When it comes to social media one size does not fit all, especially when it comes to your online interior design business With its focus on, and optimization for images, Instagram is the obvious place to promote your projects, designs, and ideas, but a well-crafted Instagram wall is more than simply uploading an fantastic pictures and hitting “post.”
If you want to use your Instagram account to grow your followers, increase engagement, and ultimately get clients, here are 4 rules to live by:
Rule #1: Separate Your Business and Personal Accounts
If you do not already have one, be sure to create an account that’s sole purpose is to promote your professional interior design voice, and be sure every post represents precisely that! Sure, you can occasionally share your design work on your page, but your personal content should not bleed over to your business account unless it makes sense and supports your design voice.
For example, let’s say you have the world’s most hilarious cat…your potential clients may not want to see daily photos of him getting stuck in paper bags or running around having tangled himself in toilet paper…again; BUT if he was, in one of his more peaceful moments, lounging on a trendy armchair in a living room you just designed, that could be the right fit for your business page!
Design is all about personality, so you should absolutely show some with your business account. Just be sure always to ask yourself before you post, “does this deliver my professional message and voice as a designer?” Unless the answer is a resounding “yes!” you may want to save that post for your personal account.
Rule #2: Quality Comes First.
Because Instagram is so heavily focused on images, you want yours to be the best! Not only do you want to post high-quality content, but you want your photography to be top-notch too. Be sure that every photo you post is crisp, well-lit, and framed appropriately to maximize the design elements that you’re trying to highlight.
Check out this episode with Style Mutt Home, Chelsea Bieber tells us all about how she used Instagram to grow her e-design business
Rule #3: Get Intentional About Grids.
Just as important as the photos you choose to post, is how you choose to post them; after all, presentation is everything! That’s why we suggest you use Instagram grids to help you promote your online interior design business.
There are many different types of Instagram grids to choose from to help you organize your wall, showcase your amazing work, stand out from the crowd, and express your voice as a designer. Grids give you an incredibly professional look with enough flexibility to present your individual style, so stop tossing your photos onto your page willy-nilly and start getting intentional about it!
Rule #4: Always Use Hashtags.
You’ve got the great content that supports your design voice; it’s perfect for your business page; and the photo quality is HGTV level amazing. But if nobody knows who you are, that may not matter. So let’s put it all together and get that content, and therefore your online interior design business, in front of as many people as possible! That’s where hashtags come in.
Hashtags make your content searchable on Instagram and every hashtag you post makes it that much easier to find. Here’s the exciting part…You can use up to 30 hashtags per post! Be sure they are catchy and relevant, and if you are having a hard time coming up with them, creep around on some other interior design accounts for inspiration.
Remember, your business Instagram account is like an online business card or a virtual portfolio. It’s either going to draw followers in and help you convert clients…or not. After all; you could be an incredibly talented designer, but nobody will know that if they can’t find your work!
If you don’t have professional photos of finished space, you can create realistic 3D images as a way to show your design aesthetic. So follow the four rules above and you’ll be well on your way to mastering Instagram for your online interior design business!