Instagram has become a go to platform for Interior Designers and small businesses in the design industry.

The social media platform has everything that the design industry could want, a highly visual platform that still has capabilities for interaction and subtle self-promotion.

There are benefits to having an instagram account for Interior Designers. Starting with the fact that instagram, even in the mainstream is a highly creative platform. Entire movements have benefited from being able publish visual with content, while still being able to have interaction in the comments section.

Interior Designers on Instagram also benefit from being able to see what others are posting and working on. Thanks to the ability to follow hashtags and see whats trending on the Discovery section, staying up to date is easier than ever.

While most Instagram users are using the social media platform for sharing selfies, vacation pictures or Throwback Thursdays. Interior Designers have started cultivating an entire network devoted to their professions.

Kate Hudson, Vogue, and Prada might be accounts that your average Instagram user follows, but when combined with in-network accounts like Architectural Digest, Bathrooms of Instagram, and HomePolish  you have the makings of a design devoted account.

Most Interior Designers have quite the variety of posts. They have posts for inspiration, project updates, personal, self-promotion, product highlights, and the list could keep going. And it all seems to be working, designers have used Instagram to cultivate audiences and clients similar to singers hitting the big time through YouTube.

Instagram has allowed individual designers to genuinely self-brand. Instagram has given their followers a glimpse into their inspiration process, what they are currently working on and what they are most passionate about. However, keeping consistency between posts still needed, to effectively use Instagram as a marketing tool.

Here are our tips for keeping an active design Instagram:

Have a goal:

Create a plan for Instagram like you would for any other business project. Start with creating an overarching goal, how you are going to measure success, and the steps that you are going to take to achieve them. A goal could be to increase awareness of your brand, so you set a new follower per month number. To meet this you will need to increase following, liking and comment activity, so you set a reminder each day to check the feed.

If you are hoping to showcase your credibility, ask former clients if they could provide any reviews or feedback that you can post. Another idea is to work to get mentioned by other industry associates on a biweekly basis. Having a goal will give your posts direction and cause you to think through why you are posting, thus elevating the quality of your account.

Tell a story:

Your profile should be the story of how, when, and why you do what you do. There are so many different types of posts to show this. You can post about the article you read in Architectural Digest that is the inspiration for a project. Other posts could be an appreciation post for the professor or mentor that has impacted you the most, or share your go to website for finding the perfect knick-knacks.

There are so many stories to tell and ways to do it but what is really important is showing your design process. Chronicle a project big or small that you or your team are working on. Take your followers from brainstorming session, to sketch, to construction, to finished space. Make your followers feel special, that they are getting a sneak peek or behind the scenes look at something you are working on. Showing your process can show how you operate to a potential client, and will give them a taste of what to expect when working with you.

Don’t Overthink:

Be you. Post about trends and topics that you or your company are genuinely interested in or believe in. If your designs revolve around traditional elegance, then you don’t need to post about modern designs just to be like other accounts. Creating posts that show what you really think and like will build trust between you and your followers.  Trust goes a long way in converting followers to clients. Post about what is inspiring you today, even if it’s the mural or the flower you saw on your way to work. People want to see you and your process not just the finished product.

Stay Engaged and Active:

If you are active on an Interior Designer account half as often as you are active on your personal one, then it will stay relevant in the eyes of Instagram and your followers.

You can respond to positive comments on your own posts with a simple thank you or emoji.  In addition, with the ability to like comments it’s easier than ever to show appreciation. Make sure you are cheering on others with a “Love it” or #housegoals to fellow designers whose work you admire. This will get you noticed by the user whose picture you commented on and others who also follow the account. Also, keep updated on hashtags that are being used for certain trends.

Spend some time getting to know what hashtags other people in the interior design community are using. Doing so will provide an avenue for your posts to be highlighted or featured. Note the products that you are actively using in your designs and if the manufacturer or distributor has an active social media presence.

If they do, are they doing any campaigns for the line you are using? Do they feature people that are using their products if you tag them? Being in the know will provide you more opportunities to get your work out to a greater audience.

Be Consistent:

Set up posts that can happen on a regular basis and that can be done in advance. Devote a bit of time at the beginning of each month, to draft posts that you already have pictures or ideas about. These can become your fail safes so that even if you don’t have anything particularly interesting going on you still have something to post about. Your go to design tips or 5 Favorite Spaces of All Time are a good way to start.

Having a post that goes out on a regular basis is also a good way to build consistency and thus your brand. Followers will come to expect the post and look forward to seeing what you will say next.  Once you establish a style for posts make sure you keep it up, it’s ok to mix it up now and again or test out something new but try to keep in the same theme and voice.

The ultimate goal for consistency is that someone who follows you knows that you posted a picture before they even catch a glimpse at your username. You want them to get to know your styles and themes.

Trying to keep all of this in mind can seem like a daunting task, but keep at it. Some have estimated that it can take 6-12 months to really start seeing business results of an active social media account. Having a cultivated Interior Designer Instagram account can provide so much to your business.

On one account you can gain insights from others in the industry, followers can turn into clients, and you can display your work on one of the most accessible visual platforms in the world.