AN Interior Design Website vs Social Media for Interior Designers- Which is best?
Everyone seems to be pushing social media content to reach your ideal client. But is this the best way? Read the article to find out…
Social media can be great, but the need to post every day can be a huge commitment of time and energy
Use an interior design website strategy to really craft your message to reach your ideal client and power-up your interior design business
TL/DR
The world of interior design is increasingly taking place online. 10 years ago, I was surrounded by stacks of magazines which I used to look at for inspiration, create physical mood boards and just enjoy. I’d keep these magazines for years and dip into their content. Those days are long gone.
I still buy magazines, but I read them digitally. I find it much easier to follow original content either by social media, blogs or interior design magazines’ own websites.
Though I consume design content on social media-mainly instagram, it is very much product focused. I enjoy following the stages of the design process and getting to know designers, but this is only one part of the story. I rarely see feeds from interior designers with lots of new original projects every day - and this is probably because you would have to be a huge design firm to have so many completed projects. Most designers post about mood boards (I’m guilty of this too) or will post recycled content from other instagram accounts (guilty again).
I want to start by saying that I enjoy social media, but I’m not obsessed with it. I would probably only look at it only once per day if I didn’t have to look at it for work!
So why does social media get all the attention?
Here are a few reasons:
It can have a huge reach. You can have people following your account from all over the world who love your work and become fans.
It is cheap to set up and cheap to manage if you do it yourself.
You only need your phone. Instagram is free and even apps like InShot etc are relatively cheap.
It gives you that automatic buzz- everyone likes being liked and it definitely is a shot to the ego if everyone likes your post.
So what are the drawbacks?
It takes a fair bit of effort. If you want to grow, you need to have a thoughtfully curated strategy that takes time to put together.
You have to be relatively active on the platform to see growth. This means posting multiple times per day, being very comfortable on camera and keeping up with the tech and the dreaded ‘algorithm’.
You have to spend a fair bit of time writing captions that are meaningful and that will connect with your audiences.
You have to spend a bit of time researching hashtags. Actually, a lot of time.
You have to spend some time jumping into people’s DMs and making sure to respond to all your comments and followers. Exhausting!
The main issue is that you spend all this time creating content, and after a few days it completely disappears! You will probably notice when you google a person or service, their Facebook page may appear, but rarely their Instagram.
Social media platforms are pushing a lot of video content. This means that you not only have to have nice photos, but you need to be a videographer as well. This takes even more time.
Okay, I’m sure you have got the point.
So what else can you do?
If you have been following me at all, you will know that I think a website is the best place for an interior designer to show up online. It can make your work really shine.
Have you ever been on a first date where you have spent a lot of time and energy getting ready and you really feel you are at your best? An interior design website is just like that. It is the place online where your hair and makeup look flawless and you have your best & most flattering outfit on. Everyone thinks you are looking your best!
With social media, well, it’s like your everyday look. Sometimes you look fabulous and sometimes, not so much. Like real life, you take the chance that the love of your life will come along and you are not looking quite your best.
A website creates brand trust.
With social media, anyone can set up a profile. A website sets you up as serious business. It gives you legitimacy to potential clients and to suppliers that you may want to work with. A professional-looking website reassures visitors that your business is the right choice for them. It is a place where you can show off your expertise, style, credentials and testimonials.
Brand your interior design website carefully.
We have some tips here that will help you design a website that fits in with your aesthetics and voice.
Your website content is searchable on Google.
It will pre-qualify your clients as they are people who are searching for interior design services online. If you create high-quality long-form content, you can drive traffic to your site and position yourself as an expert in your field.
You have complete control over the look and feel of your website.
You get to own your little piece of the world wide web that you own and that no one can take away from you. If for some reason, Instagram or Facebook gets hacked, you could potentially lose access to your account. Don’t let that be you.
Your content lasts for a long time.
I have been writing blog posts for over 10 years. Some of the posts that I wrote for my old blog are still sending traffic to my business in Hong Kong. If you take the time to write high-quality articles that are keyword rich, you can drive traffic to your website. By writing interior design articles that are tailored to your niche, location and services, you will be more searchable on Google. This takes a bit of time at first but will reap rewards for many years to come.
If you are selling products (digital products or packages) you have complete control over how and when to sell your product. Though you can buy products via social media, services like interior design require more of a relationship. You have the chance to present your work both with images and words that will explain how you work and what kind of work you do. Your website for interior designers can contain forms and lead magnets that will entice your followers to book or sign up to your list so that you can convert them into clients later.
Though websites don’t have that instant hit of social media- no likes or comments, you can use your website to seed the posts you make on social media. This is also a great strategy because it positions you as an expert as well as sends your fans to your website where you can help them.
Together, a social media strategy can only be enhanced by the rich content of your website. If these strategies are created in tandem, then you will be able to gain more fans, followers and eventually clients.
Check out our courses on branding and websites specifically for interior designers just like you who want to start and scale up their interior design businesses.
