Social Media Race Day - Getting Match-Fit for Our First Outing!

Off the back of the two webinars I've recently run to help you prepare (watch here), and with the very first SOCIAL MEDIA RACE DAY round the corner, now is a good time to take a look at the Instagram accounts of a few interior designers that House and Garden Magazine showcase in their annual Top 100 Interior Designers and Architects. 

But, before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s try an experiment. 

Stop for a moment and think about Kit Kemp - interior designer and founder of Firmdale Hotels.

• Before I show it to you, what would you expect her Instagram account to look like?
• How would you expect her to present herself?
• What mood would you expect to radiate from her profile?
• How would expect colour and pattern to be presented?

I’ll come back to this.  

ADVICE FOR SOCIAL MEDIA RACE DAY 1

Also, before we look at examples, let's think about your goals for the Race Day. For the first Social Media Race Day, I think it’s helpful to focus on the basics:

• Your profile picture - ideally you will be a presence in your bio and profile grid.
• Your biography - simple, very few emojis, either factual and brief, or more whimsical and quirky - depending on what your brand demands?
• The web resources you’ll link to (max 5) - your website, link to book a consultation, a podcast, blogs and articles, editorial about you, appearances or sibling businesses.
• Your highlights (the circular icons below your bio, and above your grid) - look at the examples below and think about your content pillars - what subject materials do you want to keep handy for visitors to binge? 
• Any pinned posts - if you have press mentions, or notably informative posts, you can pin to the top of your grid.
• The graphic design rationale you’ll adopt for your grid, going forwards - random? Chequerboard? Something else. Keep it simple and work it out over the coming months. Just be aware of it, and make sure your feed looks tidy - not chipped or dogeared. 
• The themes you’ll concentrate on, become known for (your content pillars) - these might inspire your highlights. 
• The services you’ll raise awareness of as part of this activity 
• A photo that includes you every 9-12 posts, so YOU always appear on the screen, or thereabouts 

Let's Take A Look At Those Top 100 Designers

Here are screenshots taken this morning of a handful of the designers mentioned by House and Garden as being Top! 

I spend a lot of time looking at my clients' Instagram feeds. The more you look (and compare) the more alive you become to first impressions. My motive for showing you is to share the impact that carefully curated Insta feeds can make.

From intimate to more guarded, from welcoming to more exclusive, from professional to more creative and whimsical.

Whatever approach you decide to take, just make it intentional - don't create an impression by accident. Have in mind how you want visitors to feel about your business based on their impression of your social media, then set out - intentionally - to create this.

Here we go:

And finally - the experiment mentioned above - how did you imagine Kit Kemp's Insta would look? Is it like this: 

Personal Branding Is Everything: here is a definition: 

Personal branding for interior designers is the process of crafting and communicating a distinct professional identity that reflects your unique design approach, values, personality, and the experience clients can expect when working with you. It’s about creating a consistent, memorable impression through every touchpoint: your visual style, communication, social media presence, client interactions, and the stories you tell about your work.

In terms of marketing, personal branding helps position you as a trusted, credible expert in your niche, attracting the kind of clients who resonate with your aesthetic and values. It goes beyond your portfolio to encompass your philosophy, working methods, and even your personality, essentially making you not just the designer of beautiful spaces but also the face of your business.

A strong personal brand differentiates you from competitors by showcasing what makes your approach to design unique, creating a lasting connection with potential clients who see themselves reflected in your brand story.

What difference does a strong personal brand make? 

• Makes you irreplaceable – Clients want you, not just any designer. 
• Future-proofs your business – Designers with a strong personal brand - those who have cultivated a loyal audience - will have a significant edge as AI’s role in the industry grows.
• Lets you charge more – When clients believe in you, pricing becomes less about comparison shopping and more about whether they can afford your expertise.
• Attracts the right clients – A clear, consistent brand message filters out those who don’t align with your approach while pulling in those who do. 
• Creates other opportunities – A personal brand opens doors to collaborations, media features, speaking engagements, and product lines, and income streams.

A final note: As I have done in the two webinars run to support this event, in this post I am just chatting about Meta (instagram and Facebook) but I know that many of us will be taking the opportunity to post on other platforms too.

What do you think? Does this make sense? Does it help you to rethink the presentation and contents of your social media feed? Let me know in the comments :-)