Know Your Target Audience – What to do, what to do? (Pt 3)

In today’s post, we continue, and bring to an end, our series on how important it is to know your target audience, with Part 1 here and Part 2 here. Based on the past few years’ experience, it's clear that consumer attitudes and preferences are shifting and realigning quickly.

As you work to develop and market your brand online in the new year, it may be time to pivot toward alternative tools and marketing channels. Here, rather than using the article we linked to before, we are offering data points and expected marketing tactics taken directly from HubSpot Blog's 2023 Marketing Strategy & Trends Report.

What Changed in Marketing During 2022

• More marketers have made pivots part of their plan.

• Data-informed marketing strategies have become vital.

• More brands aim to create content that reflects their values.

• Marketers increasingly use CRMs to track and organize data.

• Focusing on customer experiences bridges the gap between service and marketing.

• Social media DM strategies are growing in popularity.

• Building online communities around your brand is becoming critical to engagement.

It’s clear that there have been significant changes in marketing strategies by major marketing influencers as a response to the shifts in attitudes and preferences by consumers.

The Top Marketing Trends of 2023

The top trends marketers are currently leveraging are short-form video, mobile-friendly web design, creating content that reflects their brand’s values and using social media DMs for customer service. Not far behind are SEO, mobile messaging, influencer marketing, and selling products directly in social apps.

From the report:

• Short-form video will see the most growth in 2023.

• Influencer marketing will continue to grow its high ROI.

• Branded social media DM tactics are growing.

• Website SEO continues to shine.

• Marketers will continue to humanize their brands.

• Marketers will benefit from data in 2023.

• These data points illustrate the tactical shifts we can expect to see from marketers in 2023.

The Top 3 Marketing Channels of 2023

Finally, the report shares the most important marketing channels we will see being used this year, with social media marketing clearly dominating all marketing trends.

Marketers leverage an average of four different marketing channels in their role. Social media is used by over 42% of marketers, making it the #1 channel marketers are currently leveraging. It also has the highest ROI of any channel and will grow significantly in 2023. Additionally, one in four marketers say they use social media shopping tools.

The Top Social Media Marketing Channels for 2023

1. Instagram

2. YouTube

3. Twitter

4. TikTok

5. LinkedIn

Further, one in three marketers will be leveraging their own blog or website, as well as SEO, to land on SERPs. Meanwhile, 32% use email marketing.

Blogs, social media shopping tools, and influencer marketing are neck and neck for the highest ROI of any marketing channel.

Getting to know your target audience remains just half the battle. Reaching where they live, surf (and troll?) is paramount to building your brand and converting them.

If you suspect you need help with these strategies and tactics for 2023, Ted remains available for business consulting to the trade. Feel free to… Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Content Marketing Tip – The 5-Minute Content Plan

Are you a list-maker, in your head, on paper, or digitally? Then this post is definitely for you. On the other hand, for those of you who dislike listing to-do stuff and feel like lists are somehow limiting, it’s time for us to set you free with this content marketing tip!

We hope that, by now, you know we believe strongly in the power of content marketing as the key to growing your business online. However, once you get your head wrapped around that little gem, a new challenge rears its head: what should you write about?

Well, you need to create a content plan.

And so, you ask, “Just where do all these fantastic ideas for creating content come from?”

Take it as a given that you're not alone in wondering. We get that. We also get that it’s vital for you to also understand that, in the highly competitive world of online marketing, you simply cannot “wing it” with your content.

As with everything that has to do with online marketing, you need to take a strategic approach. You need to make a plan for creating high-value content that attracts both the search engines and your target audience. Believe it – without a solid content plan, you will continue to struggle to create something that has value, engages your audience, and converts.

But, hey. Once again, we’re here to help and support you by letting you know that there is a very simple way to create a solid content plan that you can complete in 5-10 minutes – literally!

The 5-Minute Content Plan

If you're willing to invest just 5 minutes of your time and energy, your new content plan can be completed in five minutes. Then it will become the foundation for all of the content that you produce, for three months, or six months, even up to a year. Here is a step-by-step process for creating a fresh content plan:

1. Grab a blank piece of paper – landscape not portrait (Wait! Did we say “paper”? Who uses paper anymore?)

2. At the top, write your topic title – “Interior Design Content Plan” (as just one example)

3. Below that, list 5-7 category topics – broad subject areas that matter to your prospects or clients, and you!

4. Next, give yourself five minutes to list as many related sub-topics as you can think of – specific issues or pain points you or your clients may deal with regularly

5. After five minutes – stop and check your list (You can expand on it whenever you need to)

6. Keep it close at all times, in a place where you see it every day – tape it to the wall near your desk or pin it to your dog’s tail. (NOT! LOL). Just make sure you have easy and regular access to your new content plan.

Wonder of wonders, you now have more than a dozen clearly defined subject ideas! And yes, this works for all types of content: blog posts, videos, social media content, emails and newsletters, articles, opt-in freebies – even ideas for products and services!

