eh? Yes. I am here with Kim, my marketing guru. She could be yours too with the Hot Marketing Tips for twenty twenty-three. Kim, so much is going on with social media and everything's changing so fast. It's so hard to keep up with. It is. It is. And I spent hours doing research on what everyone think is going to be going on.
And the good news is, it's not as hated as what people think. Okay, good. Because when we see it flashing by on our social media and it's not particularly our focus because we're trying to do our own businesses. Um it looks overwhelming to us. But marketing is your business and helping other people market. Right. Right. And the good news is in 2023 it it's going to be bringing it back home. So that is really good news.
But before we start talking about exactly where the trends are. I thought it was really interesting to in the research is showing where the top three marketing channels are for people when marketing your business and the number one is social media which is great for me but sometimes we get discouraged like I'm posting and nobody is responding Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. Social media is the same. It's still number one. Your website is number two. Look at that. Yup. And Email marketing is number three. Which some people are saying email marketing is dead. It's like it's a how it's a whole another topic but it's amazing how when you scroll social media, there's so many declarations of definitiveness, you know, like. Right. Instagram is dead, you know, like, is, I think it's just people trying to get attention. It is, and it, and I always like to remind my clients and people that I'm talking or teaching on the social media, it's like dieting. Some diets are vegetarian, some are keto, some are paleo, some are Mediterranean, Not one size fits everybody, we are trying to listen to some nutrition podcast as we are on a recent trip and the information from each person was so different and it's like, how do you even know what to listen to? And so, and that's the same with social media.
My approach is that I'm, I come from a more of a, what is common sense, what can you do as a, as a business owner that's wearing lots of different hats and how can we make this simple. So, it's really nice to know that social media is still at the forefront of marketing because for people that are independent business owners, it's a free tool for them to use. They just need to learn how to use it and whether they research, they have the time to research themselves, pay someone to teach them, or outsource it, it's still a relatively affordable way to market their business.
And so that is incredible when you get it. Right. Right. But it's a bit like everything. It depends on how you use it and how, if you know how to use it. Um, then top five, the fifth channel that I wanted to make sure people know because I know that more designers are getting into selling products. Um, is social media shopping tools. It's going to be is like predicted to be like the number five marketing channel. So, Chuck, if you're interested in, if you're a designer and you're selling products, check that away. Start learning as much as you can about how to sell on Instagram. Or through the social marketing channels. We're not going to talk about that today because that's way.
No, because I have a really big, strong opinion about that also. So, right. We'll talk about that today. We will talk about it but if those that are doing it, know that's it's not, you know, if they're interested that they should explore and learn more about it before they dive deep into it. It's not. Okay. Um I I've seen. Your volume is a little low, Kim. I don't know if you can come closer to the computer erased. Is that better? A little bit, yeah. Okay. Um I know that some designers just jump in and want to sell right away not understanding. It's a whole can of worms. Like you, it's something you really want to be intentional about if you're going to do it and again, a different Discussion. Right. But the number one thing that I'm seeing across all the board is that people want to see something real even if it's not perfect.
So, doesn't that? That's the hardest thing for people. I know but it takes so much pressure off. It's like, I don't have to learn all these things. They just are, they're really going to identify if you're authentic and real and if you're trying to be someone and blow smoke up someone's, you know what? They're not going to take it. It's going to lose your followers. So, overly edited content is on the way out. So, it's okay to be real. Uh hype and clickbait, the click bait, it's on its way out. People are smelling that and they're done. Yeah. Um the best way that we're going to be able to reach our audience is to really identify their the challenges that they're experiencing. So, if you know your audience's aches and pains and what they how you can speak directly to them and the more hyper focus you can speak their language, the better results you're going to see when it comes to social Marketing.
Okay. Um people are not necessarily interested into long content. The shorter content's going to be better. Thank you. I've been saying that for a long time. Yes, shorter content is a little bit better but and if you do branch into the act, the longer content, make sure it's excellent. Make sure that you have, if you want to do share like a blog post even on your social media and it's five paragraphs long. Make sure that you have a one really good blog post than doing a blog post every single day that's mediocre. Right. That's so. I'm standing out for that. Um the value of free is making a comeback. So, while everyone is trying to penny pinch and get that last little set of dollars or whatever, don't be afraid to share real legitimate information once in a while. So, now that I'm not. No, I'm not a believer that you have everything has to be for free but if there, if you have a nugget like that you know you're going to save like you could do one minute quick little video.
