As an interior designer, you live in a visual world, which makes marketing with video essential to your success. Video engages the viewer in ways that text is simply unable to accomplish. It reaches both the left- and right-brain places in your prospect’s heads – the places where they make decisions, both emotionally and logically.
When you examine the numbers, it’s easy to understand the increasing popularity of marketing with video. What do I mean? Well, YouTube alone receives more than ONE BILLION visits a month; nearly 50% of people, having viewed a product on video, go on to seek further information on the product; and some 60% of the decision makers in business prefer shopping by video over text presentations. Because of this broad appeal to a diverse client base, video is fast becoming the online marketing tool of choice, with increasing numbers of video-sharing platforms available online.
Effective Video Marketing for Interior Designers
Unfortunately, video is not magic. There are a few rules to follow to ensure the effectiveness of your marketing video. Here are the 5 Video Marketing Quick Tips I promised in the title:
- Explain What You Do for Clients – By now pretty much everyone has learned the value of what’s called an “Elevator Pitch,” a quick and clear explanation of what you do. Turn this into a marketing video, about 2-3 minutes long, and you’ll begin to see better traffic and increased conversions.
- Focus On Solutions – Video is the perfect tool for Solution-based selling, because it’s as close to face-to-face as you can get. You know what problems that your customers come to you with; give them product based solutions that you know they will benefit from and watch your conversions jump.
- Niche-Specific Marketing Strategies – Offering information that is specific to your niche and valuable to your prospect will make you the expert they turn to for more. Once you’ve reached expert status in the minds of your prospects, loyalty grows and conversions become more consistent.
- Laser-Focused Marketing Tactics – Video will allow you to pin-point your target market – your ideal client – much more easily, with direct appeals to their rational and emotional sides. This two-pronged approach is incredibly powerful and effective.
- Don’t Forget the Social Network, including YouTube – As the popularity of video has increased so too have the platforms on which you can place it. Facebook and Twitter, once a video black hole, have both begun to feature video and, while you may not think of it as such, YouTube has actually become the NUMBER 1 social site on the internet.
BONUS TIP – 3 Simple Video SEO Tips
Sure, as soon as you see the letters “SEO” you want to click away HOWEVER – your team absolutely must optimize your marketing video properly. Why? It’s really pretty simple. Google and the other search engines are unable to watch video to determine the subject. This means you have to tell them what’s in your video, and this is actually pretty easy to do.
When you post a video to your website, YouTube, Vimeo, or any other online video platform, make sure you do these three things:
- Title Tag – Create a compelling, informative title for your marketing video that also contains your keyword, and place it in the Title Tag area provided. Try to keep this title to 60 characters. Example: Marketing with Video Strategy [5 Quick Tips].
- Meta Description – Create a compelling and informative 156-character description of your video that includes a variation of your keyword, and place it in the Meta Description box provided. Example: Your strategy for marketing with video should be benefits-based & focused, offering solutions to your target audience, if you hope to increase engagement. (155 characters).
- Meta Tags – Use descriptive and compelling keywords, about half-a-dozen, which are specific to the subject of your marketing video. Example: marketing with video, video marketing strategy, video and social media, use video for engagement, use video for conversions, marketing video SEO.
For anyone who has been hesitant to produce a marketing video, the time is here to get busy and get it done. There are plenty of cost-effective options available for you to begin your marketing with video strategy. Don’t wait any longer, or you will be leaving sales that you might have made out there to your competition. Contact me to learn more about this invaluable marketing tool.
As mentioned in a previous post, Know Your Marketplace - Millennials Influencing Interior Design Trends, the influence of millennials is growing, in many ways shifting the focus and goals of the interior design industry. Of the many ways in which this demographic is influencing our market, sustainability may be the most important – and enduring – as it become ever more important to other age groups and market influencers.As explained by the 
For those who were unable to attend High Point Market in April, and for those who did make the trip but were simply too busy to see all that was on display, we offer this short recap of the interior design trends that many are talking about.First, it must be said that the energy level was high at Spring High Point this year! As was the enthusiasm shown by designers, suppliers, manufacturers, and buyers; with everyone optimistic about the potential for growth during the remainder
of the year.Compact & Multifunctional – For consumers who are just short on space, products designed for small spaces – yet which serve a variety of functions enable people to maximize their spaces with furnishings that support their busy lifestyles. This need is being met with lightweight, yet durable pieces that present a narrower profile.Livable Luxury – A luxurious look and feel is fine for those who seek such, yet today’s consumer also wants to ensure their spaces a livable. Durable fabrics, forgiving woods, and low-maintenance finishes are being introduced in greater quantities in the brands and product lines that offer luxury.
Feminine Finery – The feminine edge is an emerging trend; offering flowing lines, lovely curves, floral patterns, and intricate details, a soft cushion on a sofa, the subtle curved front of a chest, and pinks and purples that bring a breezy lightness to every detail of the space in which they’re utilized.
Mix ‘n Match – For several seasons, manufacturers and retailers we’re playing it safe; fearing they could be left with a stockroom or warehouse full of inventory, showrooms were often filled with easy, and sometimes, boring options. This is beginning to change, as vendors are being bolder with their options and mixing materials, color and shapes with abandon. For more on emerging trends that we saw at this year’s Spring High Point Market, 
What would you change in these family rooms?While the layouts are identical, opportunities abound for personalizing these similar spaces, based on the desires and personalities of your clients. You could easily shift the feel of the first with different flooring, while a splash of color would transform the second. Then again, perhaps each of these homeowners made deliberate choices that reflect their lifestyles to perfection.What would you ask to learn more about their bold or subtle choices?
