Build Your Interior Design Business by Blogging - Part 1
By Gail Doby, ASID

Are you finding business more challenging this year with the Recession and your clients becoming more Internet savvy? It is time to look at your business with a fresh perspective, and if you do, you will succeed while your competitors are wondering what to do.

I have been a professional interior designer for twenty years, and my passion is bathroom design, remodeling and construction design. During October 2007, I was contacted by two magazines that wanted to feature my work. One of the writers commented that I really needed to update my website and I had to agree. It was basic, and the information wasn't current, so I contacted a webmaster and started the process of designing a new website which took six months to launch.

Meanwhile, I attended a seminar in Los Angeles, and I learned some amazing new methods for marketing my business using blogs and social marketing. I set up my first free blog using http://www.WordPress.com in late November. It only took an hour to set up the site, but I was nervous about blogging, so my first post was published in December.

It took me weeks to get the courage to start posting articles. After writing five or six posts, it became much easier. It was scary to reveal my ideas and personality to the world. Blogging might sound intimidating to you, but it really is a fun and easy way to connect with your audience of prospects.

What Is A Blog?

You may be wondering what a blog is. Very simply, it is a web-based log of your thoughts and ideas. You can create blogs with multiple pages, and you can create massive traffic by using videos and "podcasts." Podcasts (I-Pod™) are audio recordings.

You may wonder why you should have a blog, and you may think that you don't have time or you don't want to add one more thing to your busy schedule. Here are some compelling reasons you should consider before turning this page.

Here is a shocking statistic - only 25% of all designers have a website! (Information provided by the Founder of Ava Living, a new social networking site for designers and design enthusiasts http://www.avaliving.com.)

When looking for a designer, 44% of the people that were surveyed go to the Internet for information about a designer, so if only 25% of all designers have a website, and you are part of the 75% that don't have a presence of some sort, you won't be considered by those potential clients.

Although many interior designers have a website, it is a static presentation of you and your company. Google, and all search engines for that matter, loves blogs because they provide fresh content on a frequent basis.

If you do a Google search on the Internet, there are more and more interior design blogs listed every day. Are your competitors blogging? If they aren't, you have the opportunity to create a loyal fan base that comes to you before they go to your competitors.

Since freshness of content is one of the determining factors for how high your website ranks when visitors are searching for interior designers, then either you need to update your site very frequently or you need a blog. Think about your own research on the web. How many times do you go past the first few pages when searching on Google?

If your blog is connected to your main website, and you post often, you will drive more organic traffic (vs. pay per click advertising) to your website if the reader is interested in knowing more about your services.

Why Do Consumers Hire Designers?

According to ASID's recent survey, when a prospective client is looking for a designer, 38% of the participants said they were most influenced because they felt comfortable working with the designer.

The primary reason I started a blog was to develop a friendly relationship with potential design clients. A blog allows you to "enter the conversation" that your clients are having in their own head, and that is extremely important. Your readers may be voyeurs for awhile, but when they are ready, they will call you or they will start posting comments.

Here is a hint for you. If you are just starting to post articles, have your friends comment on your blog. It is always a challenge to get the first person to comment because people are looking for social proof that your site is interesting. Once people see activity, they assume that others think you have something to offer.

As you know, it is easier to have a prospective client hire you if they know, like and trust you. If your only way of presenting yourself is with a "corporate" looking website with great pictures of your work, that is good, but it is even better if people like you before they even meet you.

How Do You Set Up Your First Blog?

I recommend starting with a "throw-away" blog that is free. I started with http://www.WordPress.com. You can start a free blog on many other sites such as http://www.blogger.com, http://www.blogher.com and many more.

The reason I recommend starting with a free one and practicing is that you can practice your writing and get feedback from friends, family and clients before promoting your new blog. This will help you get in the rhythm and habit of writing for a small and friendly audience. You can post pictures and tell stories about yourself personally so you become more than a one-dimensional site.

Set Your Blog Objective

My first blog, http://www.gaildoby.wordpress.com was a great learning experience. After posting for about four months, I realized that my goals had changed, and I felt that two entirely different and fresh blogs would allow me to separate the message for my two audiences.

So, be sure you are clear with your objectives before you start that first post. You will be more effective if you do this before you create your blog. You may notice if you visit my blogs that they are fairly new. Here are their addresses: Consumer Blog - http://www.gaildobyinteriordesignblog.com and my Professional Designer Blog http://www.interiordesignsuccessblog.com.

Here is an example of an objective for a blog. My business goals have changed, and I am "retiring" from professional design to begin a new business venture, Design Success University^sm. The goal for this new business is to develop an educational and community forum for professional designers.

When we are firmly established, we will also start a private forum and membership site to share practical personal development and marketing education for professional designers. We will invite members of our community as well as other personal development and marketing experts to share their expertise. We will deliver our services through teleseminars, video casts, podcasts, blog posts, free reports, newsletters and eBooks.

Blog Benefits

One of the best features about blogs is the ease of modifying your web presence. When I want to make a change, I just log into the site and make the change. It shows up immediately. If you aren't happy with your change, you can delete it immediately.

Updating your blog does not require the assistance of a webmaster. You can save thousands of dollars by creating and maintaining your own site. Here are the exceptions: you may need some assistance from your webmaster or another blog expert to change the format or function of your blog if the pre-made templates don't suit your needs. Also, you will want to add a tab to your static website for your blog so it helps you drive traffic to your main website.

Blogging success comes from participation, frequency of posts, quality of information and likeability. It takes time to build your community. The first step in building your interior design business through blogging is to decide that you are ready to join the conversation.

Hopefully you are feeling inspired to build your brand and your business.

Bonus Tip

Be sure to visit http://www.avaliving.com and join the only social networking site for our industry. If you would like additional information about how to set up your Ava Profile and create your blog, please request the first two chapters (Free) of my new eBook, Ultimate Business Success Strategies for Designers, by visiting http://www.designsuccessu.com/ebook.

Part 2 of Build Your Interior Business with Blogging will focus on questions you should answer and specific tips to help you grow your audience. Until then, please visit our blog at http://www.interiordesignsuccessblog.com blogging and design success and join our community, and post a question or comment.

About the author: Gail Doby has over twenty years of professional interior design experience and is NCIDQ certified. She recently started Design Success University^sm to support design professionals with practical personal development marketing education.


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