The Social Media Sweet Spot
Choosing the Best Marketing Platforms for Your Design Business
Which dessert - I mean platform - are you choosing?
Happy (belated) National Dessert Day! In the spirit of indulgence, let’s talk about something just as delicious: finding your marketing sweet spot.
As many of you know, I love to bake and can almost never say no to a sweet treat! So let’s talk marketing like it’s a dessert menu (because overwhelm? Been there, sugar-crashing in the candy aisle).
Here’s the thing: You don’t need to do everything. You’re not a 24-hour bakery trying to serve every craving under the sun. You’re a boutique patisserie with signature treats. And your clients? They already know what they’re hungry for.
The best part is, the numbers back it up. Small design firms that pick just 2–3 platforms and master them see 2–3× higher engagement and 25–40% better ROI than those juggling five or more (yes, real 2025 stats from places like HubSpot and ASID-aligned digital reports). It’s not about being everywhere, it’s about being irresistible where your people already linger.
So let’s stroll through the pastry case, shall we?
Instagram is the cupcake: fun, colorful, and universally loved — just like the 70% of residential clients who first discover designers on IG (Pinterest & IG dominate visual discovery, per 2025 DesignRush).
Just as cupcakes are a staple dessert, Instagram should be a staple platform for any designer.
Here you should be sharing a wide range of content, from finished projects and behind-the-scenes chaos to construction progress and everything in between, all while building a curated brand that screams you and fosters trust.
Keep it bite-sized, shareable, and consistent, because a curated aesthetic is the swirl of buttercream that makes everyone reach for more.
And PLEASE don’t forget about instagram stories! They’re are great for increasing engagement for a number of reasons (and more engagement = larger reach):
You can be less curated and more off-the-cuff
These “random” stories could actually inspire people to reach out more! People are more likely to slide up on a story vs comment on a post
Great to share other creators and designers work, or just random posts you think are fun! This let’s people see the personality behind the grid.
Facebook is the apple pie - classic, comforting, and best served with a side of community. It’s warm, familiar, and has that communal air that invites everyone to pull up a chair.
Perfect for local architects and decorators building trust in neighborhood groups. Post updates, join niche design circles, and let your personality rise like cinnamon steam. Still a top lead driver for 65% of small firms who actually show up here.
Share updates and looser content with a large, engaged audience, and watch a true community form around your work. Post on your feed, share specific content in different groups, and update follower on recent projects on your company page.
Like Instagram, it handles all kinds of content, from polished to playful, so don’t skimp on the cinnamon, let your personality shine through.
Pinterest is the macaron—delicate, photogenic, and meant to last.
As a visual search engine, it’s all about the image, so everything pinned should be picture-perfect, just like those dainty patisserie treats. Pins on pinterest have an average life span of 6–12 MONTHS (yes, months!) of traffic, as opposed to IG 48 hour max.
Leverage this loooong lifespan by pinning the money shot of every project for maximum discoverability, showcase your expertise by sharing blog posts, and revel in evergreen content that lingers, far outlasting the twenty-four to forty-eight hours you get elsewhere. Enhance your posts by using rich descriptions and keywords, they’re the SEO ganache that give your content that eye-catching finish.
Tie it all together with perfectly optimized boards, and you’re golden! *chefs kiss*
TIK TOK
TikTok is the mystery box of chocolates—wild, unpredictable, and utterly addictive. Not to quote Forrest Gump, but on the TikTok #fyp, you really never know what you’re gonna get.
Focus on short, attention-grabbing snippets of design and construction, and use the platform to enhance your reputation and reveal your personality. Just tie in a viral audio or adapt current trends to fit your niche like the ribbon on the chocolate box.
No, it won’t book a $500k reno directly. But it humanizes you. And in a world of “design robots,” personality converts. Firms showing their real selves here see 30–50% higher trust signals before the first call.
No matter who your ideal client is, they will inevitably look you up before deciding whether or not they want to work with you. At the end of the day, clients know that working with a designer on a project is a commitment - the projects are complex, require extensive collaboration, and the timelines are usually quite long. Clients want to be sure they are going to get along with the person behing the brand, so showing up as yourself on a platform like Tik Tok is a great way to show off who you are as a person and designer.
EMAIL NEWSLETTERS
Email newsletters are the tiramisu—layered, thoughtful, and impossible to stop at one bite. In the long, slow dance of design projects, consistent contact keeps you top of mind. Firms nurturing leads via email see 40% higher close rates — because nothing says “I’ve got you” like a perfectly timed coffee refill in their inbox.
Newsletters are great for building trust before a project begins and nurture relationships long after it ends, delivering layered content that feels personal and valuable.
The type of content you send out can be highly variable. You can send recently completed project updates, checklists for working with a designer, testimonials from past clients, pro-con lists about new build vs. renovations, exciting news about your firm… the list goes on.
Be sure to dust every edition with real value tailored to your niche in the design-build market, because no one likes dry ladyfingers.
LinkedIn is the double espresso you sip with dessert—small, bold, and packed with impact. It’s all about quality over quantity and forging meaningful connections that deliver a jolt of credibility and professional presence.
Residential designers probably won’t have a lot of luck on LinkedIn, but it’s especially great for commercial architects, hospitality designers, and anyone chasing decision-makers. B2B leads here convert 3–5× higher when you skip the noise and serve thought leadership with crema on top.
One strong post beats ten fluffy ones every time.
FINAL THOUGHTS
Your marketing dessert strategy is simpler than it looks.
Know your audience’s taste buds — where do they scroll, dream, decide?
Pick 2–3 platforms and master them like your signature recipe.
Stay consistent — it’s the secret sprinkle that turns one-time tasters into lifelong clients.
No force-feeding tiramisu to cupcake lovers. No burnout from a 7-course social sprint. Just smart, and focused growth; backed by data, baked with love.
So tell me: What’s your marketing dessert of choice?
And if you’re ready to map your audience’s cravings and build a strategy that actually works (not just feels busy), let’s chat.