I'm going to save time for some business owner. By sharing that one minute nugget instead of writing a seven-page Ebook that you're going to try selling that that one-minute nugget, you can build that brand loyal following that people are going to know, like, and trust you and so, sometimes, giving the, like you do an amazing job, giving free content all the time. But you, by doing that, you are building a loyal, loyal following, and so that when you do have products, people know that, oh, she's giving me this free, I can't even imagine how her stuff is that she's charging for. Right and the way I look at it too is if you're giving away your knowledge for free their realizing how how smart you are for what you do and when they need you because they can't do it themselves anymore and don't want to do it themselves anymore. That's when they come to you. So, you're not looking for the DIYer. You're looking for the person who is saying, I'm at my wit's end.
I can't do this myself. I'm willing to pay an expert for something. Correct. Okay giving those free really valuable pieces of information. I mean, kind of like I do in the interior design business forum, the group. That's. Right. About 9000 people at this point. If I see a question that I can answer, not just fluff but actually give them guidance. This is how you should respond to this client. This is the word for word. I always get a ton of thank you for that because sometimes someone just needs that little bit of help. Let them know you're the one who's able to do it. So, when they get down the line and may need a business coach an interior designer or social media manager, they know we're the ones to go to. Correct.
Yeah, because he built that know, like, and trust factor, and then, especially now, like with the economy, and what's all predicted, I'm just going to read this word for word. In time of buyer hesitancy, because of economic downturns, people are still spending money. They just want to spend it with people they trust. Bingo. Yes. Yeah. We got it there. Can we? I mean, we've always said for years. It's the no like trust factor. Everyone hates that because it's overused but there's no words to really replace it. They need to know that you're authentic. You actually know what you're talking about and they trust in you. So, when things are good, they still trust in you and when things go bad, they still trust in you.
Um and they understand that sometimes there's just ups and downs in a process of whatever service you provide. Right. I think about it like right now, a lot of people are doing a holiday shopping. So, our family is a big game we like to play board games. On Facebook, I'm getting all these ads for games but I don't know like or trust these brands and so it's really hard for me to drop $50 on a company that I've never heard of, where if it was a company that I knew, and I've experienced working with them before, I wouldn't think twice about spending $50 for a board game, but it's not. So, think about how we, as consumers, interact, and that's how people are going to be interacting with us. And that's a really good point and this is what I drive home with my clients is that the consistency in your marketing it cannot go in waves and mountains. It's gotta be consistent. Right. Because had you been consistently seeing those companies with those board games throughout the year when it came time for Christmas or holiday shopping? Right.
You would have been like, you know what? I've seen them consistently around. They're not just a pop-up shop around Christmas time. Right. Right? So, you would have probably purchased that game. So. Or if they would had a page that was sharing family tips. How important game playing is. Blah, blah, blah, all through the year. I would have really been developed that no, like, and trust, and so, but when you click on it there's no legitimate Facebook page to go to, my red flags start going up. So. Right. So, interior designers who are listening, yes. You should be consistently letting your knowledge out into the world on a regular basis throughout the year so that when time for someone who needs you. They can find you easily and they can go to your Facebook business page or your Instagram and see that you are legit.
It just drives me or or a website like you said before. Right. Yup. Have your assets so that people can verify who you are and dig dig deeper into who you are so they'll trust you in order to hire you. Correct. Correct. Correct. Now, let's shift gears a little bit and just quickly talk about the platforms because that seems to be everyone's like number one question. Like, what's going to be the most popular platforms? Well, right now currently. Facebook is still the number one for ROI which continues to surprise people and people argue with you but that's what the data shows and so we're going to doesn't I'm not arguing with you because I know it to be true. Facebook is the most powerful net you can throw out to as wide of an audience and seems to convert the most still.
Correct. Correct. And again it's strategy and learning how to do it. It use it effectively. Um YouTube is predicted to be grown to be the biggest platform through twenty twenty-3 which is a kind of a no-brainer. We all kind of know that. But now does it make sense for everybody to be on YouTube? That's a tough one because I'm on YouTube. Everyone go follow me. Um on YouTube. I think it's at Juliet Interior Design Business Coach or you can do my name. Um and yeah we've we've started to grow YouTube following. I think it's that yeah it's the younger generation. I know my kids live. some of them.
I think two of the three of them live on YouTube the time. That's how they absorb their content over and above anything else. It's YouTube. And it always shocks me. But that is where the younger generation seems to be getting their knowledge. So if you're a video person you might want to start investigating you two. Right. And if you're a designer wanting to use used to it does have a potential to be a great platform for you. But take hour and learn how to optimize what you're doing on YouTube. Making sure that you have a description and the keywords and you have a way for people can relax or respond to. When I do the audits for designers, they'll throw some videos up but there's no words, there's no copy, there's no description. It's just kind of like, here's a video quick but if you really want to use YouTube as a marketing channel, then, take a few extra steps and learn how to use it correctly and you're going to see a better return on your investment than just putting videos out.
