Designed by Wingnut Social | Interior Design Business

Winning the Hashtag Game on Instagram

On today’s Marketing Monday Minisode, Darla and Natalie dive into the world of Instagram hashtags, and how to get the most of them to expand your reach.
Natalie plumbs her encyclopedic knowledge of social media marketing to cite a figure from a recent study that showed just one hashtag can expand the reach of your post by 12%. But how do you know what hashtags to use? It’s going to vary based on who your intended audience is, and who your competition is. And that’s actually the first step, find your intended audience and your competitors and see what hashtags they are using.
So how do you find the relevant hashtags, beyond what you see other people using? Instagram actually has a free and easy tool to find related hashtags (just in case you can’t conquer the 800,000 people who use the #interiordesign hashtag). You could also start using branded hashtags, something that relates to your business, and then your followers and fans can use it, creating user-generated content. And that is key to building a community on Instagram. And how many hashtags are perfect for your posts? You’ll have to listen to find out.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:25] Applications now open for a new co-host. Must be Amish and an orangutan
[2:30] Hashtag considerations
[4:05] Research industry leaders
[5:15] Finding relevant hashtags
[6:45] Branded hashtags
[9:30] Have a hashtag cocktail
[12:06] How to get insights
[13:30] Apps to help you with your cocktail
Resources & People Mentioned
Hashtagify
Instatag
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

How to Get Your Business #1 on Google with Megan Clarke

Getting the top rank in Google feels like something only someone in 2004 could do. But that’s not the case! Search engine optimization is your friend, and on today’s episode Darla and Natalie talk with Megan Clarke all about how to improve your SEO.
Meg is the founder and owner of Clapping Dog Media, a firm that specializes in helping businesses that help people improve their SEO. Her team of SEO all-stars help companies raise their profile and find the right clients for their businesses. And before she became an SEO guru, Meg was a graphic designer, so she knows how to work with creative businesses like interior design firms.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:45] Our editor Jonathan is a handsome genius
[2:15] Strategy Packages are flying off the shelf
[7:15] Megan breaks down SEO
[10:53] How Google says “This is good crap!”
[14:30] How Google reads your site
[20:00] How many words, and how often?
[27:04] Do Google Ad Words help with SEO
[30:44] How long will it take for SEO work to do the trick?
[35:04] Whut Up, Wingnut?
Connect with Megan Clarke
Clapping Dog Media
Clapping Dog on Instagram
SEO Made Simple
Resources & People Mentioned
How H1 and H2 work
Keywords Everywhere
Love Does by Bob Goff
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Tell Google who you are for the best SEO
Everyone always talks about the Google search algorithm. But what does that actually mean? There are certain factors that Google looks for on your site. Things like how long someone spends on your page, or how often you have fresh content.And as Meg said on this episode, it’s vital to share your content socially, so you’re getting more eyes on it. And make sure you have your content arranged correctly for Google. As Meg said, Google reads your site like a newspaper. It scans the headlines and the subheadlines, so you need to ensure you have all of that content properly organized.
Google EATs SEO for breakfast
Google has a simple formula for ranking your site: Expertise, Authority and Trust (or EAT). So when you say your website is about something, it has to truly be about it. Clickbait won’t help your SEO. And neither will Google Adwords, actually, except for the opportunity to bring more eyes to your site.
Meg recommends blogging at least a couple of times a month to keep your site fresh, and that the posts have to be at least 300 words, but the sweet spot is between 750-1,250. And as she says, it’s better to have one really strong 1,000-word post than it is to have five 250-word posts.
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

