Top 3 Social Media Platforms for Designers

This article was contributed by Kerrie Kelly, who writes about lighting décor for Home Depot. Find Kerrie’s bio below. For entrepreneurs, social media is a big part of every day. We post, respond, keep up with the trends, and find the sweet spot that gives us a solid return on our time investment. As an interior designer and multimedia consultant, I’m often asked which social media platforms are the most effective in the design world. We find it’s much more about leveraging a particular piece of content across those platforms. When we get it right, we get so much from that one piece of content. Let’s look at this simple image of a chandelier (gorgeous, right?) that we used in a bachelor’s loft, and what it did for us across the major social media platforms we use in the interior design world. Facebook is our biggest audience. Most of what I share on other platforms is also posted there, which introduces my audience to other platforms where they can find me. So, in addition to leveraging content, Facebook allows me to leverage other social media platforms. On Facebook, that chandelier is going to get some mileage. It’s no secret that people tend to see interior design as a female-dominated industry (and in fairness, Kerrie Kelly Design Lab is an all-female operation). That means anything we post about or for men really gets attention. It feels like a surprise, and in the age of the never-ending news feed, a surprise makes an impact. That’s when we’re most likely to convert Facebook friends to newsletter subscribers and Pinterest buddies. On Facebook, likes and shares mean we’ve turned our audience into KKDL ambassadors.

Pinterest is where we get to indulge ourselves as designers, and where we get to see our audience do the same thing. We learn so much from our shared content. Pinterest is where that chandelier really earns its keep. Here, it’s a light fixture in the context of lots of other light fixtures, and lots of other design scenarios. But the magic of Pinterest is that even if a follower doesn’t actually like that particular fixture, it will, in its own way, lead them to one they love as much as we love that one. All the while, they’re getting more excited and more articulate about what they do and don’t want. For designers looking to understand their clients’ needs and desires, nothing could be more helpful.

Twitter, in the design world, works best as a professional, insider platform. Twitter is where we talk to other designers, follow trends with those designers, and find out what’s going on behind the scenes in all aspects of the biz. Tweeting that beautiful chandelier is a way to share a great find with other designers or vendors and give them a sense of what’s trending or selling in real time. Often, we use Twitter to give shout-outs to vendors, whether it’s about a product we love or a great experience working with them. It’s a really convenient way to build some professional capital with the colleagues we need to succeed in our work. We all know the point of social media is to build a community of followers that convert to clients and colleagues. When we leverage all three of these platforms, our followers and colleagues get a much clearer sense of who we are and become part of our professional family. Clients and vendors love to peruse social media for ideas and inspiration, but when it’s time, they want to work with a real human designer. And it’s much easier for them to make that call when they feel like you’ve already met. Which social media platform is your favorite for design inspiration? _____________________________________________________________ Kerrie Kelly writes on lighting home décor for Home Depot. The author of the book Home Decor: A Sunset Design Guide, Kerrie provides advice to homeowners on chandeliers and other lighting options. A complete selection of chandeliers available at Home Depot can be found online. Save