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Are you starting your own design business? Have you been curious about how marketing and design flirt with each other? Us too.
As we build HFD’s brand and business, we’ve had a lot of questions pop up regarding growth, social media, marketing, and general awareness — because having good taste and a nice aesthetic isn’t enough to grow a lasting business. This is why we sat down with Hannah Underhill, Vice President of Business Development at Power Digital Marketing and former Design Sales Manager at Houzz . If you dabble in design you know Houzz, so we feel blessed to have gotten sprinkled with some of Hannah’s expert (and design specific) knowledge. And you can snatch some for yourself below.
Let’s dive in….
Q: What drew you to design as an industry?
A: Initially, my mother, Jane. My mother is someone who screams eclectic — her taste is influenced by antiques, multi-generations, and color! She has a timeless taste in terms of product design as our home is furnished with Gustav Stickley & the exterior is Arts & Crafts influenced.
As I grew into myself, I gravitated towards Art History and ended up studying Art History in school — I was fascinated with product design and the influence that these designers had on the world.
Q. How did you get started at Houzz?
A: When I first started my career I was working as an Art Dealer in La Jolla, CA. The gallery I was working at put me on a 90-day trial period where I had to generate my own clients. I used the website, Houzz, to source local interior designers and invite them into the space to view our exhibitions. Interior Designers are the gatekeeper to some of the wealthiest clients and I wanted to find a way to help the designer fulfill their client’s needs and also have continuous business going forward. Due to being on Houzz every day scraping leads I saw that they were opening an office in San Diego, reached out to a friend that was working there, and set up an interview!
Q. For those who are unfamiliar, what is Houzz? How can homeowners use it? How can designers benefit from it?
A: Houzz is a home-remodeling and design website; you can source products, search for inspiration, read through amazing design/remodeling trends, connect with the best professionals in your area & speed up the home renovation/design process. One of the best things about Houzz is that it is a Vertical platform (catering to one audience: home remodeling/design) vs. Horizontal platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest (catering to a wide net of different industries, brands, products)
Designers can benefit the site by investing in Houzz Pro. Houzz pro is a marketing tool AND a business management software. With the amount of content on the Houzz website it is impossible to get your work/brand/business seen let alone locally – HouzzPro comes in and eliminates that issue so your work can be seen on a consistent basis in the areas that you want to generate more business. The other feature HouzzPro comes from Ivy software which is a business management tool where you can manage all your clients! From mood board creation, time tracking, product sourcing to creating business proposals, and accepting payment HouzzPro allows you to have it all in one cohesive place.
Q. How does digital marketing impact business? Specifically, how does it drive the design industry?
A: EVERYTHING IS DIGITAL! From your social media to digital PR, to SEO to Paid Media. You need to make sure you are identifying your digital brand so you can show up in the most relevant searches to generate more qualified clients for your business. I cannot tell you how many of my designers get business off of Instagram. If you want help on running look alike campaigns, keyword research, or overall best practices – call me!
That said, everyone is online & now more than ever… so if you aren’t putting out aesthetically appealing designs, products, engaging your audience on a consistent basis with innovative content you’re not going to win. Our generation has a short tension span and moves onto to the next designer quickly.. so be forward-thinking — are there other services you offer that you aren’t promoting in the digital sphere? Are you asking your audience to engage? Are you putting out great content (interactive videos,? Are you thinking of starting a product line? SHOW THE AUDIENCE!
Q.What are the biggest challenges in your job?
A: How much time do you have? Just kidding… The biggest challenge from a B2C space is educating our consumers/designers/professionals on how important it is to invest in marketing your brand. Everything this day in age is digital and it is crucial to always be updating your content, diversify how you’re marketing your services/product and make sure you are staying on top of digital trends! A lot of people are old school and work off referrals (which is amazing and the best way to get business) BUT there is so much opportunity out there!
Q. How do you measure design success in the marketing world?
A: Engage with your audience… keep up with the trends and make sure you are asking your “followers” what they want to see more of, what designs they love the most… if that all aligns with your core values and aesthetic as a designer, then put that content out! Don’t be lazy with marketing… stay on top of it. Another contributing factor would be when you see a designer expanding the different marketing channels they are on. Don’t put all your eggs in one basket (i.e. don’t just use Instagram to grow your audience) collaborate with other designers, blog about your work, invest in SEO & website development… look into marketing on Houzz, Home Polish, DesignMilk.
Q: What is your personal aesthetic?
A: Sh*tshow.. in the best way 🙂 I have always been a lover of antiques & anything from a different decade! I mix and match old mid-century modern pieces with new Missioni home products mixed with a blanket I got from Home Goods. I definitely lean towards Modern & Contemporary, but I think sh*tshow might the best way to describe — ya feel me?
Q:Where do you find inspiration? Any favorite websites or designers?
A: Antique stores & traveling — I love looking at past trends or identifying design in other cultures then bringing them home and modernizing these pieces to meet my personal aesthetic.
Q: How do you feel about marketing on social media platforms such as Instagram or Facebook?
A: If you aren’t growing an organic audience on these platforms then you better start. This is our future whether people like it or not. So many of my designers solely rely on social media to drive new clients. You can also take out paid social ads to grow your audience in the geographies you want to penetrate.
Q: What are your top 3 tips for digital marketing for designers?
- Make sure you’re consistent on your platforms – with photography, filters, color schemes
- Blog: make sure you have a blog and you are coming out with industry content consistently – you want to position yourself as an expert
- Don’t put all your marketing efforts in one basket… diversify your brand on many outlets, A/B test which ones are performing the best & then increase your engagement
Q: Any tips for new designers on how they can grow their platforms?
A: My biggest tip would be to be consistent with putting out content on all platforms. The design world is extremely competitive and in order to grow a loyal organic audience, it’s critical to keep yourself at top of your prospects mind!
For more on Houzz head to their website to find inspiration and information on all things design. Also check out some of our fav inspo below.
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