Everything You Need to Know About Instagram Creator Accounts

Today, Darla and Natalie are kicking off a new series called Marketing Monday Minisodes. There are no guests and no lightning rounds because the whole episode is one big lightning round of knowledge. On today’s first minisode, Darla and Natalie dig into Instagram Creator Accounts.
Instagram Creator Accounts for Designers
Instagram’s director of product development Ashley Yuki recently spoke with The Hollywood Reporter about creator accounts, and here’s what you’ll get: flexible profile controls, simplified messaging and more growth tools. And what does more growth tools mean? You’ll get a studio dashboard where you can see all of your analytics on all of your posts. You can see what time your followers are on the app. And you can also see follow and unfollow statistics for the very first time on Instagram.
There are a ton of other features, like better management of your direct messages (so long, creeps!) and the ability to sell straight from your profile. Darla and Natalie dissect the pros and cons of creator vs. business accounts and the good news is you can now try it for yourself.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:30] What is a minisode?
[3:30] Creator accounts provide direct shopping links
[4:05] Who gets a creator account?
[4:30] New Instagram growth tools
[5:30] Creeps all up in your DMs!
[6:44] What’s in the flexible profile settings
[7:20] The potential downside of a creator account
[7:45] How to switch to a creator account
[8:45] Is it worth it?
Resources & People Mentioned
Ashley Yuki in the Hollywood Reporter
Setting up a creator account
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

How to Get Referrals without Having to Ask with Stacey Brown Randall

Referrals are the lifeblood of interior designers. But not only are they difficult to get, they can be awkward to ask for. On today’s episode, Darla and Natalie have Stacey Brown Randall, who literally wrote the book on Generating Business Referrals without Asking.
Stacey Brown Randall is a business coach who helps small businesses, entrepreneurs and sales professionals generate loads of referrals. And as she says, her backstory begins when she started her own small business and watched as it failed. After that, she began to think about how clients could lead her to other clients. And she eventually cracked the code, departing from the age-old advice that to get a referral, you have to ask.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:00] An Amish backstory
[6:15] A puppy backstory
[9:13] How Stacey got into referrals (and why she doesn’t like showers)
[13:05] When the light bulb went on about referrals
[15:08] How to get started with referrals
[20:48] The first step in generating referrals
[24:31] Turning a referral source into an actual referral
[30:30] The referral secret sauce
[41:02] How Stacey discovered who was making referrals
[45:50] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Stacey Brown Randall
Stacey Brown Randall
Stacey on LinkedIn
Stacey on Twitter
Resources & People Mentioned
Generating Business Referrals without Asking
Referral Ninja Quiz
Profit First
Wingnut Social’s services
Referrals are the Holy Grail
When Stacey looked back at her first business, she realized she didn’t get any referrals for from her clients. And when she started coaching businesses, she saw that most of her clients were actually coming from referrals. And so when she started looking into it, she saw that the standard advice is to ask for her referrals. Her response, quote: “Ew.” That’s not something she wanted to do. So she started looking at how to get referrals without asking, and pivoted her whole coaching business to doing just that.
Before you ask or get for a referral, you have to identify the client who is ready to do that because they had an amazing experience. Those people then become “referral sources,” and it’s your job to stay in touch with them and maintain that relationship, so when someone in their life says they need an interior designer, your referral source immediately recommends you.
How to get those referrals without asking
The number-one way Stacey suggests to get referrals without asking is to make sure your clients know they care about them. She uses an example of how she sent a potential referral a gift, with no logo, no branding, nothing that said: “YOU MUST REFER ME.” She just treated that client like a human she cared about, and that person then became a referral source for her.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

Be a Social Media Rock Star with Kate O’Hara

 
Ever look at one of those Instagram accounts or Facebook pages with hundreds of thousands of followers and think: How? How is that even possible? Well, on today’s show we have Kate O’Hara, CEO and creative director of Martha O’Hara Interiors to tell you how she made it happen.
Kate pioneered the firm’s expansion into national and international clientele. She says her favorite part of her role is in getting to speak with so many of our potential clients from around the world. She was also one of Austin’s Social Influencers and Minnesota’s Top 32 Under 32 Marketing Professionals—that’s two awards in two towns—making her a sought-after speaker on topics ranging from social media, to women in business or online branding.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:00] The ornery orangutan is in studio
[7:28] The overlord takes over
[10:15] How teaching informed Kate’s work
[12:32] Building online marketing from scratch
[15:22] O’Hara’s Facebook journey
[18:17] How Kate uses Facebook now
[20:44] Instagram tips and tools
[26:47] What do you do if you don’t have a lot of content
[30:30] What’s up with Houzz?
[35:30] ROI and social media
[38:37] Figure out your content before embarking on social media
[40:30] How to keep things fun on social media
[43:25] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Kate O’Hara
Martha O’Hara Interiors
O’Hara Interiors on Instagram
Resources & People Mentioned
Lightroom
Canva
Francois et Moi Instagram
Why designers are frustrated with Houzz
Tamora Pierce
Wingnut Social’s services
Your social media can’t be just about you
In the early days of Facebook, businesses were told to open up their doors, peek behind the curtains, detail every little thing. And while you do want to give your audience the chance to know the real you, Kate says that you really have to think audience-first on social. That means engaging with your audience, and providing content that will help them, not help you.
Kate also offered some amazing tips on how to stay consistent and focused on social. You need to come up with a content plan for a specific platform and try it out. If it turns out it’s too much work or you don’t enjoy it, don’t embark on that one platform, because you won’t keep it up.
Create a consistent palette on Instagram
Kate has been able to grow the number of followers on her firm’s Instagram by 20,000 in just a year, thanks to being really thoughtful about how she does it. So, like on Facebook she tries to make the posts more engaging for followers, but also she ensures that what’s posted has a consistent palette. So that means using the same filters, making the images have the same feel. That way, people recognize your work right away.
Also, listen to your followers. See what people are liking and give them more of that. If you have followers you could tag on a photo, tag them. And don’t forget about hashtags.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

