Social media is not your salvation, in fact when social media isn’t working it can trap your business in a downward spiral. Are you one of those interior designers that keeps doing what you’ve always done even when it isn’t working? That’s the very definition of insanity according to Einstein.
Now, I’m not saying stop all social media. I am saying to focus on other marketing. The point to social media is to attract clients, if that’s not working, use another channel. Social media is NOT a substitute for getting out there in person and meeting potential clients at all manner of events, including ordinary and everyday activities like grocery shopping, going to the gym, picking up your dry cleaning, grabbing a Starbucks, and walking your dog in the park.
Your social media should NOT require more than 30-60 minutes a day. I had one designer tell me recently she was investing 3-4 hours a day and it wasn’t producing results. She’d been doing this for 9 months. STOP IT! As a designer you are at your most memorable and magnetic when you are in person.
Your enthusiasm about design is contagious, your knowledge is irresistible. Everyone loves to talk about their dream home and what they wish they had. Some of those people are actually interested in moving forward with it and want to explore working with you. If you continue to hide behind social media, they’ll never find you.
When social media isn’t working it can be the type of posts your making, the captions your sharing, the hashtags your using or not using. There’s a lot of variables. The awesome news is you don’t have any of those variables in person. You can be your expert, stylish self and attract with ease.
Some of my best places to put yourself are HERE, go get it, download and apply.
If you want to do some QUICK research (please don’t spend hours and days on this) here’s a cheat list to GOOGLE:
- Women’s Networking Groups (Ellevate, ProWin, National Executive Women, NAWBO, What Women Want, eWomen’s Network and more are waiting for you)
- MeetUp (there are thousands of MeetUp groups with as many interests in your cities back yard, go look)
- Charitable Organizations big and small always looking for committee members and volunteers (Successful people give back and make great clients.)
- Networking (BNI, Powercore, Le Tip Club and others, these allow only one professional from any industry exclusively and it can take 6-12 months to build relationships that produce revenue, what are you waiting for?)
- Parties ~ yes that means you need to get social, create a network of friends you can hang out with and meet their friends (remember the old Faberge commercials…you tell 2 friends, they tell 2 friends, etc.)
Find a minimum of one event to attend per week. If you’re in genuine need of new clients, you may want to explore more events. Lead by being interested in others first, that will instantly make you the best conversationalist in the room.
While you may be shy or like to claim you’re an introvert, you have a choice. What’s more important, you getting out and meeting potential clients or you feeling safe staying at home and hiding on social media while your business dries up?
As a designer you are in one of the most in demand industries right now. There has never been a time of greater awareness of design and greater demand at all levels of the market. Stop making excuses and get out there.
Going from online to offline will feel refreshing, and while it’s work, it’s also putting you face to face with potential clients away from the distraction of the keyboard and oh so many competitors clamoring for your potential clients attention. You’ll have them almost all to yourself when you go in real time (IRT.)
It’s always a good idea to give any event two tries as if you had a poor experience the first time it could be an off night. The ones that you liked, repeat, repeat, repeat. Follow up is up to you. This is not about how many cards can you distribute or collect. You are far better served by meeting 3 people and following up with “how can I serve and support your success.” Than scattering your efforts among many. And when you lead by giving, they will reciprocate.
Stop making your interior design practice hard, clients surround you, you just haven’t been willing to take a look around and realize how abundant your prospects truly are. Time to change.
For 15 Unexpected Places to Meet Upscale Clients, GO HERE!
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