• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, 11 hours ago

Interior designers provide as personalized a service as anyone -- and one that may not be easy to market. 

First, they need to reach someone who has expressed interest or intent. Then they must guide the prospect through multiple steps to conversion -- if they get that far. 

Email can help, according to Sidemark, a firm that specializes in serving interior designers, and has rolled out an update that helps them build and manage their email lists. 

Prior to this, designers relied largely on social media platforms, where algorithms and paid promotion drove visibility. But algorithm updates and competition convinced many designers they needed more stable forms of communication within owned media.

"Interior designers are shifting toward direct communication channels because they provide more control over client engagement,” says Ben Rutledge, co-founder and co-owner of Sidemark. “Email allows designers to maintain consistent contact with prospects without relying on platform visibility."

The Sidemark platform allows busy designers to collect and manage contacts, using automated workflows to guide these prospects from their first expression of interest to a request for a consultation. 

Once the prospect is on board, the designer can provide welcome sequences, follow-up campaigns and project updates. They can also highlight past work -- all without manual effort or acquisition costs, the company says. 

Campaign performance is evaluated based on engagement and conversion activity rather than impressions or reach.

This may seem like old news to marketers in other fields. But it could mean a whole new group of email senders. Welcome aboard.