Why You Need a PR Agency with Andrew Joseph

Everybody wants to get featured in a magazine or booked as a speaker, but how do you do it? On today’s episode of the Wingnut Social Podcast, Darla and Natalie turn to one of the industry’s best to get some answers: Andrew Joseph.
With over twenty years in the world of publishing and public relations, Andrew Joseph is an experienced and strategic asset for home and design brands as well as designers looking to position themselves in a busy market. Andrew started his career at Conde Nast publications in fashion and beauty with Vanity Fair and Allure, where he learned the industry from the inside out, experiencing firsthand the inner workings of the editorial side of publicity. When opening Andrew Joseph PR in 2012, he shifted gears to architecture and design, applying his southern charm and New York know-how to a career as a marketing and public relations expert.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:00] Wingnuts are loving the strategy doc
[7:54] It’s take two with Adam
[9:55] Why PR is important for designers
[15:42] Would a PR firm work well for a new designer?
[18:20] Trying to go DIY
[26:54] What credentials should you look for in a PR firm?
[29:46] Should you go boutique?
[32:30] PR success stories
[38:39] Working with a PR firm
[43:25] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Andrew Joseph
Andrew Joseph
Andrew Joseph on Facebook
Andrew on Instagram
Resources & People Mentioned
Alan Tanksley
Sandra Funk
Tales of the City
Wingnut Social’s services
Pitch the right way
One of the most critical ways a public relations firm can help you is through their relationships with magazine editors. Often PR professionals know what sorts of stories various publications are working on, what sorts of stories they like, and how you may fit (or not fit) into their magazines. The worst thing you can do is pitch yourself to a magazine with no clear idea of what they’re looking for.
Relationships are actually a huge part of public relations. Andrew told Darla and Natalie a story about how he helped out an editor one time around the holidays, and now he’s able to book clients spots in the publication regularly, because the editor knows she can trust him.
PR won’t land you clients directly
Andrew says he always tells his potential clients that he can’t deliver new clients to them. He can book them in magazines or onstage as a speaker, but there’s no guarantee that will lead directly to clients. Instead, PR has more of a “long tail,” where the more publicity you generate, the more you can build an impressive portfolio to show potentials clients.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

