Why your Interior Design Business Absolutely Needs Content

Sometimes the world has truths you kind of try to avoid. As an interior designer, one of those truths might just be that in order to market your design business successfully you need to invest time in creating content.

I get it. Content is not an easy thing to tackle. It takes time to come up with ideas and needs skill to put it all down in an easy-to-understand fashion that will resonate with your ideal clients.

BUT HERE’S THE RUB: At least one of your design competitors is doing it right now and I mean they’re nailing it.

So, every time a potential customer does a search, guess who they’re going to find? That’s right, the designer that is stealing your thunder with awesome content marketing. And I’m not just saying that because I’m a Copywriter for Interior Designers and content is eeeeverything and all that I do.

If you don’t believe me, HubSpot will back me up. They reported that 55% of marketers in recent years said that blog creation was their top inbound marketing priority. Perhaps even more telling, according to Small Biz Genius, over 90% of marketers use digital content to approach their customers. That’s pretty close to 100%!

Although the numbers don’t lie, sometimes it takes a little bit of a push to help interior designers see today’s marketing is heavily dependent on content, and here’s why.

Everyone Hates Online Ads

I know I do and I’m sure you would agree. Online ads suck.

A study done by Instart Logic and Propeller Insights surveyed over 1,000 adults in the U.S. to find out how they really felt about ads in the digital world. Instead of just asking how much they hated ads however they were a little more astute.

They asked respondents what they found particularly annoying about their online experiences.
Guess what they said?

• 44% said websites should host no more than two ads
• 57% said that pop-up ads are nothing more than an obstruction to the content they are trying to reach
• 50% said ads that take up the entire screen were irritating

Adding fuel to the ad-hate-fire, according to Forbes, 47% of consumers are blocking ads. So, you really might want to avoid ads and find a better way to reach your target audience >> like engaging content marketing for interior designers, perhaps.

Influence Conversions

Stats show that good content can make a HUGE difference for conversions.

According to Content Marketing Institute, 82% of marketers say conversion rate is the biggest benefit to their content marketing. The reason? It allows you to make a meaningful connection with prospects and educate them on what you offer.

You build trust and encourage new relationships that are already trust-based thanks to the content you provide. Content empowers people to make purchasing decisions. And it can truly help your interior design clients make the decision to choose you, trust you, like you – and hire you for their next reno project.

But also, you can also create 67% more leads using your blog content.

Organic Search Results

If you’re budget-challenged, content is probably one of the most affordable marketing tactics you’ll ever use. You can build an outstanding library of content and make updates exploring different areas of your expertise.

Not only is content affordable to create, but it then continues to work for free for your interior design business generating organic search results again and again. When you have a blog on your interior design website, you have an average of 434% more indexed pages with search engines. Your indexed pages are what Google uses to rank content for searches. When done right you can rank for more searches and outdo other interior designers in your space.

Establishing Expertise as an Interior Designer

I’ve mentioned how content allows prospects to find their way to making a purchase. This is because it establishes your interior design business as an expert in the industry. When people can answer their questions on your website, they build trust in your knowledge and learn how you can resolve their pain points.

Here’s an example: Let’s say your niche and your specialty is designing highly functional, small spaces, and condos downtown Toronto for young professionals.

Your content should speak to that specifically. You could have content marketing pieces that address the solutions for small space living, innovative storage ideas for micro-loft apartments, or designing highly versatile spaces using multifunctional furniture. Whatever your zone of genius is, your voice should be heard in the industry. Content provides that voice and establishes expertise.

Self-Directed Design Clients

Today people don’t want to interact with customer service if they don’t have to. Instead, consumers, including your own interior design prospects, are doing their own legwork, online.

If you have a brick and mortar location like a design studio or a store, this is still good news and you still need content. Nearly 80% of consumers will shop online for information first but then use that info to visit your store according to their research findings.

To put that in the context of your interior design business, here are some of the things your ideal clients are researching online:

• Interior design trends. Did you know that the most researched interior design trend in 2020 was VINTAGE? Over 48,560 searches a month in the UK alone! Holy! INDUSTRIAL interior design style came in second, btw.
• How to determine your interior design style and aesthetic
• How to incorporate vintage items in your space?
• Kitchen design ideas. Interestingly, Google search data reveals 75% rise in Google searches in 2020 for kitchen island ideas. Not surprised since so many of us are spending a lot more time at home, huddled with a laptop in the kitchen.
• Room ideas and inspiration
• Pet-friendly fabrics
• Sustainable living
• Best indoor plants

Remaining Competitive

Are your interior design competitors killing it with content marketing? Do you think you’re maybe missing the boat?

Conduct a local search using relevant keywords for your industry to see who shows up at the top of the rankings.

For example: search interior designer Toronto, or design and build firm New York or commercial interior designer San Diego

Then click their links and read their stuff. Studying what your competitors are doing is the best way to see whether or not it’s time to start playing catch up. Look at the following things:

• What interior design related keywords are leading you to their content? You should be using the same ones for your online strategy.
• What do their snippets say? You can use this info to get ideas about what your customers are searching.
• What are their blogs about? Use their ideas for inspiration, but then make your content 10 times better. Make it your own.
• Who is your target audience? Do you think the content your competitors are using is meeting their needs?
• How do you think their content is enhancing customer experience? Is it solving problems, entertaining, informing? Use this to inform and develop your own online content strategy for your interior design business.

REMEMBER: Never copy what your competitors are doing.

Instead, you want to see what content ideas and keywords are getting them to the top of the rankings. You can then determine how your unique value proposition can be used to improve on what they’re achieving. Look for opportunities to start building your own library of content and pay attention to other content and links you stumble upon on their site when doing your research.

If you need help in this department, this is my jam. Book a 30 min chat with me and I’ll help you develop a solid content strategy for your interior design business with content that will attract your ideal clients.

Growing Local Business

This is the “near me” era, where people are constantly using their phones to find the closest experiences to meet their needs. Whether they’re shopping for shoes, have a hankering for tacos, or want to book a consult with an interior designer, the local search is the strongest tool for small business owners. According to Google one-third of all mobile searches are related to location. If you aren’t online to help improve your search rankings people won’t be able to find you and you’ll miss out on business.

I’m thinking if you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re starting to get that you can’t market your interior design business without solid content. I would love to help you find your voice to produce meaningful content marketing. Get to know me and what I do here, or better yet reach out today and we’ll find ways to wow your audience.

Copywriter for Interior Designers – A bit about me:

Hey, I’m Masha – Copywriter for Interior Designers and design + build firms. I specialize in website copy for designers. I also do blog writing, emails, social media content, and pretty much all the content marketing you need to grow a successful business and attract the right type of client.

In a nutshell, I help designers build a strong brand, stand out from all the noise out there, and find the right words that resonate with your ideal customer.

Let’s chat if writing content and copywriting for your interior design business is not your zone of genius. It is mine. 🙂