Fellow entrepreneurs, what are your thoughts on marketing? Do you market yourself or your business? How do you define marketing? And how important do you think it is in building your brand and your company?

I think a lot of my fellow entrepreneurs get this wrong. Today, I’m sharing my top marketing tips and tricks for small business owners, and especially for my fellow interior design professionals.

Tip #1: Show Up

I’m probably not shocking you when I tell you this: no, the leads won’t pour in if you build a beautiful website and then just sit back with a margarita.

Marketing is about showing up in a very real way. Go to conferences and events in your industry, and network – I mean really network, don’t just chat with the people you went with! Pick up the phone and call your dream clients. Find out what challenges and problems they’re facing, and how you can help them. Email your contacts and see if they’re looking for someone who offers the services that you do, or if they know someone who is. Get in touch with an old colleague or client. Write someone a review or make a connection to help others out. Join chambers, business associations, Facebook groups and community networks. Sponsor a good cause or attend an industry charity event. Put yourself out there and don’t be shy.

You can also show up online – but do it authentically! Get yourself on social media, build up your LinkedIn profile, and make sure that you’ve got a strong Google My Business profile. And don’t get me wrong, I do recommend that you have a great website – one that’s SEO-friendly, easy to navigate, and that showcases your best work. Make sure it’s mobile-friendly and that it highlights your experience and talents. But don’t expect your website (or your social media, or your Google My Business profile) to do all the work for you. You, yourself, must show up. Consistently. And on time.

Tip #2: Niche Down

This tip applies to my fellow interior design professionals as well as to many other types of entrepreneurs and small business owners. Ask yourself: What are you really, really good at? What do you want to be known for? Where do you shine? What types of clients and projects appeal to you, and where can you do your best work? What makes you stand out amongst your peers and your competition?

Don’t try to be everything to everybody. Find your focus and flaunt it. The more you hone your expertise in a specific area, the more valuable you’ll become to your clients and potential clients.

Tip #3: Manage Your Reputation

Throughout my years as an interior design professional running my own business, most of my work has come from referrals and my existing network. Because of this, I can’t recommend managing your reputation enough.

Every project that you do, you’re building your reputation. As you work with new contacts and suppliers, you’re showing them what you’re all about – so work intentionally, and make every interaction count. Every piece of work you do has the potential to have lasting repercussions on your reputation. So focus on doing great work and on exceeding expectations. Delight your clients. Be an amazing partner and collaborator for fellow suppliers. Don’t cut corners. Act with integrity, all of the time. And I like to remember my personal motto: “Design should solve problems, not create them.” When problems come my way, I tackle them head on. I think of myself as a problem-solver who gets stuff done, and this positive mental attitude makes it happen.

So do your best work, and then ask your clients for positive reviews on Google and social media platforms. Showcase those testimonials. Ask for introductions. Create collaborations and grow your community through social media marketing and blogging. In following these steps, you’re continuously building and establishing your reputation. And that’s gold.

What do you think of these tips? Does this resonate with you and the way that you market yourself or your business? Connect with me on Instagram, Facebook or LinkedIn, and let me know!