Is Your Website Attracting Your Ideal Client with Franziska Neuman

Building a website ain’t what it used to be, and while many designers may want to rely on third-party platforms like Houzz to serve as their calling cards, you need a solid personal site. Why? Franziska Neuman explains on this week’s episode.
Franziska Neuman is an interior designer whose work with small spaces in New York has landed her appearances on HGTV and the Oprah Winfrey Show. And her company FZK Franziska specializes in helping interior designers build amazing websites that not only reflect their brands, but attract their ideal clients.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:00] How podcasting is better than dolphinfishing
[4:50] Franziska heads to the Big Apple
[7:00] Why an Oprah appearance was bittersweet
[8:37] Is it still important to have a good website?
[10:45] When to ditch the DIY
[13:40] Which DIY website builder would you use?
[14:45] What goes into a good website
[19:55] Why video works well on websites
[22:30] Should you have more than one website?
[25:41] Franziska’s rundown of SEO for designers
[30:08] What not to do on your website
[33:32] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Franziska Neuman
By Franziska
Franziska’s designer website checklist
Franziska on Instagram
Resources & People Mentioned
SEO episode with Justin Easthall
The Alter Ego Effect
Wingnut Social’s services
When Oprah calls, you build a website
Franziska struck gold early on, designing small spaces in New York City. HGTV became interested in her work, and then Oprah called to feature her work on the show. And part of being on Oprah’s show meant you could sell a particular item you were featuring. To do that, you need a website. So Franziska frantically taught herself how to build a website and got it up and running in time for her appearance.
But even if Oprah isn’t knocking on your door, Franziska says you have to have your website up-to-date because it’s the one place online where you can really track your interaction with your potential customers. Design is a referral business, so you need a home where customers can refer other friends to land. And you need to keep it up to date, because that’s the way big brother Google likes it.
Create a visual brand for your company
One of the biggest mistakes designers make when they build a website, says Franziska, is failing to create a visual brand online. So your interior design work may be of one aesthetic, but then if your website may look cookie-cutter. So it’s important to create an online visual brand that reflects the work you do in people’s homes as well.
Franziska says you need to have a major mindset shift when you’re building your website. You have to remember that your website is not for you. It’s for your potential clients. And so while you may want certain things on your site, you have to always be thinking about the user, the customer, who is coming to your website and what information they need. The more you can address your ideal client, the better.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

How to Be an HGTV Star with Abbi McCollum

For some, getting onto HGTV is the holy grail of design. But whether you want to be a TV star or just want to be featured on the HGTV blog, in the magazine, on their social media, you’re not going to want to miss this week’s guest: HGTV VP Abbi McCollum.
Abbi McCollum is the vice president of social media and convergence for Discovery Inc.’s home and travel channel category. She is charged with creating a bridge between the on-air programming team, the marketing team and the digital team. As the head of social media for home and travel, Abbi is responsible for overseeing the team that provides content to over 40 million people. Since taking over HGTV’s Instagram account she has increased the number of followers by over 11,000%. So, she knows a thing or two, it’s safe to say.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:00] VRBO party house at High Point
[8:28] Why isn’t Darla on HGTV already?!
[12:33] How HGTV has evolved
[21:37] How important is social media for designers?
[24:11] You need to be present on your social media
[29:00] Talent can level the playing field
[31:20] Looking for more than just TV personalities
[35:31] Do you have to be an “influencer” to work with HGTV?
[38:50] Why HGTV doesn’t
[40:24] Tag HGTV on Instagram. Do it!
[41:24] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Abbi McCollum
HGTV on Instagram
Abbi on Twitter
Abbi on Instagram
Resources & People Mentioned
Tiny Beautiful Things
Wingnut Social’s services
Why social media is important to your design business
Obviously, Abbi is a social media guru, considering she grew the HGTV Instagram account by 1,100%. So when Darla asked her about how important it is for designers to be on social media, Abbi shared some great insight as to why it’s vital. For instance, at High Point, HGTV editors went into designers’ booths and took pictures and posted stories and they did that specifically for designers who had social media presences.
Social media is also so important because it’s a way of staying connected to your audience without your audience being there specifically for you. A potential client may not think to or know to go to your website, but if they follow you on Instagram and you’re posting regularly, you’re going to be where their eyes are, said Abbi.
You are your social media presence
You know you need to have a social media presence, but it’s also important for you to be present in your social media presence. As Abbi said on this week’s episode, a lot of designers will have beautiful photos of the work they’ve done, but even that, after a while, can blend together. Abbi said she scrolls through Instagram accounts all the time, and it’s the one with the people behind the photos that she remembers best.
And in terms of landing yourself on television, you have to put yourself in your videos. Abbi told a story about how HGTV was looking for a designer, and she had seen someone who was really good on camera thanks to their Instagram stories, so she was able to forward those along to the right people right away. It can be hard to put yourself out there like that, but if getting on camera is your ambition, then consider your Insta account your audition reel.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

