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The staff at Shea-Noel Interiors has an amazing *TREET* for all of you!

The Future of Interior Design Marketing and What it Means for your Business...

If I perchance had a crystal ball, I would predict the future. Since I don't, I am going to anyways.

Business moves at the speed of light. Literally. Catch it if you can, if not, your competitor will. That's just how the world works lately. And, for those of you who know people with no chance of navigating the web....well, you won't have to worry about them in the next 5-6 years. Why? Well, they won't exist.

In the past Interior Design firms have set out on a path to shelter magazines to look to advertise their message. And, smartly so. In, 1998 the average home in the south - had 12 paid subscriptions coming into their homes. Today? 1.4 subscriptions. Why? Well, people have wised up. Gone are the days of people picking up a magazine or wanting a cluttered mailbox full of stacks of advertisements and those monthly print *coffee table gems*.

Magazines are finding it harder to 1 - Convince businesses to advertise with them because the internet is alive. Living well-growing everyday. 2 - To get people to commit to a magazine that shrinks every time it arrives or one that is chocked full of advertisements. 3 - Grow a commendable reader base to justify the ridiculous cost of advertising in them. 4 - Produce results for their advertisers that translate into real business.

When I started my firm in 2002, a 1 page ad was only $1200.00. Today? $2700.00. Why? Less subscribers I guess? But the quality of those magazines have decreased significantly. The homes featured in them are usually hideous, dated, and are only there because someone knew someone. I looked through a popular national publication yesterday in Walgreens.

Yuck.

Really?

Nooooo...I've never seen an all WHITE room before!!! Wow! How innovative...*boring*

Well, this is the trend - The pictures were taken 3-5 years ago and by the time they are published? We have all been there, done that.

This is how the industry used to work. BUT, things are a changing! I don't care if you are an Interior Designer, Marketing firm, Publicist, Author, Dog Breeder, Clothing Store....the days in print?...OVER. Well, Almost.

Branding will be around forever. People will continue to pay to put their logo, message and snazzy photo on anything to gain public trust. But the true issue lies in the fact that people don't care that the Home and Garden Expo is sponsored by so and so - they just want to go and use their free ticket.

What will be changing? Read below....and ask yourself "Will I continue to...

have a web site?" No. Only a web address to shift people to your blog and e-commerce site.

print brochures?" No. Only e-mailers.

conduct direct marketing by mail?" No. You will have an E-zine.

stop meeting people?" No. You are on social networking sites.

rely on networking?" Yes. You are on social networking sites.

grow my market share?" Yes. You are on social networking sites, and using the internet.

make money?" Yes. The world is at their mouse. It's an open road.

to grow my profit margins?" Yep. Like never before.

Why? Well, it's easy. It's the internet. Urban sprawl is like a virus - people are tired of it. People want to support small businesses so people can have retirement. They like to KNOW the people they are dealing with, trust them, be able to call them, interact with them, really know them. There's only one way to do it....Do you know how?? I do.

Does it work? Yep. Do I like it? Yep. Will you? Yes. In time...You will love it.

What really does this mean. Well, if you don't have e-commerce site for your clients to interact and rely solely on USPS, better figure that out. Not blogging? Well, jump to it. Not creating a fan base? Well, refer to the magazine gesture above.

So - How is this going to affect your business? You will have an increased awareness of your competition. Competition will work as peers. And Interior Design will ALL be online....So will your industry. Just wait. It's coming. And you need to yourself a rockin' PR firm to help you navigate it. Good luck!

Until next time :)








1 comments:



paul jeffrey said...

stimulating. i think you got it right!

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