Tada! No more saying, “I don’t know what to write about!” Because you will!

Content Plan Example

Need a little clarification? Check out the content plan example below.

Easy peasy, right?

It should go without saying that the categories and subject ideas for each will vary from designer to designer and business to business.  (Which is great, BTW.) This is just an example. But, it should be clear just how you can use your areas of interest, training, experience with past clients, and even market forces to determine what each will be.

Two of the best things about this approach are: 1) none of it is etched in stone and it can be revised at any time; 2) you now have a plan of action in place. You can finally stop trying to improvise your content and hope for the best!

And finally, while the details of your content plan will be different, the basics of this approach are the same everywhere and this exercise can work – and has worked – for thousands of entrepreneurs and online business owners.

What would your categories and sub-topics be after investing five minutes in this content plan exercise? Feel free to share a few ideas with us by commenting below.

Of course, if you still have questions about this content marketing tip that we didn’t answer in this post, Ted has more than 25 years of experience helping designers and furnishing dealers market their businesses successfully. Simply… Contact TD Fall today.

Designer Marketing Tips - How to Create a Content Plan in 5 Minutes

Once you’ve fully grasped the idea that content marketing and social media marketing are the keys to growing your interior design business, a new challenge rears its head, developing a content plan. “So”, you ask, “where do all the ideas for content come from?”The good news is, you're not alone in wondering. The bad news is, in the highly competitive world of online marketing, you can no longer afford to simply “wing it” each week.You need a plan that enables you to employ a strategic approach to online marketing and, without a solid content plan, you will continue to struggle to create content that engages and converts your target audience.The best news is, there is a very simple approach to creating a solid content plan that you can complete in 5-10 minutes – literally!The 5-Minute Content PlanThis content plan can be completed in five minutes and can literally create the entire foundation for all of the content that you produce, for six months to a year at a time. Here is a step-by-step process for creating a fresh content plan:

1. Pull out a blank piece of paper – landscape not portrait
2. At the top, write your topic all – “Interior Design Content Plan”
3. Below that, list 5-7 category topics – things that matter to you and/or your prospects or clients
4. Next, give yourself five minutes to list as many related sub-topics as you can think of – specific issues or pain points you or your clients may deal with regularly
5. After five minutes – stop and check your list
6. Keep it close at all times, in a place where you see it every day – tape it to the wall in front of your desk or pin it to your kid’s forehead (NOT! LOL). Just make sure you have easy and regular access to your new content plan.

Wonder of wonders, you now have 25, 35, or even 50 new, clearly defined design-related subjects on which to focus your efforts and energies as you create fresh content: videos, blog posts, social media content, emails and newsletters, articles, opt-in freebies – even ideas for products and services!Content Plan ExampleIf this is still unclear, check out the example below. 

Interior Design Content Plan: 45 Weeks of Content

FURNITURE/APPLIANCES	CARPETING/RUGS	FLOORING	WINDOW TREATMENTS	WALL COVERINGS	SPACES
Value vs Price	Value vs Price	Value vs Price	Value vs Price	Value vs Price	Value vs Price
Leather Quality	Wool	Hardwood Pro/Con	Drapery	Traditional Wallpaper	Kitchen
Upholstered Furniture	Silk & Viscose	Laminate Pro/Con	Curtains	Vinyl Wallpaper	Living Room
Wood Furniture	Cotton	Linoleum Pro/Con	Blinds	Tile	Family Room
Kitchen Appliances	Natural Fibers	Tile Pro/Con	Wood vs Vinyl Blinds	Paint	Master Suite
Electronics	Synthetics	Vinyl Pro/Con		Velvet	Children's Room
SMART Appliances	Specific Uses	Cork Pro/Con		Twills & Ticks	Guest Room
		Specific Uses		Felt	Office
				Specific Uses	Mattresses
					Beds
					Furniture

Of course, the specifics of the sub-topics will vary greatly from designer to designer, as they should; based on training, experience, and market forces. But, the basics of this approach are the same everywhere and this exercise can work – and has worked – for literally anyone.The real beauty of doing this is two-fold: 1) none of it is written in stone and can be tweaked at any time, 2) you now have a plan of action to follow, instead of trying to wing it (and usually underdelivering).What would your categories and sub-topics be after investing five minutes into this content plan exercise? Share a few ideas with us by commenting below.Looking for more new design trends, marketing tips, and ideas? Get in touch with TD Fall today.

Is Your Interior Design Facebook Page Dying?

There are a couple of indications that your interior design Facebook Page may be on life support, requiring immediate help.

• Losing “Likes” and “Followers” – your audience is shrinking.
• Conversions are dropping – you're not making sales from your FB Page as you once did.

If you're still doing the same things that originally grew your audience and sparked sales, yet one or both of the above are happening, then it’s beyond time to change your Facebook marketing strategy.