How to Get Your Foot in the Door with Potential Clients with Alex Berman

Sometimes you need to step out of the design world to get a fresh perspective. That’s why our guest this week is Alex Berman. Alex is the chairman of experiment 27 and has a keen eye and insight into marketing that designers may find refreshing.
Alex Berman is the CEO of experiment 27, and something of a YouTube star. Experiment 27 specializes in getting clients meetings with big brands and Fortune 500 companies. But on his B2B marketing YouTube channel, Alex dispenses amazing advice to anyone looking to up their marketign game.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:15] We can all agree that Natalie is vital to this podcast
[5:31] Why Adam is a marketing wunderkind
[6:50] Adam’s first step to generating leads
[8:08] How to game a directory
[10:40] How Alex would try to game his rankings if he was a designer
[16:05] Find the best channel for your business
[18:40] Restaging an old project
[23:52] You have to be sure you’re speaking to your ideal client
[27:40] How to charge more
[30:40] How to use past clients to generate leads
[33:28] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Alex Berman
Alex Berman on YouTube
Epic Mail Machine
Resources & People Mentioned
Upwork
Onward by Howard Schultz
Wingnut Social’s services
Quick tips to improve your marketing
One of the first steps Alex would take to improve the marketing of any interior designer is to, as he says, game the rankings of any listing online. Your mileage may vary with this, but if you search your hometown and “best interior designer,” you can see what your potential clients will see when they’re looking for someone to work on their home.
Now Houzz and Yelp may be controversial in the design world, but if those two sites are coming up first, then you want to get your rankings up on those sites. How do you do that? Alex, unsurprisingly, recommends experimentation. See if reviews raise your rankings, logging into your account, etc..
Scale your best practices
Alex recommends looking at what has worked for you in the past. That might mean working more closely with realtors, or it might mean working more closely with contractors. But if you take your best clients, and look at how you got in touch with them, you’re building a blueprint for your marketing. And then ask those clients if they would be willing to make a custom video testimonial for your company. The results, Alex says, are staggering.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

How the Heck Do You Get Featured in Magazines with Vanessa Helmick

Getting your work published in magazines can really set your interior design career on a steep trajectory. But how do you do it? And what work do you need to put in before submitting? Designer and recent cover girl Vanessa Helmick has you covered.
Vanessa Helmick is the owner and principal designer of Fiore Interiors in Portland, Maine. She was born and raised in California, but moved to the Northeast 10 years ago where she has established her firm as one of the best in the region. Her work has been featured in numerous magazines, and was recently on the cover of Maine Home + Design.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[2:15] A great story about Vanessa
[5:53] A big slo-mo hug for Vanessa
[8:03] A little about Vanessa
[9:36] How Vanessa has been featured in magazines
[16:03] Vanessa’s magazine debut
[18:30] Can you put a project on your website if it’s going in a magazine?
[22:52] Restaging an old project
[25:54] How Vanessa builds relationships with magazines
[29:54] How to style your shots when it’s difficult to photograph
[33:28] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Vanessa Helmick
Fiore Interiors
Fiore Interiors on Instagram
Resources & People Mentioned
Maine Home and Design
Tyler Karu
Overcoming Underearning
Goodbye pay-to-play
Vanessa has had such great success getting features in various publications, most recently in Maine Home + Design, landing the cover. And one of the things she says that has helped her is the fact that design magazines are beginning to transition away from pay-to-play, which means the playing field is levelling.
But one of the key reasons she was able to get on the cover is because she had top-notch photos at the ready. She paid a lot of money to a photographer on a day rate, and got amazing photos of recent projects. And so when it was time to submit to Maine Home + Design’s design issue, she had the photos ready to send. And, it turned out, it wasn’t even the big, major project they selected. So it goes to show that if you want to land in a magazine, you have to have great shots of a diversity of projects.
You have to be just as choosy as a magazine
Vanessa told Darla and Natalie a really illuminating story about one of her first features in a magazine. It did not go as well as she had hoped, because the magazine sent a portrait photographer who didn’t have much experience with shooting interiors, and the photos didn’t come out that great and didn’t show her work in the best light. And so then when the magazine asked her again, she declined.
Declining to be covered by the magazine got the editor’s attention, and Vanessa explained that the last time they featured her the photos were unflattering to her work. So they then sent her an amazing photographer and she’s eagerly awaiting the release of that feature. And what’s interesting about that is that she picked a project from five years ago. So don’t just think about what you’ve done in the past few months. Think about your entire portfolio when it’s time to submit work to a publication.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

