Historically, interior designers have built their careers with gorgeous portfolios and referrals from happy clients — and both of these are still great methods to get new leads.
But today, designers also have a whole list of digital marketing opportunities at their fingertips. This gives business owners the chance to intentionally and strategically harness the power of search engines to drive traffic to their websites and draw in potential clients.
The trouble is, these marketing techniques are often a drain on your time (and creative energy) or your wallet.
Marketing firms can charge thousands for a quick campaign, and paid ads don’t have great click rates.
You’d DIY your own marketing strategy, but time spent at that particular drawing board is time away from paying clients and dream design projects.
You need something that puts you in the driver’s seat, yet doesn’t require your constant attention.
Enter: the blog.
A blog is the tried-and-true method for driving traffic to your website, growing a loyal following, and connecting with your target audience.
But do you really need an interior design blog to grow your business?
Well, for starters:
Businesses with blogs receive 55% more traffic than those without (1)
Marketers who prioritize blogging are 13x more likely to see positive ROI in their inbound marketing strategy (2)
Content marketing such as blogging generates nearly 3x more leads than traditional marketing, yet costs 62% less (3)
Blogging allows you to control the story you tell, and the long-form style gives you plenty of space to tell it.
And sure, managing a blog takes some time, but content creation can be easily outsourced; a skilled interior design copywriter can channel your voice and create custom content designed to engage and inspire readers so you can focus on your business.
An interior design blog is also the perfect way to share your portfolio, behind-the-scenes details, and testimonials from happy customers, all in one place.
Still not convinced? Good, I like skeptics.
In short: yes, blogging — done well — is worth the effort. In fact, here are 7 reasons your interior design business needs a blog.
A blog puts you in control of your inbound marketing strategy.
First, there was Facebook. Then Twitter. Now, Instagram is the popular choice, especially for creatives and designers.
And it’s easy to see why: Instagram is free, fun, and gets your work out there for the masses to see.
It also allows designers to build an online community to share inspiration and champion each other’s work.
But social media platforms are constantly tweaking their algorithms and users move on to the next big platform every few years, leaving businesses to scramble and relearn all the best practices for continued growth and engagement.
If you put all your marketing eggs in one particular social media basket, so to speak, this can be stressful. When you use social media as just another tool to grow followers so that you can redirect them to your blog, however, platform changes won’t throw your marketing strategy into a tailspin.
Plus, interior design blog posts that deliver great content to readers can last for years, unlike social media posts, which have a much shorter shelf life.
2. If social media is where you catch their attention, your blog is where you earn their loyalty
On your website, social media, or publicity pieces, you let the pictures do the bulk of the heavy lifting.
With a blog, you get to lift the curtain on your process and share design dilemmas you had to solve.
Things like: how and why you selected certain materials, colors, and finishes; the biggest challenge about the space; your favorite detail about the finished project.
All of this helps your readers connect to you and your work, not just a pretty picture.
Content marketing also provides a more interactive experience for your audience. While traditional marketing is more of a monologue, content marketing creates a dialogue, allowing readers to ask questions, leave comments, and interact with you and your brand. (4)
Especially now, people are looking for connection. A blog is a fun and easy way to establish a more personal relationship with your readers during quarantine.
By being authentic about your creative process and offering the design tips and inspiration your audience wants, you’ll build trust and grow a community of readers who return to your interior design blog again and again.
3. Your blog provides free (and easy) advertising
Many creatives loathe self-promotion.
Most would rather just roll up their sleeves and let their work speak for itself.
And it can!
Your blog doesn’t need to be filled with overly sales-y language and inauthentic humble brags. In fact, I don’t ever recommend this approach, even if you are an extrovert who thrives in the limelight and loves to talk up your work.
Instead, use your blog to highlight recent projects and share your design process. This builds trust and a strong connection with readers. You can even share snippets of a testimonial from a happy client within the article.
A blog is also the perfect spot to share details about your new remote interior design process and services. For more insight on that, check out this post.
A regularly updated blog keeps your name and your work in front of readers’ eyes with each new post so they remember you when it’s time to hire an interior designer for their own project.
Bonus: an active blog also tells the search engines that your website is active and relevant, which helps you rank higher in search results. So if your website is stuck on page 9, a design blog can help increase your web traffic, without spending your hard-earned cash on paid ads.
4. A blog lets you filter your audience
Lots of people will be drawn to your aesthetic and your portfolio pics, obviously. Your work is amazing!
But you know just how much fun it is when you and your client are a great fit personality-wise...and how unpleasant it is when you aren’t.
A blog helps find your dream clients because it lets your readers get to know you, not just your portfolio.
Plus, by choosing blog topics you know your ideal clients would be interested in, you can use search engine optimization (SEO) to your advantage, essentially allowing you to handpick your readers. So you can let the right people know exactly how amazing your partnership could be, and let the rest just pass on by.
5. Blogging establishes your design brand and amplifies your voice
Branding is such a buzz word, it borders on cliché.
And again, can send a chill down the spine of creatives who just want to make beautiful things. But branding is key to building authority in the design industry and increasing revenue for your business.
And it doesn’t have to feel icky.
You’re not trying to fool anyone about the work that you do or create some inauthentic facade. You have an amazing skill set and deliver a service that people want!
By getting clear on exactly what that looks like and exactly who it’s for, you’re creating your unique brand.
This allows you to communicate directly to the people who need your services so they can get the most enjoyment, satisfaction, and life out of their homes.
6. Your blog can boost other businesses
If a focus on branding and self-promotion still doesn’t feel quite right, know that a blog with a loyal following is a powerful tool to lift up other creatives and entrepreneurs.
You can use your platform to endorse business partners, promote artisans, and share products you love.
Featuring an up and comer or letting a new designer guest post on your blog gives them access to readers they might not have reached on their own.
You can also highlight non-profits and causes you believe in to help further their efforts.
With a design blog, you can build a community and lend a voice to people and projects you truly believe in.
7. A blog lets you share your passion with the world
You don’t get paid to blog.
True, it helps grow your business, but producing content requires investing your precious time, or if you partner with a copywriter, some cash.
This shows your readers how much you care about your industry. You’re committed to sharing your knowledge and your love of great design — of maximized potential and stellar transformations — because you love it!
This enthusiasm is contagious and will pull readers along for the ride.
So whether you’re looking to drive traffic to your interior design website, carve out your place in the industry, or build a community of fellow design lovers, a blog is the perfect way to get there.
Love the idea but don’t know where to start? I’m Katie, an interior design copywriter and brand messaging strategist!
I write website copy and marketing words - and offer brand messaging strategy sessions to help you get crystal clear on your target audience, offers, and brand voice. Not only does this help you write with clarity and ease, it also helps you define your people and speak to them consistently, to build a loyal following and grow your brand. Find out more, here.
1 Forbes
2 Hubspot