Having established the 10 major stages of the design process; let’s now have a look at how these might be achieved:
Each week I shall concentrate on 1 stage of the design process and discuss my personal approach and what software and techniques I use. I’d be keen to hear how your approach differs and what programs you utilise and in what way.
STAGE 1: INITIAL PRESENTATION OF THE BRAND
This is essentially the marketing process and your choice of tackle to lure in the clients you want to work with.
The Website:
The first priority for a modern business is, of course, to publish their website: ours is at GardenImprovements.com. There is an abundance of advice on SEO and Dos and Don’ts and I do not claim to be an expert, nor will I attempt to drag you all through that familiar mire.
What I will say is that I think it is important that a design based business website reflects the attitude, style and personality of the designer(s) that it represents. Different clients speak different business language and personally I try to advertise an approachable, good-humoured, open-minded and vibrant design ethic - so that I can attract discerning clients with a similar attitude toward design and lifestyle: this means that we speak the same language and helps subsequent discussion and debate progression immensely.
If I wanted to focus more on the commercial market I would offer more corporate and straight-talking material, paint fewer pictures and talk more figures etc. Each designer (or indeed landscaper) has their own approach to their representation through their website language.
Social networking is a crucial element of a design business’ marketing arsenal. For a designer it needs to work on 2 basic levels: to promote your integrity and ability amongst your peers; and then simultaneously reinforce your website language and demonstrate your work and professionalism to clients (whether existing or potential). This is not an easy task since on one hand your peers aren’t necessarily interested in your promotional material, whereas on the other hand your clients will be overwhelmed by too much industry jargon. This is a formula that you need to procure with robust testing!
Twitter:
(For illustration, the GardenImprovements.com Twitter feed is @gardndesign)
I have found that it is more effective to separate your personal life from your professional life on Twitter save for a few “It’s my birthday today” or “Just had a baby boy: delighted!” updates; these few important personal updates reflect the ‘person behind the logo’ and offer followers a deeper sense of connection which helps to form professional relationships.
I reduce my Twitter following to only those whom I can benefit from directly (below 500 - otherwise you get far too much noise). These will be top designers, or magazine-style websites, or trade associations etc that feed information and visual material for me to digest and disseminate as I feel appropriate. Twitter has replaced my RSS feeds entirely as my main source of incoming information, literature and visual inspiration.
I try to spend no more than 1 hour per day on Twitter but treat it as marketing, research, and industry participation all rolled into one.
I recommend TweetDeck as a desktop interface for managing your feeds.
Facebook:
We use a facebook business page at UK Garden Designer. This has to be far more client orientated than our Twitter feed: keeping the posts relevant not updating more than 3 times in 1 day helps followers to share the material you have offered and thus spread brand awareness. Posts including current or past projects, interesting products, inspirational designs, garden news, local (garden related) sales or information will all help to promote the brand and demonstrate affability.
Both Facebook and Twitter should be treated primarily as passive marketing tools for a design business. We use the website SEO and our blog SEO (The Sketch Book and Shovel) as the shop front and billboards that flag on Google and reel in those potential clients: social media reinforces our language and assists in SEO.
Landscape Juice Network:
This is obviously a fantastic resource of information, visual inspiration and collaborative comment, debate and criticism. Since it is open and accessible to the public and potential clients can reference our comments, it pays to behave by a code of politeness and professionalism. Our representation on LJN and our use of the Voluntary Customer Charter underpins our attitude and approach to business: potential clients will find this as reassurance in their desire to make an enquiry.
We have successfully marketed our business without spending massively on print advertising or Google AdWords by concentrating on the above approach and by keeping it simple: it requires constant daily involvement but this only needs to be a spend of a half-hour to an hour of time.
Over to you: how does my approach compare with yours? Do you have any tips to add on the above or perhaps on other forms of brand presentation?
Nicky, Garden Designer @ GardenImprovements.com
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