How to Market Your Design Business in These Changing Times With Crispin Butterfield

If there’s one thing that’s a constant in marketing, it’s change. The way interior designers market their firms now, compared to just a few years ago, is worlds apart. Today on the show we have someone who’s done it all, and successfully, Crispin Butterfield.
Crispin Butterfield is the creative force and mastermind behind Urban Theory Design in Kelowna, British Columbia. Even though she’s still a young designer, she’s been in business 15 years, and caters to high-end clients, particularly those who vacation in her beautiful Canadian town. She is a graduate of the Bachelor of Interior Design program at Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta, and her engaging personality and design-commerce savvy make her a valued and well-respected professional and mentor within her field. She’s able to uniquely see the parameters and vision of each project in ways her clients often cannot, and has honed the process and expertise required to grow incredible client and trade relationships.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[3:30] Come out of your shell!
[7:21] How Crispin survived the recession
[11:21] How to make contact with general contractors
[12:48] Don’t approach someone as if you’re asking for a favor
[14:44] Getting started with high-end clients
[23:39] How Crispin transitioned into social media
[29:09] Crispin’s approach to social media
[32:07] One marketing tip you need to follow
[36:41] One mistake everyone should avoid
[39:39] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Crispin Butterfield
Urban Theory Design
Crispin on Instagram
Urban Theory on Facebook
Resources & People Mentioned
Creative Human
Creative Human on Facebook
The Four Agreements
How to connect with general contractors, etc.
Because Crispin came of age as an interior designer at a time when social media was non-existent, she’s a master networker. Of course you need to have a balance of both old-school networking and online presence, but Crispin really has done the work to establish herself in her community. One of the ways she’s done that is to join boards of local organizations, to support the people and causes she cares about.
And Crispin has the handshake down to a science. She sends her portfolio along ahead of time, so she’s never making a cold call on, say, a general contractor. But also, she never puts herself in the position of asking to work with someone. Instead, she tells them that she likes what they do, and wants to take them out for coffee to see how they could be part of her team. That is some interior design Jedi mind trick!
Crispin’s one marketing tip for all interior designers
Crispin has operated her company for 15 years, but at one point she had to up and move cities. So how did she connect with her new community? She worked hard on making her business as local as possible. She joined a local business council. She joined the board of a local charity. She made sure people knew she was dedicated to her hometown, so when they thought of a local designer, they thought of her.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

Should You Be Doing E-Design? With Chaney Widmer

Depending on whom you ask, e-design is either the next evolution for interior design, or a bubble that has already burst. But no one is savvier about online design than the guest on today’s episode, Chaney Widmer.
Chaney Widmer started Mix & Match Design Company in 2015 with the goal of making interior design affordable and accessible to everyone. Her company uses online tools to make interior design services less expensive and less intimidating. Last year, Chaney expanded to start offering online courses for interior designers (and aspiring ones) to teach them how they could grow their online businesses.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[3:30] See you at High Point!
[6:50] Chaney is a good sport
[8:15] Starting out in e-design
[9:27] How to get photos of your work
[15:32] Can you still be niche in e-design?
[17:04] Chaney’s process
[20:03] How to get started
[26:07] What software do you need?
[33:25] What happened with Laurel & Wolf?
[38:33] Adding an e-design business to your firm
[40:39] Chaney’s courses
[42:46] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Chaney Widmer
Mix & Match Design
Mix & Match Design Education
Resources & People Mentioned
Register for Darla’s event with Nicole Heymer at High Point
Laurel & Wolf
DesignFiles
The Road Back to You
E-design businesses have savvy clients
So what exactly is an e-design business? Chaney tells Darla and Natalie on this week’s episode that she has three separate offerings for her business: full-room packages, space-planning packages and virtual consultations. And what’s fascinating is that her clients, by the time they get to her, have done a lot of the work themselves, and so she’s able to connect with them and get rolling in a way she may not be able to with a more traditional client.
Chaney says the first thing you need to do when starting your e-design business is to figure out what you want to offer. Figure out what you like to do, and what you don’t like to do, and begin breaking those things out into packages.
What do you need for your e-design business?
When it comes to e-design, you’re going to need to invest in some software, and in some training on that software. Chaney says you’re going to have to sharpen those Photoshop skills so you can do realistic renderings for your clients. That doesn’t mean you’re doing full 3D renderings, which can be timely, but you do need to know your way around Adobe. Chaney also uses a software platform called DesignFiles to communicate with clients.
How do you differentiate yourself from other e-designers? Well, just like with any interior design business, your portfolio and aesthetic are going to tell potential clients whether they’d like to work with you. But Chaney also says Instagram is huge for her online marketing, allowing her to connect with potential clients.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

