffic to your site and create an opportunity to convert those visitors to clients. But just how easy is it to come up with interior design blog post ideas? Providing valuable content and information for your target market builds your presence as an authority in your industry. However the hardest part is coming up with regular consistent content ideas to keep your blog busy and visitors coming back for more. 

So what should you blog about?

The number one thing I recommend that you blog about will always be your latest interior design project. Showcasing your work on your blog gives your readers a chance to really connect with you as a designer. However, it’s impossible to have a finished project or house tour to reveal every week or month as projects can take months or even years to complete. So alternatively here is a list of topic ideas for your blog which you can easily adapt into great content for your blog.

Here are 35 easy interior design blog post ideas

interior design blog post ideas

Design Advice

Giving advice on design projects helps readers understand the process of undertaking an interior design project. You can also use this to how you go about planning projects with your clients.

    1. Write about the number one question you get asked all the time
    2. When is the best time to plan an interior design project
    3. How to live through your renovation
    4. How interior designers can add value to your renovation
    5. Write about a design dilemma and how to solve it
    6. Write about how to define a budget for your interior design project

Practical Advice on making the right choices365 blog post ideas for interior designers

Showcase your expertise and help guide homeowners effectively through the maze of choices they’ll have to go through in planning an interior design project

                     7. What to look for when choosing kitchen appliances

8. What to look for when choosing flooring for different rooms

9. What to look for when choosing bathroom suites

10. Choosing curtains and blinds for different rooms

Style Advice

Style up an area in your home or studio and give advice on how your readers can do the same. Talk about the products, colour schemes and recommend stores where you like to source things from. Here are some ideas to consider

11. Style up a shelf

12. Style a dining table ready for entertaining

13. Style a garden seating area ready for a barbecue with friends

14. Style up a bed with cushions and throws

15. Style a sideboard with pictures, plants, accessories and lighting

Reviews

Share your personal taste and things that inspire you with your readers by writing reviews. Here are some ideas of places to visit, photograph, and review on your blog

 

16. A local interiors store

17. A stylish new restaurant or cafe

18. A stately home

19. A design event – take a look at my design events calendar for ideas on where to go

20. An inspiring home tour

Trends

Trends come and go and tend to follow the seasons so there’s always something new to write about. You don’t always have to agree with the latest trends, so if you don’t like a particular trend that everyone else is raving about, write about why not and offer a better alternative.

 

21. Colour trends – What’s hot and what’s not

22. Trends in furniture – shapes, fabrics, materials

23. Trends in home automation and smart technology

24. Vintage trends – the latest blast from the past reappearing in our homes

25. Lighting trends – shapes, sizes, materials and what’s new

 

Practical advice for homeowners

As well as creating new interior design schemes give homeowners advice on how to care for their new or existing interiors. Sustainability is always important so give advice to help homeowners make the most of what they have or highlight small changes that can really make an impact.

26. Choosing and caring for houseplants

27. Cleaning tips to care for your home

28. Storage ideas for small spaces

29. How to paint furniture

30. How to hang lighting

31. How to declutter

Seasonal blog posts

 Create content to keep readers ahead of seasonal changes around their homes.

32. Spring cleaning and getting ready for warmer weather

33. Get your garden ready for summer entertaining

34. Christmas decorating ideas

35. Christmas gifting for interior design lovers

Still, stuck for ideas or need help getting your blog started?

If you’re still struggling with ideas I have the perfect solution for you. A 50-page ebook with 365 Blog post ideas designed to help you sell your interior design services.

365 blog post ideas for interior designers

 

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Need More Ideas?

Discover…

365 bog post ideas fiona mostyn

 

Alternatively, if you’d rather have someone else do the work for you, contact me, and let’s work together. I can provide a strategy session to get you started and create your very own content calendar to work from. I can also take care of your blog from start to finish. From content planning to publishing and promotion. I’ve already created 2 Amara Interior Blog Award shortlisted blogs for my clients. Will your blog be my next success story?

Your blog is a powerful tool to capture your audience’s attention. Make sure yours makes the right impact on your customers

The 4 Best Social Media Platforms for Interior Designers

Social media is an essential marketing tool for interior designers and home decor brands. However, whilst an effective social media strategy brings results and new clients, throwing all your energy into social media can be time-consuming and a drain on valuable resources.

Best social media for interior designers to use

Social media for interior designers

How can you make sure you’re investing your time wisely to get the results you need? Step one is to focus your energies on the 4 proven best social media channels for interior designers. Here’s my guide to where to promote your interior design business on social media

1. Pinterest

Pinterest is the number one social media platform for interior designers to focus on and here’s why. It helps to think of Pinterest as less of a social media tool and more of a search engine. Unlike other social media platforms when people use Pinterest they are in research and buying mode, looking for inspiration and saving ideas for their dream home. 

With 250 million active monthly users (Sept 2018) Pinterest is driving trends. Designers often tell me they can predict what clients will ask for this season by what’s trending on Pinterest. Interior Design and Home Decor are some of the most active categories on the platform and your business needs to be visible in it.

