In this day and age, running a business without an online presence is borderline ridiculous. A website, blog, and social media profiles are required even if you are running a local florist shop. And when it comes to interior design, the necessity of blogging skyrockets through the roof.

It doesn’t matter if you are already blogging or not; we are here today to help you understand the importance of blogging for your interior design business, bust some of the most common excuses, and provide you with witty insights on how to bring your blog to the next level.

Are you ready?

Why do I need all of this? I am an artist, not a marketer.

Yes, you are an artist. You probably even have a degree to validate your claim. And yes we know, the industry asks so much of you.

When they said you needed a website, you went for it (hopefully). You hired a web designer to set up your online business card.

Then, they said social media is all the rage. Without carefully curated pages, you are no one. So, you started reading about how to come up with the best possible social media strategy that would drive your business to profit. Suddenly, you caught yourself spending more time being a social media manager (with more or less success) than an actual interior designer. You felt cheated. You had to do all this work to be able to do what you wanted in the first place - design gorgeous interiors.

And now, we are telling you you need to blog, too.

You probably think we are insane.

Where the heck am I going to find the time to master this craft too? And why should I anyway?

The answer is simple - because you want to stand out. It is not just the design business that is being pushed to seek innovative ways to market itself. The urge is everywhere, in all fields of business. So finding time to blog was bound to happen anyway and you will just have to do it unless you want to lose pace with the competition. 

If I start blogging, what would be the actual benefits?

Catching up with the industry and competition is reasonable, but it still makes blogging a chore, not a pleasure. Well, it doesn’t have to be like that. We will even dare to say that if it feels like a chore, you shouldn’t do it at all. Blogging just for the sake of keeping up with the crowd will only drain the precious energy out of you, and the results will remain flat.

Clients won’t hire you unless they are confident in your capabilities and appreciate your aesthetics. And what better way to show them what you are worth than blog about your work and design thoughts?

These are some of the benefits of blogging about interior design that will make you reconsider your frame of mind.

Show Them Why THEY NEED YOU and Nobody Else

Authenticity is valued more than anything, and we can agree that being unique during times when more than a million blog posts are published each day can be overwhelming. This is where your artistic background is going to help you shine. You don’t need fancy writing skills, or advanced technical knowledge to be able to set up a quality interior design blog. All you need is the refined style you’ve been curating for years.

Try to approach each blog as a sort of conversation. Be you, use your voice. You don’t have to sound professional and distant to get your readers to respect you. On the contrary. You want clients to fall for the real you, the person who they will be working with, not just some fancy writer with impeccable style.

What Should You Write About?

By all means, share your work. If the client agrees, write about your latest project. What was the reason why the client approached you in the first place and how you came up with the solution? Share your thoughts and mood boards. Teach the readers (potential clients) what to expect if they sign you. And snap high-quality photos. Lots and lots of them. A renovation or redecorating story with before and after images is always a winner!

Other than that, blog about what you like and explain your choices, but don’t forget to make it as visual as possible. An interior design blog without dazzling photos is like a day without laughter - wasted. You can either choose to use pictures from the web (make sure not to violate any copyright laws) or publish unique, high-quality photos of your own work.

The latter is the absolute favorite, of course, but not everyone will be able to do it. To overcome this issue, you can always turn to SampleBoard and design mood boards to accompany your words. This way you will always have unique tailor-made visuals and a compelling photo story to tell.

Chances are new readers on the blog are either looking for inspiring photos or some on-point advice that will help them make decisions regarding their future projects. If you establish yourself as a go-to source of useful design tips, they will be coming back for more.

But the thing is, there are sooo many websites sharing decorating tips and the only way to make your writing worthwhile is to share a unique perspective. If you decide to go for generic content, you will end up in the deepest depths of Google search, never to be found.

Create Your Dream Client

Not every client is created equal. We’ve all been there. Working with the wrong person can be such a nightmare. For both sides. But when you stumble upon someone who shares your mindset, the job becomes a pleasure. Your creative juices start flowing, and you are able to deliver the most astonishing results.

But what if we told you that blogging could help you attract people from the second group, rather than wait for them to find you? When you think about it, it’s actually common sense. By staying true to yourself and being honest about your process, you will draw your ideal customers. Once they get to know you and recognize the traits they value, they will be happy to sign you. You both will be.

In-Depth Portfolio

This one is a no-brainer - being brief and effective is the holy grail of all resumes. However, with a blog, you don’t have to cut yourself short. Consider your blog as an extension of your regular portfolio and include everything you feel your potential clients might want to see.

Brand Yourself

Branding is such a buzz word, isn’t it? But why is everyone so obsessed with it and why would you care? Put simply, branding affects revenue. Clients will be happy to pay what they truly believe your services are worth, but it is up to you to show them what that is. A branded blog will bring you so much more than a regular one and can help you establish yourself as an authority in the field.