Personal choices like these are extremely individualized and, as we all know, homeowners can be very protective of them. Yet, if they’ve asked for your help, they are seeking alternatives and must be coaxed gently toward the direction you think best, based on the vision of the space they’ve presented. Keep in mind though that moving too far in either direction, whether bold or subtle, may cause problems in the long term.No matter how bold you believe they wish to be, it may be best to offer relatively subtle choices at first, until they tell you to “Go for it!”
Clever accents for a white bedroomAdding color to this white bedroom, along with enhanced spacial definition and character, could not be simpler, with the addition of a colorful Mexican weave blanket. (
Off-targeted, focused accentsOff-center yet still a clear focal point, this splash of yellow at the window in this room helps to balance the other colorful accent pieces in the room.
Good morning rainbows in the kitchenIt’s hard to argue with the colorful kaleidoscope that have been added to enhance this otherwise simple kitchen space.
While many clients will ask you to add color to their spaces, and their lives, many will also fear overshooting the mark. This is when a splash of colors and accents is just enough to keep them happy.
Move the Living Room OutsideThe Antalya Outdoor Collection allows your clients to chill in an outdoor living room. A patio becomes a very cozy space when a few home comforts are brought outside. Roll out a rug, plump up the couch with extra pillows and keep a soft throw within reach. If you're short on outdoor furniture, haul a few pieces out from your living room temporarily – sitting on real furniture while outside feels decidedly luxurious. (
Get More ColorfulThis year's trend in outdoor fabrics have something for everyone; from bright, bold colors to warm, subdued hues. Look for quatrefoil prints and wide stripes, emboldening toss pillows, rugs, umbrellas, and more. Carry color themes across the patio with planters and ottomans interspersed between foundation pieces. (
Mixed Materials and Year ‘Round Outdoor LivingIf the space you're reimagining for your clients can accommodate an indoor/outdoor transition throughout the year, then it goes without saying that modern outdoor furniture made from a combination of materials will help make it a lot easier. Design trends for 2016 will see a focus on mixed material furniture that enables contrast to promote a dynamic fusion between your indoor and outdoor entertaining space. (
Have you seen a trend toward more outdoor living in your market? What have you done to accommodate the need to spend more time outside for your clients?
Sustainable BacksplashYou can “go green” with an environmentally friendly backsplash without sacrificing style. Sea glass and recycled glass are just two of the options available to you. Beautiful mosaics have been created with bits of broken or leftover tile, and many stone yards have discounted slabs they can’t use for various reasons that would otherwise go to waste.
Matching Wood BacksplashFor a fresh new look, look to wood. It’s no stranger to kitchen floors and cabinets, so using it as your backsplash brings in a forward-thinking take on the traditional material. It’s extremely interesting as a backsplash with the added benefit of being easy to install, and can be painted any color to accent your kitchen.
Stainless Steel BacksplashIndustrial-chic is a current trend, and stainless steel is the perfect nod to it. It’s dramatic, durable, cleanable and comes in tiles or slabs so you can get whichever look you want.
Wallpaper BacksplashDon’t shy away so quickly because this isn’t your grandmother’s wallpaper. Wallpaper is making a huge comeback with modern and fashionable styles, patterns and textures, and manufacturers aren’t leaving the kitchen out. You can easily find easy-to-clean vinyl wallpapers unique to your style.
Have you noticed the comeback of the backsplash in your market? How have you used the backsplash to make a statement in the kitchens of your clients?
BOOM – now this is as retro as retro can be!
Toning it down, someOf course, adding a retro feel through the use of bold colors may not be the best choice for all environments, so a sleeker look or subtler retro influences may be what you need for your clients.These retro pieces employ simple curves and lines to present a sense of modern minimalism to this dining area, which is straight out of the retro playbook.
Here, smaller prints and geometric repetitive patterns are used to give the room a distinctly retro feel, though more subdued, without the overwhelming design inherent in some patterns and colors that might otherwise be used.
Have you begun to see retro making a comeback in your market? Have you jumped on the retro train to help your clients make a bolder statement in their homes? 
As we mentioned before, in this post 
No longer an afterthought, this space has become a focal point of the bathroom, with functional elegance as a centerpiece of which the homeowner can be proud.
While tucked into its own well-defined area, this vanity has actually opened the space considerably, with a design that extends all the way to the ceiling, where LED strip lighting illuminates a cove overhead.Kitchens that focus on exterior viewsFar more than a mere space for cooking meals, kitchens have long been a gathering place for families, and will continue to be for decades to come. The reasons for this can vary greatly from family to family, but the fact is that kitchens are often seen as the centerpiece of the home, from which all other spaces radiate.Yet, staring at appliances during a family meal or discussion leaves little on which to focus, which brings us to kitchens with a view. In some cases, a truly awesome view…
It makes little sense to limit the view of the coast at Big Sur to a single room, when such a breathtaking site is available to those in the kitchen as well.
Why would you restrict such a panoramic view by making it available only to those in the living room? Instead, bring the open lifestyle your clients must have been seeking when they chose this location right into their new kitchen.
If you are willing to “think outside the box”, just a bit, your clients will be able to enjoy the view outside the house from every room within it. After all, if your clients were willing to make the investment in a home with such a view, it behooves you to make it available to them from every possible location.These are just a copule of the design trends were beginning to see for the spring of 2016. What have you begun to see in your market?