Many building materials manufacturers focus on architects and designers as if they’re the same thing. But in reality, there’s a big gap between the two. Interior designers are much more involved in choosing and specifying products than most manufacturers realize.
So how can manufacturers get an interior design firm’s attention to become their go-to?
The reality is interior designers specify who’s in front of them, with the caveat of being graceful about it. Don’t just drop in, demanding to see the owners. They have work to get done too. But interior designers want to hear from manufacturers who are passionate about their products. And when you attach an experience to it, It’s even better.
The digital age is bringing new improvements marketing in this industry. Interior design teams are sharing social media posts, e-blasts with each other daily. If you’re not in their digital space, your product won’t be shared with the rest of the team. There are 3 different tactics that can all be used to improve your interior products marketing strategy, and here’s how.
Public Relations
● Brand Awareness – Without PR, do people really know if you exist? Well, I’m sure some do, but PR marketing makes it easier for them to find out more about the company. Having a consistent PR program helps build general awareness of your product, service or brand.
● Potential Employees – PR can easily be used to help attract prospective employees. There are many things that new employees are looking out for, and one is popularity. We don’t mean popularity with customers, we mean with employees. When other employees are excited about what the company is doing, newcomers will be excited to be a part of that. Also, marketing the business as an industry leader, you attract more qualified individuals who want to contribute to a successful business.
● New Customers – In addition to new employees, acquiring new customers is how any business thrives. Although the loyal, repeat customers help with spreading the word, all businesses need new ones. Press coverage puts your brand in front of more faces and gains that desired credibility. If your brand is getting positive press/media coverage and others are not, it’s an easy choice for new customers to choose your company over those other businesses.
Digital Advertising
● Cost-Effective – typically small or newer business don’t have the bandwidth or funds to do traditional marketing. This includes print ads, direct mail, TV ads, etc. To be honest, most of these traditional marketing tools will be close to irrelevant in the next 10-15 years anyway, so going digital is just smart.
● Target Audience – Interacting and engaging with customers and clients gives you insights on what your target demographic wants and needs from your business. Your customer retention increases and it feels more personalized for them.
● Brand Rep – reputation in the interior design industry is everything. Everything. If your company utilizes digital marketing correctly and effectively, it’s easy to create a brand awareness. This in turn creates paying and loyal customers who will most likely refer or suggest you to people they know. Simple and free (with social media).
SEO
● Organic Search – this type of search brings the most traffic to websites. Most of the searching done on Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. brings people to websites organically. It’s important to use SEO keywords and other features to appear higher in search results, especially organic searches.
● Builds Trust/Credibility – When your company appears on the first page of a search engine, that shows that people are looking at you. We all know that going pass the first page on Google is not only annoying, it shows that what we’re looking for is not important enough to be on the first page. Harsh, but that’s the perception. Good SEO gets you higher in search results and shows potential customers that you are relevant.
Grow your luxury interior products business with these digital marketing tactics. Click here to schedule a Complimentary Brand Consultation.