Show Devotion

Passion for blogging about interior design shows that you are devoted to making the world a better place, one room at a time. Even when you are not designing the actual room, you are sharing your inspiration with others looking to redecorate, or even better, sharing professional advice to help their interior dreams come true. It is not just business to you. It is your calling. Who wouldn’t want to work with someone that enthusiastic?

Connect with Fellow Designers

Reaching out to design influencers might seem intimidating at first, but it can also be beneficial in so many ways. All of us have that special someone we look up to. We regularly check their blogs and social media pages but rarely engage in any conversations whatsoever.

If you are a fellow blogger/designer, your words have more weight to them. It is much easier to be heard and appreciated if you have a quality blog to back you up. All design influencers started at the bottom and worked their way up to become who they are today.

If they appreciate your work and efforts, they will be happy to help you out by spreading the word about your talent to their followers. You’ll end up with inspiration + feedback + marketing + relationship that, if nurtured properly, could flourish into a collaboration sometime in the future. Talk about the perks of blogging, right?

Boost SEO

Every time you publish quality content on your blog, Google’s appreciation for you grows. Google loves fresh content, and it will reward you for your efforts by ranking your website higher in searches and thus increasing your chances of landing a decorating job.

Blogging can also help you rank for your keywords better. However, some knowledge in the field is required to be able to take full advantage of on-site search engine optimization.

Would you like us to cover this topic in one of the future posts?

Promote Your E-design Services

In the days of all things digital, more and more designers are starting to offer their e-design services. But how can you advertise your business in such a saturated market?

There are many websites such as Laurel & Wolf, Stucco, and Havenly are gathering individual interior designers in a creative, collaborative network with a clear goal to help them market their e-design businesses. A great opportunity to be seen while someone else is doing all the digging for you. And it comes with a price.

But this is not the only way to shine on the e-design sky. Having a great blog can lead to many decorating gigs as your faithful readers would be more likely to sign you up than look for e-design services elsewhere. With you, they won’t be taking any chances since they already know what they are getting for their buck.

Connect with Companies

Partnering up with different furniture and textile companies is a benefit no interior designer can argue with. Getting a discount on their goods can either establish you on the market as someone with connections who can box out special deals for their clients or if you chose to follow this path, help you earn some extra profit from your client’s purchases.

A blog is a fantastic tool for networking with companies who are looking for exposure and off-site SEO. But don’t just wait for them to find you. Reach out to the companies whose products you are already using in your designs and offer them a deal. Others will follow eventually, just make sure not to say yes unless you find their products (or offer) interesting. You don’t want to be seen as someone solely interested in profit, but rather as a style guru with a keen eye for the original design.

Earn Money from the Blog

Blogging doesn’t have to be just a marketing tool; it can also provide you with additional income. It won’t happen overnight, though. There are many options to consider (we will write the whole post about it soon), with the most popular being sponsored posts and affiliate marketing. If handled right, sponsored projects can become one of the most fun ventures you can take on the blog, but you would probably need to build up your name in the blogosphere before any sponsor sets their eyes on you.

Blogging also puts you in the pond of potential for becoming a brand ambassador. Brands are always interested in deepening their relations with influencers who are fans of their products. You don’t have to be a big shot to sign a deal like this. Micromarketing is all the rage at the moment, and a small, devoted community built around your work can bring more value than thousands of followers. The only catch here is to find the right partner as it would only make sense to represent the brand you genuinely believe in. Don’t shy away from reaching out first!

Setting up an online shop is another idea to consider. Boutique dropshipping is on the rise since sourcing furniture in a particular style can be rather tricky in the sea of online retail shops. But with hand-picked, designer-approved items at your reader’s fingertips, your store will become the favorite spot on the site for those looking to shop your style.

Create Freelance Writing Opportunities

And who knows, maybe you’ll discover your secret passion for writing. Blogging has the power to channel our thoughts in a way that can help us articulate our knowledge and style in a more efficient manner. Visual artists are not exactly known for eloquence, so by discovering this skill, you will open the doors to many new opportunities. The need for quality content is higher than you might expect and not many professional interior designers offer their blogging services.

Also, having diverse streams of income is the smart way of handling your finances. We never know what industry changes lay upon us, so a broader selection of options to choose from can make a world of a difference to a personal budget. Blogging doesn’t just affect your business. It has the power to change you, the writer. It is a personal journey that might bring you a bunch of money, but the money is not the most valuable prize you will receive. Your mindset will become more well-rounded, and you will learn how to be comfortable being known.

Did we miss anything? If you’ve experienced some benefits of blogging that we failed to mention, please let us know in the comments below, or join our Facebook group and start sharing your thoughts with fellow designers from all around the world.

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