5 Facebook Marketing Habits that could Save your Facebook Page

If you're thinking of your FB page as just another advertising outlet, you're doing it wrong. Your Facebook Page is a place to build relationships, to get to know your audience, and let them get to know you. Facebook is, after all, a “Social Network”, so be social; have conversations and share information just as you would during a face-to-face encounter.

If you're willing to develop some new habits for interacting with your Facebook audience, you’ll not only save your page, you’ll also grow your audience and increase conversions! Here’s how:

1. Engage with your audience – as if they are real people, because they are! There must be things that turn you off about some of the pages you’ve “Liked” on Facebook in the past, causing you to “Unlike” or “Unfollow” them. If you're doing the same things on your FB page expecting a different result from your own audience then, whatever they are, you need to stop doing them right now!
2. Clarify your target audience – to see if you still appeal to the same demographic. Perhaps your product mix or services have changed over time, as most businesses do. Maybe your competition has gotten a leg up on you and has stolen a piece of your audience. These types of changes may mean that your approach no longer appeals to the same audience. If so, it’s time to figure out where they’ve gone and implement a strategy to get them back.
3. Share wisely – and appeal to the interests of your audience. Of course, you have to get to know them first but, once you do, you can share videos, news stories, and other content that will appeal to them, letting them appreciate you more. If you share nothing but advertising disguised as “opportunities”, you’ll force them away from your page in droves.
4. Tag judiciously – over-tagging to boost reach is annoying in the extreme. Respect your audience enough to avoid this boorish practice.
5. Be real – and be interested. Be a human being. After all, if you're going to spend time on Facebook in an effort to engage your audience, you should do it in ways that show respect and concern for their time, as well as your own.

By taking action when your interior design Facebook Page is struggling, you should be able to remove yourself from life support and improve your chances of increasing Likes, adding Followers, and boosting Reach; which are the very reasons you began offering a Facebook Page in the first place, right?

Boosting Interior Design Sales - Strategic Marketing

Say, what? Strategic marketing? What is that?This is not some fly-by-night, “guaranteed to make you rich” so-called marketing plan, but a comprehensive, effective marketing strategy that will lead you to the implementation of a plan for successfully marketing your business online. We’re talking about a fully integrated system of strategic decisions and tactical implementation; actions you can take that will build an audience, generate traffic, promote conversions, and increase both revenue and profits.

What is a Marketing Strategy?

Let’s begin by defining our terms – before you begin to think we’ve gone off on some silly tangent:“Strategic / Strategy – A high level plan to achieve one or more goals under conditions of uncertainty. It is a pattern in a stream of decisions, and is about shaping the future. A Marketing Strategy is a process that can allow an organization to concentrate its resources on the optimal opportunities with the goals of increasing sales and achieving a sustainable competitive advantage.” ~ from Wikipedia“Ok,” you say, “but what does all of that mean for me and my online marketing plan?”What it means is, if you want your internet marketing efforts to be successful, you need to make a plan to be successful. You need to develop a comprehensive approach to marketing your products or services with full participation, and a commitment to creating compelling content at your website, on the social network – using great copy, compelling images and video, and with a pro-active email campaign. All of your content in every venue will relate to the other venues, and content creation will be consistent and compelling. You will provide value for your visitors at every turn, and you will ask them to respond; with a call-to-action that will benefit both you and your prospective client.See, that’s not so much to ask for, is it?

What are the most effective Marketing Strategies?

Now we get down to the fun stuff, the real nitty-gritty of making it happen; of outlining the strategic approach to your online marketing plan. The goal here is to create a sequence of strategic initiatives to build online and offline brand awareness, presenting your products or services to the most profitable markets, by developing and building relationships through what’s known as “Cross Channel Marketing”. There are so many valuable tools and newly opened avenues available in today’s online  marketing environment, that a comprehensive marketing strategy is required to tap into all of them and make your marketing plan a success.

CROSS-CHANNEL MARKETING = WEB + SOCIAL + EMAIL + MOBILE

Here are some of the critical steps you should take to implement a comprehensive marketing strategy:

• Create a compelling marketing website with expert blog
• Create regular blog posts with valuable information for your readers
• Automated push to the social network: Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn
• Mobile-friendly website and social networking
• Article marketing to build an expert reputation
• Monthly eNewsletter with incentivized content
• Free eBook for lead capture and list building
• Periodic contests and/or giveaways promoted on-site and on the social network
• Create videos, webinars, and teleseminars
• Offer public speaking presentations
• Capitalize on every opportunity to generate revenue

This ain’t your typical web experience.You can no longer simply “put it out there” and “hope for the best.” For real online marketing success in the highly competitive marketplace that our contemporary web has become, a strategic approach to online marketing is a requirement for a plan to be successful. Whether you are a retail home furnishing outlet or an interior designer, a broad-based and effective strategic marketing plan is requisite in today’s online environment.