5 Ways Interior Designers can Grow their Mailing Lists (& Why You Should)

What are the benefits of having a mailing list as an interior designer? ALL of the opportunities that come with it. Through the emails that you send, such as a welcome sequence and monthly newsletters, you can:

• Build trust in your expertise
• Share your projects + tell the stories behind them
• Educate your prospects with information about the design process
• Establish your brand (be it high-end, approachable, etc.)
• Stay top of mind when people are ready to book a call
• Boost SEO with links to other content on your website (like blog posts)
• Start conversations by asking direct questions
• Promote product sales (not for everyone, but desirable for some)
• Announce open spots when you’re looking to book new projects

And much more. It all depends on your goals and what your audience cares about. P.S. If you’re interested in our lead magnet and welcome sequence templates, sign up here for early access and VIP rates:

BUT WAIT, WHAT IF I DON’T HAVE ENOUGH SUBSCRIBERS?

A client asked me this question less than 2 weeks ago. She said:

“I have about 50 people on my list. Is that too small to commit to email marketing?”

My response? “Well, who’s on your list?” If they’re mostly friends and family, that’s probably not worth it. But if they include:

• Prospects who booked a discovery call but didn’t follow through
• Past clients who would hire you again
• Trade partners who could send you referrals
• People who signed up for your (relevant) lead magnet
• People who signed up through a generic form on your website

Then yes, you have enough subscribers. In my opinion, a mailing list of even 25-50 prospective clients is far more valuable than a mailing list of 500 — or even 5,000 — people who will never hire you. Quality over quantity, every time.

HOW CAN YOU GROW A MAILING LIST OF PERFECT-FOR-YOU DESIGN CLIENTS?

If quality matters, then how can you ensure the people joining your mailing list are actually prospective clients? I have 5 ideas for you today, the first of which is my favorite:

01 // OFFER AN ATTRACTIVE, CLIENT-SPECIFIC LEAD MAGNET

The more you tailor your lead magnet to your ideal client, the better your mailing list will be. For example, my least favorite lead magnet for interior designers is a Style Quiz. In theory, there’s nothing wrong with it, but who is going to take a style quiz? Answer: Anyone.

By comparison, who is going to download a lead magnet that speaks to families’ desire to have a home that evolves with their needs? Or that speaks to empty-nesters’ desire to create a home designed for leisure? Those exact people. You get the idea. You can find ideas for lead magnets here or sign up (see above) for early access to our lead magnet templates.

So, where should you share your lead magnet to encourage sign-ups?

• Pop-up on your website (if it’s not going to give you nightmares)
• Footer of your website
• Throughout blog posts
• On social media
• Share a link in your email signature

02 // INVITE INQUIRIES TO OPT-IN ON YOUR CONTACT FORM

At the bottom of O&B’s inquiry form, you’ll see a box that says, “Would you like to receive our monthly newsletter with marketing tips and insights?” When I initially added this option, I didn’t think many people would opt-in. 80% or more do.

Just goes to show that if someone cares about what you do, they’re happy to hear from you. You could do the same thing, using copy like: “Would you like to receive our design newsletters with project tours, designer insights, and sneak peeks?”

Note: Unless you have a Zapier integration set up (don’t ask, my PM did it for me), you’ll have to add these opt-ins manually to your mailing list. Takes a minute, but it’s worth it.

03 // ADD PAST CLIENTS (AND LET THEM KNOW)

In theory, if someone has worked with you, they have given you their consent to be emailed. Whether they want to be on your mailing list is a different story. You could ask them directly if they’re okay with it. Or, what we like to do for our clients, is have them add past clients to their lists and then send a “warm-up email.”

Warm-up emails are essentially “warming up” your audience to hear from you. This is ideal for past clients you may have added yourself, but also for a list of people you haven’t emailed in a long, long time. (Or ever.) When we write warm-up emails for our clients, we generally hit the following points:

• Here’s what’s coming, when, and your story/motivation behind it
• Here’s why it’s going to be valuable to your audience (call them “you”)
• Invite them to opt out if this doesn’t sound like something they’ll enjoy
• Include an inviting professional photo of you/your team
• Say see you soon!

This gives people the chance to feel excited about what’s coming or politely decline using the unsubscribe button at the bottom of the email. Most will stay. Then deliver on what you’ve promised.

04 // PRESENT AT LOCAL SPEAKING OPPORTUNITIES

Several of our clients have used local speaking opportunities to get in front of their ideal clients, present on an interesting topic, and collect email addresses from interested attendees afterward. You could host the event yourself, or capitalize on already existing associations or groups near you: such as small business owners, your country club, realtors, etc.

Be sure to talk about the perks and merits of your mailing list (similar to the Warm-up Email), so that they know exactly what’s in it for them. You could ask guests to write their email addresses on a sheet you provide (and hope they’re legible), or supply a QR code that links directly to a signup page.

05 // SHARE ON SOCIAL MEDIA

While it’s rare that interior designers get discovered by their ideal clients on social platforms like Instagram and Pinterest, it’s still worth using them to share your lead magnet and promote your mailing list. Even if someone isn’t discovering you there, it’s very likely that your existing community (i.e. past clients, partners, etc.) is paying attention to what you do.

If you don’t have a social media presence already, there’s no need to complicate things. Just skip this one until you’re ready. If you do post often on social media, simply slip these topics into your usual rotation.

I hope this helps you feel more confident about email marketing — a strategy that I’ve seen work far, far better than social media for 99% of designers I’ve met. Have questions? Need support? Just head over to our inquiry page and reach out. I’d love to hear from you!

xo,
Jaquilyn