Marketing your interior design business is a business all its own. Social media marketing is essential, but so is marketing in real life, and spreading that all-important word of mouth. So on today’s podcast, we’re talking with someone who knows marketing inside and out, because she was a professional marketer before leaving her corporate job to begin her career in interior design. Darla and Natalie talk with Michelle about how her marketing career informs her interior design business, how brand marketing and direct-response marketing are different, and how she drummed up her first client with a simple marketing trick.

In 2016, Michelle transitioned to interior design after spending 15 years as a marketer. Since then she’s worked on countless projects, has been featured in Design*Sponge and Room magazine. She’s also a former Roller Derby jammer, and she has her own podcast called Business Homies where she picks the brains of experts.

What You’ll Hear On This Episode of Wingnut Social

[2:15] Big news for the podcast

[7:25] How Michelle’s marketing background has helped

[9:21] Why Michelle turned to interior design

[14:40] How Michelle drew from her marketing background

[20:55] Why Michelle started a podcast

[25:45] Managing social media marketing

[28:10] The difference between brand marketing and direct response

[36:18] Try not to do too many things

[38:15] Whut up, Wingnut?

[23:13] Bloopers

Connect with Michelle Binette

Michelle Binette

Michelle on Facebook

Michelle on Instagram

Resources & People Mentioned

LuAnn Live

Business Homies Podcast

Business Homies Facebook Group

Marie Forleo

Chaise Lounge Podcast

Kimberly Seldon

A Well-Designed Business podcast

Michelle on the Business of Design podcast

You Are a Badass at Making Money, You Are a Badass

The Big Leap

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The marketing tip that helped Michelle get started

Michelle spent years in marketing, but as she says she didn’t have a lot of experience with online marketing. However, she knew right away that she needed to put up a blog (even though she didn’t tell family about it) that attracted the type of clients that would want to work with her, and turned away potential clients that would not, in the end, jibe with her personality. That’s a hard lesson to learn for anyone starting out, but Michelle’s years in marketing helped her figure that out from day one.

And knowing that, it allowed Michelle to really own her own personality, and not be afraid to be herself and share her true self as part of her business. It’s not always easy to be yourself in business, but if you’re going into business for yourself, it’s truly the only way to make yourself happy, and have an authentic connection with clients.

Make Facebook groups work for marketing your interior design business

Every interior designer should hear Michelle’s advice for maximizing the potential of Facebook groups. She lives outside of Toronto, and she’s a member of loads of Toronto Facebook groups, and each of those Facebook groups has rules about when you can post to promote your own business. So Michelle made a calendar for all of those Facebook groups, and she would make sure that on those days she’d go on to promote her interior design business.

Michelle tailored her posts in Facebook groups to be less promotional, more sharing blog posts, etc. She wasn’t trying to be overly promotional, but she would leave information if someone wanted to schedule a consultation. And the very first time she posted in a group, she landed a consultation. Social media marketing works, people!

Connect With Darla & Wingnut Social

www.WingnutSocial.com

On Facebook

On Twitter: @WingnutSocial

On Instagram: @WingnutSocial

Darla’s Interior Design Website

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