The Ultimate Guide To Building A Strong Interior Design Brand
Why branding is important for your interior design business
First impressions matter when it comes to branding. A strong brand identity reflects your intentions as a business owner. What people think about your brand is important to you - they could be a potential client or referer.
Your work speaks for itself but your brand gives an insight into what you might be like to work with. You are a service-based business, clients are investing in you. Yes the solution, but also the experience of working with an interior designer.
People will make assumptions based on your services, design style or way of working. If it’s not something you’ve considered, the narrative might not always go the way you want.
The result? Your business getting lost in a crowded market.
That’s why branding is so powerful. It can influence how people think and feel about what you do. It can be the difference between a flourishing interior design business and one constantly searching for the next client.
How to build a strong interior design brand
The problem we’ve seen with many of our interior design clients is a lack of clarity - it’s not clear who the business is for. If you don’t know who your services are aimed at, it’s difficult to market your business. Clients want to know how an expert like you can make a difference to them.
The interior design industry is competitive. Potential clients are presented with options. You have to give them a reason to choose you. Here’s what you need to consider:
1. Understand your purpose
Having a clear understanding of your purpose is so important. It sounds obvious, but when you actually write down what you do, who your business is for and the impact of your work, you’ll have a lot more clarity of thought.
Your brand will feel organised and authentic because you’re not making it up as you go along - you understand the reputation you are building. Your style might develop over time but your purpose and values will help maintain the consistency you need to grow.
This will impact how you talk about your business because you’ll have an assured approach that gives clients a reason to trust you.
2. Define your ideal client
Every branding decision has to be influenced by the people you want to attract. That’s why strong brands are specific about who the business is for. Without this focus, you’ll limit the opportunities for growing your brand.
If you’re not specific about who your business is for, you won’t stand out. From your clients perspective they’re looking for results. They want to know how your services will help them. The more specific you are, the bigger impact your brand will have. Clients don’t invest in generic brands - they work with people they know they can trust.
Who is your ideal client? Understand who they are, what they are looking for and how you’ll reach them. Position yourself as the go-to person for your type of service. When it’s clear who your business is for, your ideal client will know you’re the expert that they need.
3. Research your competitors
Research into your competitors will be hugely beneficial for your brand. Potential clients will do their research and are likely to compare you to other interior designers. You want to find a way to stand out and connect with clients that will ensure your business is right for them. It might be through your brand values or your niche. Whatever it is, use it to position yourself away from your competitors.
4. Be authentic
People want to connect with people. For your interior design business a human connection is important for building trust with clients. Potential clients want to know who’s behind the brand.
You might think being professional means being formal or presenting a polished image of your business in order to be taken seriously. When really clients want to see who they’re really working with; a designer who’s passionate about what they do, cares about their clients and can create stunning interior design solutions.
It’s about building an unique identity that reflects the personality you want to create with your brand. Your business is a people brand after all, so it’s necessary for clients to want to get an insight into who you are and how you work.
5. Have a consistent visual identity
Consistency says a lot about your intentions. People will notice mistakes and differences in your branding which will have a negative impact on how your brand is perceived. The inconsistencies might look careless, messy and lack attention to detail which they might see as a reflection of the work you do for your clients. A consistent visual identity reflects your intentions as a business, builds credibility and makes your brand more memorable.
6. Create a professional online presence
An online presence is more important than ever. Used in the right way and your business can really benefit.
With a range of different platforms it’s important to maintain consistency, including what you post online. Your messaging, style and expertise needs to reflect the reputation you want to build. You don’t always have control of what people think of you, but your brand will influence how people view your brand and engage with your business.
Top tip: Find out where your ideal client hangs out. Then focus on getting really good at that platform.
Final Note
The key to building a successful interior design brand is to be clear and consistent. Clients want to know what they can expect from you. If you want to grow your business and attract the work you want make branding decisions not based on trends or another brand you like, but who your ideal client is.
If you want to attract certain clients or be known for a particular service, you have to think about the reputation you want to build.