Instagram for Interior Designers: Observations & Recommendations

May 24

Note: This is a post that grew out of my Scaled Up Studio Notes newsletter - sign up here.

I'm going to preface by saying I am not a frequent poster on instagram; nobody would mistake me for any kind of Instagram queen. Instagram is saturated now to a point that growing an account takes a heck of a lot more work than it did even three years ago.

Since this is my perception of reality and because of how well SEO and organic traffic have worked for me, I've always been pretty ambivalent about the ROI on all of the time spent with daily posting. I'm just not one of those people who can whip out an IG post in 20 minutes flat. (If you can, please share your secrets! 🙂)

With that in mind, I try to be somewhat strategic about the efforts I do put into social media.

Instagram schedulers for interior design businesses - worth it or not?

"Mini-rant alert" - My paid social scheduler subscription ends tomorrow. In the end, I basically only used my Instagram scheduler as a hashtag counter, and doesn't even count duplicate hashtags, which I've discovered I do all the time in my copy/paste haste! And omg finding those 6 duplicate hashtags is a serious needle in a haystack!

Then after a quick search, I discovered this hashtag counter: https://www.hashtagcounter.com/

Hashtagcounter.com does exactly that - it counts your hashtags, and it counts duplicates!! (sun beams out from behind dark clouds!) Why oh why did it take me so long to do that 30 second search?!

You may say - "umm - why the difficulty with finding duplicate hashtags?" Answer - because I often use all 30 of ‘em.

All 30 #hashtags or just a few?

More often than not I see recommendations for using hashtags sparingly. Nobody knows for sure what the algorithm actually prefers, (and it may depend on which way the wind is blowing and which side the algo’s hair is parted…) but with data and observation it's possible to form a conclusion. Although it’s social media, so it's a squishy one at best!

Despite so many social media experts claiming you should only use a few, Instagram scheduler Later reports that based on their data, 20 - 30 hashtags is best for increasing engagement.

IDCO also wrote a post a few years ago citing compelling, data-backed reasons for using all 30 hashtags. I've long suspected they’re dead-right about this. Here’s one example of why:

Kate Scott is a Squarespace designer who did a great series on ChatGPT and AI on her Instagram feed and stories. She has more followers than I do but she only uses a fraction of the hashtags on her A.I. posts. The single IG post I did for my ChatGPT blog post garnered more likes than those she produced at the same time.

My audience is certainly not more engaged on that subject; she has done entire Stories series and gotten lots of really positive feedback, including from me. (I learned about Writesonic from her posts which is where I got the first generic draft of my How to Design a Client-Winning Interior Design Homepage post.)

So my conclusion is that there's a good chance the "like" difference was the result of hashtag count. And yes, we're only talking about a single, measly post on my part. (Remember my disclaimer about how this is a squishy conclusion at best!) One post on my part hardly makes a scientific sample set, but it's worth considering. Meanwhile, I’ll continue to use more than just a few of my 30 hashtag allotment.

FREE IG/SM Scheduler & Management Options

So to circle back, since I use most of my hashtags, that's why the free hashtag + duplicate counter is a great find and was the last straw in deciding to no longer pay for a social media scheduler.

Instead I use Meta's free scheduler to schedule Instagram and Facebook: Facebook Business Suite's Free Instagram Scheduler: Pros & Cons

Another option: Metricool is also a recent discovery. It allows you to schedule multiple SM platforms, tracks analytics and more all from one central dashboard. For free. It may be the answer to getting me to efficiently post across different platforms, but I haven't yet done the deep dive.

Finally, here's one more Instagram train of thought:

Using thoughtful, well-crafted comments as a way to grow your interior design Instagram account

We've all heard the recommendation to engage with other accounts as a way to grow. It's true of course, but it has always struck me as sort of a plain-vanilla, generic recommendation.

Having more specificity would be of greater help to people. So commenting “beautiful kitchen!” is very nice and for sure appreciated by the poster, but it doesn't encourage engagement beyond giving it a Like and maybe a “thanks!” in response.

I have found that really engaging with other accounts with thoughtful comments, whether design-related or not, has led to *not-insignificant growth* in both my Greenhouse Studio and Scaled Up Studio Instagram accounts.

Truth time, Instagram is a primary news source for me. My TV is not in a central location in my home, and I became disenchanted with my Apple news widget algorithm and deleted it off my phone about a year ago. So I use Instagram, Wall Street Journal, and paid YouTube to keep up on the world.

On Instagram, I follow all the major news outlets along with lots of other business/entrepreneur accounts from TechCrunch to James Clear. This is in addition to all of the interior, landscape, and architectural accounts which are the bulk of what I follow.

What I’ve found is that making comments that are thoughtful, informed, and well worded (and I'd like to think, reasonably witty sometimes :) has led to an uptick in followers.

People are intrigued, check my profile, and see “hey she creates digital tools for designers like me” or “oh tropical plants” and then a few decide to follow.

For example, I made a very *opinionated* comment on an Architectural Digest post back in November which ended up getting around 1,000 likes, lots of comments, and absolutely boosted that particular AD post. Architectural Digest of course is relevant to Scaled Up Studio’s Instagram account , and so I gained some followers.

Granted this is much easier to do on an account that is end-user focused with broad appeal (like house plants in particular), but home décor has broad appeal for sure! Therefore, you with your home design account can deploy a similar strategy.

I realize that comments posted on national platforms are not everyone's cup of tea. However you can use a similar strategy with your local industry-adjacent accounts like realtors, architects, builders, and any other local businesses.

For example, try making thoughtfully crafted, positive comments and observations about design details on a local builder’s progress post about their latest new build or on a local realtor's new house listing.

People may notice the comment, whether it's the account owner or a potential house-shopper, check out your profile, and a few will decide to give you a follow. If you then post thoughtfully and strategically on your own account to build the “know, like, and trust" factor, relationships can be developed. Then they may keep you in mind when they either need a designer or need to recommend a designer down the road.

Example: I’ve formed an IG relationship with a Bay Area designer who’s hosting a limoncello making party next week in her home (she’s European and wants to share this fun how-to). So I signed up and am looking forward to meeting her and other local designers in person.

One more time for the designers in back:

Again, what I think is key here is going beyond commenting “gorgeous kitchen” and leaving it at that. (Although that's always appreciated too!!) Post thoughtful comments that elicit a response and not just a like, so you encourage more meaningful engagement. It will help their post and your business.

Now let me know what YOU think. What techniques do you use to boost engagement and followers? I'd love to hear back from you, so leave a comment below!

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