If you’re a solo practitioner or a principal with a small team, you probably don’t have a lot of time or resources to devote to marketing your firm. You still want to keep your project pipeline full, though. For that, you need to make the most of whatever marketing you can manage to squeeze in. So focus on the most unique thing you have to offer prospective clients: yourself.
You are your number one asset
Of all the many professions and trades in the built environment, interior design is probably the most personal. Most prospective clients are not looking to hire a design firm. They want to hire an interior designer, someone they feel they can trust their home or business to. Providing them with a menu of design services is all well and good. But they want to know who you are and whether you get who they are.
In your marketing, highlight two key areas of your practice. One, how you, as an interior design professional, differ from others offering design, decor or renovation services. Two, how you differ from other professional interior designers. Emphasize the benefits you offer clients, such as:
- Your unique value proposition. What sets you and your firm apart from the competition.
- Your design vision, style and personal design look. (This is what most prospects look for first when they decide they want to hire a designer.) This is where your personality shines through.
- Industry knowledge and contacts. You know who to buy from and who to avoid. You have access to products others don’t, including custom designs. You know and work with trusted contractors and subcontractors.
- Preferred pricing, through to-the-trade programs and discounts.
- Save time and money. Project management and oversight to keep the project on schedule and reduce errors and overruns.
- Peace of mind. Avoid the stress of working directly with a contractor or tradesperson, or trying to do the project yourself.
- Holistic solutions harmonizing aesthetics and functionality.
You have what you need to market your firm
You don’t need a PR agent or a big budget to market yourself and your firm effectively. Chances are you already have created most of the material you’ll require. You just have to package it in the right way and deliver it to the right audience.
Before you do anything else, focus your marketing efforts on your ideal client pool. Where are they likely to be looking for a designer like you or to cross paths with you? What are their top aspirations and concerns? What might motivate them to try to find out more about you?
Bearing those parameters in mind, tailor your website and business materials to appeal to your ideal client. Emphasize equally your design and your business skills. Pull together a select portfolio of your best work. Present projects that not only demonstrate your aesthetic but also your problem-solving talents. Generate a menu of design services, highlighting any particular specialty areas that you practice. Create sample proposals and contracts that are clear, concise and comprehensive. Produce a list of Frequently Asked Questions to address common client concerns. Let prospects know that you are both professional and accessible.
You are your brand
As a sole practitioner or principal of a small firm, how you present yourself inevitably will define your brand in the eyes of prospective clients, clients and business associates. Consider how you want others to perceive and relate to you. Create a profile that embodies those qualities and employ it in your relationships with others. This is not to say you should be inauthentic. Rather, you want to foreground those genuine qualities that you want others to associate with your brand and your work.
When you have defined your brand and developed the necessary supporting business and media materials, use your social media accounts and personal and professional networks to promote yourself and your firm. Client referrals and reviews can help validate your brand. For best results, schedule some time each week, even if it’s only a half hour or so, for marketing efforts and outreach. A consistent presence is much more effective than an occasional big-push marketing campaign.
Keep in mind that the purpose behind marketing is to raise awareness about you and your firm to those who might otherwise not be aware of what you have to offer. Don’t expect to get a flood of new clients or even inquiries right away. Stay with it. Try different strategies. In time, as awareness grows, your ideal clients will find you.