Yeah and I might push back on the hour. It takes, we've been, my whole team's been working on YouTube for a long time. It takes a long time to really understand the workings YouTube. But it's always what you drive home is the content has to be really good. And you have to have descriptions and keywords and understand how to put that together in a way that will get you the most visibility.
So. Right. So like if you're a designer and you specialize in window treatments YouTube could be a potentially a great platform for you. But you want to make sure you're using the keywords. Window treatment, curtains, blinds. So that when people search for those topics, you will come up. Otherwise, when you, most of us are small people and when we have videos, they're not going to be really seen because we only have ten people that follow us or something like that. So, using it strategically but it is interesting to know and it's always nice to know which platforms are supposed to be fourth and front run. Now, Instagram is interesting because I have many marketers that are saying Instagram is dying but yet in half the research, it's saying Instagram is going to be your number two form for ROI. So, again, use the platforms that you're at where you think your clients are at. If you're a designer, it's a no-given. Most a lot of people are on Instagram. They're like the pretty pictures. They're going to, that's make sense for doing that.
Other industries maybe doesn't make as much sense to be on Instagram. Maybe YouTube would be a better option. So, knowing what your, what your end goal is, is let that drive your platform and then, your usability. If you hate Instagram and all you're doing is posting and you're not engaging, you're wasting your time. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Here's the other thing. Everyone's always like, well, I've heard this many, many times. My clients aren't on any social media and I always pull back and go, yeah, I kind of, I'll challenge that. Go ask the ten clients in your pipeline, you know, just curious. Do you, use social media? Are you on Instagram? Are you on Facebook? Are you, do you absorb content on YouTube or do you love Pinterest, LinkedIn? Ask them. Nothing you're looking to follow them, you could say I'm not looking to stalk you or anything. I'm just curious. I'm taking a survey of my clients to see where they hang out.
Find out. Don't just try to sit here and listen to us and try to guess. Find out where your actual clients are. Correct. That's my suggestion. 00%. Um and then Pinterest. Pinterest is at the head of Google or used to be someone. It's doing a lot of changes and if you are a designer that offers offers virtual Or you're a design that has a large community where you're going to have a large population or if you're selling products or a big, if you want to be more of an influencer where you're writing articles and stuff on the design world, you definitely want to take a look at Pinterest and start developing a strategy for Pinterest because.
Yes. It is going to, yeah, it's going to be very interesting to watch but this is where especially in design, people go to Pinterest to shop and get ideas and So, it's a great play for designers to showcase their own projects and showcase their styles and we have one designer we work with that she offers a quiz and that's how I learned how what kind of home I wanted was I took her quiz and then she had boards, Pinterest that relined with my style which made me automatically want to I think of her every time I want to have a design question. That's my past client, Susan. Yup. Yup. Yup. Yup. So, so skilling it. She's killing it. I'm so excited for her. Yeah. Pinterest is definitely something people want to have on their radar and then, the last one I'd like to quickly blurb about is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is predicted to have 25% of the BtwoB advertising in the next 2 years. Business to business. Okay. Yes. So, we're designers where that can help is that if you're working with major companies or contractors or big builders or hawk attacks.
Yes, anything like that. It's a great way to stand out and develop that influence within a platform that is continuing to grow. And what you can do now with LinkedIn, Pinterest, any of them is make sure that you have a everything's optimized and that's going to be like the number one key and then having a strategy for each platform. So that's how you can plan for twenty twenty-three with the platforms. Okay. So. Okay. I always say choose one platform. It sounds like Facebook is number one in this conversation. Optimize your profiles. Optimize your business page. and start using it regularly to post content related to what you do for a living. Learn it really well. Learn what works. Learn what doesn't. Then pick your second platform. Right? And then learn that one really well.
As opposed to doing an all poorly do each one well before you move on to the other one. Right. Right. And again using that diet analogy. I didn't gain fifty pounds overnight. I'm not going to lose it over fifty overnight. You're not going to gain 5000 followers overnight. it's a long game. It's making that being that consistent daily habits on social media that's going to make a difference. Yes and more followers does not mean more loyal customers. How you can, I, I mean, listen, I admitted years ago to this group and everyone that's going live, I bought followers years ago, thinking, oh, that would be cool and now, basically, over the years, they just have all dropped off and it's kept my numbers the same.
