Hey – designer! Welcome to our comprehensive Marketing Guide for Design Businesses, a series designed specifically for design businesses.
Whether you’re an interior designer, architect, or creative entrepreneur, this series covers everything you need to know to build a strategic, effective, and scalable marketing system.
Marketing Guide for Design Businesses
Below is an overview of each part of our Marketing Guide for Design Businesses, guiding you through every stage of marketing development for your business. Let’s dive in!
Part I: The Types of Marketing Every Design Business Needs
Key Takeaway: Not all marketing types are created equal. In this foundational post, we explored the essential marketing practices design businesses should engage in, including content marketing, social media marketing, SEO, and email marketing.
What You’ll Learn:
- The purpose of each marketing type.
- The best channels to focus on.
- The skills and tools required to execute them effectively.
Why It Matters: Understanding your marketing options helps you prioritize the strategies that will drive the most impact, depending on your goals and resources.
Part II: Aligning Your Marketing Strategy with Business Stages
Key Takeaway: Your marketing priorities should evolve with your business. In this post, we identified four key stages—Starting Out, Growing, Scaling, and Expanding—and aligned marketing strategies to each stage.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to identify your current business stage.
- The unique challenges and goals at every stage.
- Smart questions to ask yourself before transitioning to the next phase.
Why It Matters: Tailoring your marketing efforts to your business stage ensures you’re investing in the right activities at the right time.
Part III: Building Your Marketing Team
Key Takeaway: As your business grows, so should your marketing team. This post outlines the key roles needed at each stage and whether to hire in-house, outsource, or use freelancers.
What You’ll Learn:
- How to structure your marketing team.
- When to hire in-house vs. outsource tasks.
- Budgeting for marketing resources.
Why It Matters: A well-built team ensures you can execute your marketing strategy efficiently while scaling your business.
Part IV: Creating Your Marketing Budget
Key Takeaway: A strategic marketing budget is crucial to achieving your goals. This post focuses on allocating a percentage of revenue to marketing, tailored by business stage and type (service-based vs. product-based).
What You’ll Learn:
- How to allocate your budget based on your revenue and stage.
- The importance of sweat equity in early stages.
- Real-world examples to guide your planning.
Why It Matters: A well-planned budget ensures you’re prioritizing the right strategies while avoiding wasteful spending.
Part V: Scaling Marketing Systems
Key Takeaway: Efficient, scalable systems are the key to managing growth and maintaining consistency. In this post, we outlined how to implement tools and workflows that streamline operations and drive sustainable growth.
What You’ll Learn:
- The importance of automating repetitive tasks.
- How to optimize workflows and collaboration.
- Tips for measuring ROI and refining strategies.
- How to build a scalable team structure.
Why It Matters: Scaled marketing systems allow you to expand your reach, manage increased demand, and maintain quality across all efforts.
Why Does This Series Matter?
This series was designed to provide design businesses with a roadmap for marketing success. By understanding and applying the strategies outlined in each part, you’ll be equipped to:
- Build a strong foundation for your marketing efforts.
- Scale your marketing activities as your business grows.
- Make informed decisions about hiring, budgeting, and strategy.