Are Showrooms Worth It for Interior Designers? with Cheryl Kees Clendenon

Having a showroom can be an amazing calling card and home base for interior designers. But is it worth the overhead and the headaches? On today’s episode, Cheryl Kees Clendenon answers all your questions about showrooms.
Cheryl Kees Clendenon is the owner and lead designer of In Detail Interiors on Florida’s Gulf Coast. Her innovative work has earned her firm more awards than any other firm on the Gulf Coast, and Cheryl is also an accomplished business coach to interior designers. On today’s episode she talks about why she opened a showroom, how it’s benefited her business, and convinces Darla she should open her own (if she can get Natalie to agree).
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:25] Mel Gibson has nothing on Darla
[9:27] The nitty, not the gritty, on showrooms
[11:15] The research you need to do
[12:42] Getting the best pricing possible
[17:22] Striking deals with vendors
[19:24] You have to be capitalized
[23:45] Why Cheryl does not believe discounts
[30:30] How Cheryl communicates pricing with clients
[36:14] Will a showroom get you more clients?
[40:34] Why are designers afraid to open a showroom?
[49:42] You need a good business plan
[53:50] Cheryl’s coaching business
[40:40] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Cheryl Kees Clendenon
In Detail Interiors
Small Business Think Big on Facebook
Resources & People Mentioned
Register for Darla’s event with Nicole Heymer at High Point
How Successful People Think
Biocentrism
Having a showroom means you don’t have to worry about getting shopped
One of the major concerns for interior designers is, of course, getting shopped. A customer asks you how much something might cost, and then they scour the internet looking for a better price. But Cheryl tells Darla and Natalie that part of her showroom’s business model is to partner with vendors to showcase their wares in exchange for discount prices. So, as she says, her firm doesn’t have to worry about getting shopped because “we shop ourselves.”
Cheryl also immediately dispels one of the biggest concerns about having a showroom: Suddenly finding yourself in the retail business. If you’re not interested in having open doors and customers wandering through, you can do what she did it at first: Close the doors. By being by-appointment-only, Cheryl was able to maintain her showroom without having any of the trappings of being a retail store.
Setting up a showroom takes time
Before she opened her showroom, Cheryl said she spent a year and a half researching what lines she would carry. It can take a lot of prep work to find the right vendors, strike deals with them, convince them to take you seriously. Also, as Cheryl said, it can take a long time for your showroom to take off, so you have to be ready and willing to withstand that wait.
And beyond that, doing this takes money. You may be running your interior design business out of a home office, or doing everything you can to lower your overhead. If you want to open a showroom, as Cheryl says, you have to be capitalized. .
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