If you really want to see if someone's numbers are genuine, look at their comments, look at their likes. If they're not as a percent makes sense with the following, then, they probably bought likes over their lifetime rather than having genuine growth that really does take a long time. Correct and then, what happens is if I buy a thousand followers and I post something, that content could go to those thousand followers that I bought instead of the 100 followers that intentionally followed me.
They're never going to see my content. See? And so, that's Yeah, that was one of the biggest thing is that if you're not, if people aren't seeing your stuff, then, go through your list and see, you know, there's Instagram is famous for having people that follow you that really make no sense on why they decide to follow you. They're bots, bad followers, whatever. Remove 'em. So, that way, your people have the right chance to see the content that you're putting out. Yeah, I mean, and that really goes for everything, right? Clean your friends list on Facebook once in a while.
Clean out your Instagram followers if they never really interact and I know it's we cleaned out our Email list. We thought, okay, if someone hasn't opened an email in 2 years, or a year, I don't even remember what criteria we used. Why are we continuing to go, you know, oh, we have 8, 000 people on our email list thinking, oh, that's a great number. But 2000 of them have never opened anything, let's say. So, let's get rid of the two thousand, and now, when we have the remaining number, the open rate feels better these are people who are actually interested in what I have to offer. It's not just vanity measures, it's real followers. So, clean, clean house once in a while too. Right. Clean house. Yup. And so, yeah. When you're making your plans for twenty twenty-three, think about the customer experience and how you can show up authentic and you're going to win the game next year.
Authentic, authentic, authentic. Listen, that's even hard for me. So, and and this is what I do for a living, right? To be authentic every day, what's going on in my life, what's going on in my world, what I'm offering, what I can help people with. Sometimes, it's just hard to just say it just like this. When you're by yourself staring at a camera. So that's why I from the beginning did these joint conversations because that was easier for me. And really thank you for reminding me that is influence marketing is supposed to really continue to grow. And so I consider not that we're influence marketing together but we're collaborating. And so that is another way to really help market business and you can work with someone else in marketing their business. So, for like designers, if you have a local paint store that you always use, see if you can't interview the paint store owner. See if you can talk to them about the color of the year coming up. Bringing their audience in and exposing your audience to you. It's a win-win for everybody.
This is what we talk a lot about in profit insiders for interior designers. My group coaching program that everyone's always exchanging ideas as to collaborations. They did in their local neighborhoods or working with real estate agents, contracts, and everyone exchanges ideas and then tries it out themselves if it's the right timing for them and it's amazing how much collaborations can help people get business. So, yeah, that's another. And and we do that in real life. Well, showcase that and share that on social. Absolutely. Don't be afraid to share it and then tag em and that is where kind of that secret sauce magic happens. Yes, it's going with your own personality. If you don't want to do video by yourself, grab another designer in another town even and do a collaboration like I do with you guys, my sponsors. You know what? Talking to another person on screen is sometimes just so much easier than talking to just the screen. So, if you struggle with that, since it sounds to me Kim, that video is still going to be king for twenty twenty-three.
It is. It is. It is going to be king. Um there is a couple things that might change with video. Right now, they're saying that the trending voice over where people are lip syncing, that's going out. That's not going to be as popular. Yeah, I'm not that I'm not thrilled when I see those anyway. Yes. And more B roll video with overlaid words are going to it's going to be so that's simple for people to do.
It's a lot easier to do. But short form video is going to be Kingstill and even my team is challenging me to do one minute videos that they can start putting out. So but it's hard. I would much rather get on here and talk to you and discuss than get. Yes but what's great about your team is they'll take this video and they'll cut it down into a one minute snippet. Yes. And posted on Instagram. That's what you guys do for me.
So, because if I'm not producing one-minute videos by myself. Yes. And you guys are cutting and pasting and downloading and doing your magic and getting it up on Instagram. Right. Um this content. Correct. Yes. And so that's key to reusing content. We're all busy. Think about how we can reuse things that can make a difference. Yes. Okay. Alright everyone. That's our Hot Marketing Tips for 20twenty-three recap. So if you've missed it go back and listen to the beginning. Take some notes. But I'd say overall consistency, authenticity Unfortunately, video is great. So. Right. Yes. Figure out where you want to show up and learn how to do it well or hire someone like him to help you figure it out and 2023 will be a really good year just like 2022 was. Right. Right. I'm excited for twenty twenty-3. I think that those that show up are going to be presently surprised with the results that they can get. I think so too. Alright Thank you, Kim. Thank you. Alright, everyone. Go have a great Wednesday. Have a good week. I will see you tomorrow for Thursday Thoughts and Kim and I will check in with you next month for your marketing what do we call this? Marketing Mastery.
I can't remember. Yes. Alright. Alright. Thanks everyone. Thanks everyone. Bye.