Unlike Instagram and Facebook where content is famous for 15 minutes, on Pinterest good content is shared and re-shared giving it longevity. Sharing your content on Pinterest should be a well-planned part of your content strategy.  Done correctly it will drive traffic to your website boosting your website presence.

Additionally, if you are considering social PPC advertising talk to us about Pinterest. Facebook and Instagram are reaching saturation with advertising especially at times of the year like Christmas when you’ll pay even more to reach your audience. As Pinterest is a search engine Pinterest users are already searching with intent to purchase, so what better place to advertise your wares.

Another interesting fact is that Pinterest users also spend more per purchase than Facebook users when they click through from pins. As a place where people research expensive purchases, it’s geared towards a higher spend.

As a designer, Pinterest is also a great place to collaborate with your clients. You can share boards with pins to build ideas together for projects.

2. Instagram

As the interior design is a visual business Instagram is a great place to showcase your work. It also allows you to connect with your audience. Success on Instagram relies on sharing inspiring content which brings value to your audience. Think of your Instagram post as a daily mini-blog.

It’s a great way to connect with people tell them what you’re up to.  Talk about what interests you as a designer and showcase your work. Using hashtags you can quickly find your tribe and grow your followers. Don’t get hung up on numbers but instead focus on quality connections.

The internet loves video and IGTV provides a platform for interior designers to share their expertise with the world. For Instagram tips… can you guess what I’m going to say… follow me on Instagram @fiona.mostyn

If you’re ready to invest in growing your Instagram with either social media management or one-to-one training head over to the instagram services page.

 

“What’s the main difference between marketing by

posting on Instagram and posting on your blog?”

Read my next blog post to find out

interior design social media

3. Houzz

Houzz is the world’s biggest platform for connecting home renovators with the professionals they need to get the job done. A place where interior designers, architects, builders and landscapers, and home decor brands showcase their work for homeowners to discover.

Houzz.co.uk has around 200,000 users in the UK. Similar to Pinterest, users on Houzz are in active buying mode and searching for professionals to help with their projects. It’s a great place to collaborate with your clients through the use of ideabooks to plan out your projects. Similar to Pinterest boards you can use idea books on Houzz to get feedback. However, they are far more fully-featured than Pinterest boards.  There’s an opportunity to share in-depth information with your clients and some designers even integrate them into their workflow as a project management tool. Get active on Houzz with a well-optimized profile and qualified leads to your business will follow.

For home decor brands it’s essential to create a profile on Houzz. Firstly you’ll reap the benefits of their powerful SEO. Secondly, you’ll also showcase your products to the thousands of users searching their site each month. Did you know you can tag your products in lifestyle pictures on the site with direct links to your eCommerce pages to buy?

Did you know I’m a qualified Houzz Marketer? I’ve even got a certificate!! You can download my top 5 tips to boost your business on Houzz here. If you want to boost your business find out more about my Houzz Marketing Services.

4. Facebook

I actually debated whether or not to put Facebook on the list and this might be a controversial decision but here’s why. Facebook is still the world’s biggest social media site so yes you do need a Facebook page. You also need a Facebook page to run your Instagram as a business account.

Every social media profile benefits you with links back to your site building your profile across the web. If you have enough resources in your business host a consistent presence on every channel you possibly can. If your time and budget are limited concentrates on the ones that will give you the best return.

With this in mind here’s what I think works for Facebook. In recent times as Facebook has streamlined its business to increase its revenue from business users. Since this happened organic reach from businesses to potential customers has plummeted. On the plus side, Facebook has some of the most sophisticated customer targetings of any media out there. Facebook advertising used to be an easy way to reach customers but businesses are now spending more than ever on Facebook ads to maintain their reach.

Who Should You Target on Facebook?

If you are a home decor brand selling low to mid-price-range products Facebook is a great place to find your audience and sell products through paid media. In contrast, it’s different for an interior designer working on high-end homes. It’s unlikely you’ll persuade someone to spend £50K+ on a kitchen from a Facebook advert. That business is far more likely to come from Houzz.

However, the older, well-heeled target demographic of kitchen buyers can be found using Facebook. In fact, it is their social media of choice! Unlike making a quick decision to buy a sub £50 cushion, your kitchen buyer will need a carefully planned campaign to win them over so don’t dive into Facebook ads without a solid strategy to convert your buyer to your offer that suits your business.

However, as with all aspects of your business and your branding on social media maintain an up-to-date profile. If you are going to be visible on a social media platform share inspiring content to show your business in its best light.

Other Social Media for Interior Designers

As I mentioned before any social media profiles you create that link back to your site is good for your presence on the web. LinkedIn is great for connecting with other businesses. Interior designers in hospitality, commercial, and property development are likely to find connections through LinkedIn. Especially as it is more geared to business use than social media sites that people use for leisure.

YouTube is the domain of influencers. It works particularly well with selling products through demonstration. So where you can’t build a presence yourself collaborate with influencers to build your profile. 

Social media can be time-consuming to manage whilst you’re busy planning, sourcing, and project managing. My Deco Marketing offers social media management specially focused on interior designers and home decor brands. Choose the right channels, whether it’s Pinterest management, Instagram strategy, or building your Houzz profile. Build your reputation and find new customers whilst you get on with running your business. Contact me to find out more.