How to Market Your Home Staging Business with Marianne Cherico

 
Marianne Cherico has owned and operated a home staging company in New England for more than 20 years. She’s also a professional development coach who has helped countless entrepreneurs level up their businesses. She is also a bona fide ginger, making this week’s episode a little dangerous for Darla as she faces two soulless gingers for the first time.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:25] There’s a breakout of gingervitis
[6:45] Sorry/not sorry about the whole gingervitis thing
[7:34] Marianne’s ideal client
[9:11] Target market for stagers
[14:22] How to connect with potential clients
[18:24] Tapping into someone’s emotions without being mushy
[25:14] Is consulting a sustainable business model?
[26:57] What should you do if you want to sprinkle this into your design business?
[33:45] Get coffee!
[37:06] How to work with homeowners
[40:40] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Marianne Cherico
Marianne Cherico
Fire Up Your Home Staging Business
Resources & People Mentioned
Home Stagers and Designers on Fire Podcast
Darla on Marianne’s podcast
Register for Darla’s event with Nicole Heymer at High Point
Quantum Success
Biocentrism
Become a listing agent’s best friend
Marianne tells us that for home stagers, the target market is a little bit different than for interior designers. You want to be marketing yourself to real estate agents, who are the gateway to sellers looking to stage their homes. And even more than that, you want to be front-of-mind for listing agents, who work with the sellers to get their houses ready.
Marianne recommends working with listing agents to be included in their marketing plans. If they include a consult from you in their marketing plans, then you have a direct pipeline to the clients they’re working with. And it’s beneficial to the listing agents, too, who are able to separate themselves from their competitors by including you in their marketing proposals.
Tap into your potential client’s emotions (but don’t get sappy)
When it comes to Marianne’s marketing, she’s very good at tapping into the emotions of her potential clients. Now that doesn’t mean getting all mushy with them, but rather understanding their needs and how you can solve them. So it could be just a matter of understanding that listing agents fear a lack of listings, and so your services can help attract more clients
Another great example of how Marianne uses her marketing to tap into the emotions of her clients is to understand where they are in their career. If they’re agents who have been in the business for more than 10 years, then maybe they’re interested in branding as an authority. You can help with that. Maybe they suffer from a little bit of FOMO (Google it), and if so you can help keep them up to date. Marianne is incredibly savvy with this stuff, and you have to listen to this episode to hear her insights.
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website
Subscribe to The Wingnut Social Podcast on iTunes, Google Podcasts, or TuneIn

How to Land High-End Clients with Debbe Daley

High-end, luxury clients are the white whales of the interior design business. But like Moby Dick, they’re difficult to land, and you may question your sanity once you get there. On today’s show, industry veteran Debbe Daley gives us a peek behind the bling.
Debbe Daley has been in interior design for 30 years, working with nearly 700 clients, many of them high-end. Debbe has seen it all in the industry over the past few decades, and on today’s show she talks about how she approached networking on and offline, how she works with her high-end clients, and what she puts in her packages so her clients know exactly what they’ll get when they work with her.
What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social
[1:25] Darla gets a personalized flask but she swears she’s not a big drinker
[6:13] How Debbe got started at 10 years old (wink)
[8:39] How to get started landing luxury clients
[12:03] Debbe didn’t always work with luxury clients
[16:20] Marketing to High-End Clients
[24:07] Getting started with your online portfolio
[26:48] Pricing pushback
[31:58] What goes into Debbe’s services packages
[39:30] Putting packages on the website
[42:16] How to cope with clients shopping you
[47:28] Whut up, Wingnut?
Connect with Debbe Daley
Debbe Daley Designs
Debbe on Instagram
Debbe on Facebook
Resources & People Mentioned
Kimberley Selden’s podcast
Register for Darla’s event with Nicole Heymer at High Point
Come to LuAnn Live!
High Point Market
Acuity Scheduling
Calendly
Gift from the Sea
The more bling the better
Debbe has worked with high-end clients for years, and if there’s one thing she’s learned, it’s that they like a lot of bling. That means that you’re going to have to show them the best products. They may already know when something is middle-of-the-road, so you have to be prepared to demonstrate your knowledge of quality products.
Finding high-end clients can be one of the most challenging aspects of working with them. Debbe recommends you join civic organizations like your local chamber of commerce. Not only will you be around other business owners who may have the money to hire you to work on their high-end projects, but it’s a first step into networking. Debbe stresses the importance of not just having your portfolio online, but networking like crazy.
Curate your online portfolio to land high-end clients
If you want to land a luxury client, you have to show that you know luxury. Debbe says it’s important to ensure your online portfolio shows your best work, especially your work that speaks to that luxury lifestyle. That doesn’t mean that you don’t post your in-progress shots on Instagram or dismiss other work. But when it comes to your online portfolio, it’s gotta have that bling.
Debbe is also very forward-thinking about how to communicate her work to her clients. Just because you’re working with a high-end client doesn’t mean you won’t face the pricing pushback you get from other clients. So Debbe has some creative ways to work with her luxury clients. But you’ll have to listen to find out!
Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social
www.WingnutSocial.com
On Facebook
On Twitter: @WingnutSocial
On Instagram: @WingnutSocial
Darla’s Interior Design Website