Everyone and their cousin seem to have added virtual interior design services to their design businesses. Well, almost everyone. There are a few designers who've said, "I get why my colleagues are offering e-design, but it just isn't for me." If this describes you, you are going to love my conversation with today's guest. British business strategist, Maria Mustapha, is going to map out how interior designers can diversify their income without adding virtual interior design. I'm just as excited a...
Jul 27, 2020•51 min
If you've never worked with a marketing agency, you might have a few qualms about just handing over your brand to an outside party (or maybe you can't do it fast enough?). If you've already worked with a marketing company and were less than satisfied with the results, you will have a whole other mindset, both of which I will address in this episode. And if you're curious about what it's like to work with Socialite, let's chat business, marketing, and how we can help.
Jul 13, 2020•30 min
As an interior designer or home stager, your website is both an online portfolio and a sales person who never sleeps - or at least- it should be. If you are looking for a new website and trying to sort through the dozens of website designers vying for your attention, you'd do well to narrow them down with a quick interview process. The process I'm sharing with you today includes 10 primary questions to ask; questions that will no doubt cause you to come up with more of your own. And if you're re...
Jul 06, 2020•24 min
If you've delayed taking photos of your interior design or soft furnishing projects, you'll be scrambling to contact a photographer after you hear this episode. From helping you earn a place in your favorite shelter magazine to truly becoming known for your beautiful design work in the home industry, having an experienced and professional interiors photographer on your team isn't just a game-changer. It can transform your business, make your marketing easier, and cultivate free publicity (and wh...
Jun 22, 2020•33 min
Do you want to reach more clients in the high-end, luxury demographic? The majority of design firms, staging companies, and custom workrooms that we serve here at Socialite would say, "Absolutely!" If this desire aligns with your business, too, you might be wondering how to find these high-end clients or, going a step further, how to delight them to the point of being referred to their friends and family. In this episode of The Kate Show, I'm sharing 5 key steps you can take toward reaching more...
Jun 15, 2020•22 min
Pinterest is a powerhouse for increasing website traffic - you know this. What you might not know is that Pinterest has made some updates to how it prioritizes content. This impacts how you use Pinterest to market your business. In today's episode of The Kate Show, I'm sharing all the Pinterest updates, including why pinning your portfolio images and blog posts repeatedly - yet in different formats - is an important and easy way to use Pinterest correctly for maximum exposure, repins, and websit...
Jun 08, 2020•18 min
Branding is more than just a logo. For years, I really didn't understand this concept. What makes a "good" brand and how exactly does that impact your design, staging, or workroom business? Great question; there is no short answer. A brand is equivalent to a personality. Your personality is determined by how you carry yourself, how you dress, how you spend your time, how you interact with others. Your business has a personality too. Visually, this looks like a logo and a consistent use of the sa...
Jun 01, 2020•22 min
How do you create a second (or third or fourth) income stream as an interior designer? Until recently, the only answer to this question was, "Go set up affiliate links in your blog posts and hope you get enough website traffic to make it worthwhile." Ten months later, and your website traffic is nowhere near the necessary 100K views per month, and your affiliate links haven't made any money. Fast forward to the spring of 2020, interior designers now have another option: SideDoor is paving the wa...
May 25, 2020•29 min
The coronavirus was a great multitasker - did you know that? While it was running around scaring the pants off people (and apparently wrapping them in excess toilet paper), it was also doing a few other crazy things, specifically in the business world. I can guarantee that business owners, especially those of you in the home industry, are going to do certain things differently as we navigate this post-corona world. Yes, you know the economy shut down for what felt like an eternity. You might hav...
May 18, 2020•22 min
I can't tell you how many times someone in the home industry has told me, "I ran a Google ad and it didn't work." Sadly, I've seen people spend thousands of dollars on Adwords, only to receive zero customers. ZERO. If you're befuddled by Adwords, if you have no idea how to use Google Analytics to your business's benefit, and if you aren't sure why you need a Google business listing, you'll love this episode. Google has created a powerful suite of tools meant to help business owners have a more s...
May 11, 2020•24 min
If your website is just sitting there looking pretty but not sending you any new leads, you know you have a problem. You might have the best website design in the world, but no website in the "history of never" has automatically generated leads by itself. You actually still have to work for it. In this episode of The Kate Show, I'm breaking down the obscurity around lead magnets and explaining why getting your website to generate leads is pretty much impossible without one. Ready to fill your pi...
May 05, 2020•24 min
Like most of you, I'm emotionally and mentally exhausted from hearing, reading, seeing, and saying the words COVID-19, coronavirus, and pandemic. I have deep empathy for anyone affected - both personally and in business. Before I discuss how to move forward during and after "The Pause", I have to give a huge shout out to my followers and Vault members who have remained steady and committed to their businesses. This situation was alarming on many fronts and we are now beginning to pick up the pie...
Apr 27, 2020•17 min
Running a business is the best, the worst, the most rewarding and the most dangerous (to your personal) health. Just ask John Dupra of Revel Woods. In today's episode, we're getting the scoop on John's work-induced hospital stay, the devastation and roller coaster ride that almost always accompanies entrepreneurship, and an honest look at the realities of running a business when outside forces are directly working against you.
Apr 13, 2020•46 min
"But is email marketing even relevant anymore?" "I don't want to send email newsletters because people already receive so many emails." Ever thought this before? I sure did! In fact, I believed these myths for several years, significantly slowing the growth of my business in its early phase. Now, I know better. Admittedly, I missed a lot of new business during that time. Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing the main, proven ways email marketing will grow your business long after the infatuation w...
Apr 06, 2020•22 min
I've received many questions from my clients and members over the past several weeks regarding how they should handle the pandemic as it relates to their clients. While the questions have been varied, they all have one overarching theme. In today's unconventional episode of The Kate Show, I'm sharing the best advice I have on navigating this issue in your business circles, from clients to colleagues and vendors. Bear with me. This topic isn't normal, and it isn't exactly comfortable, but that's ...
Mar 30, 2020•14 min
Does your business feel like it has too many moving parts? If you have started outsourcing your marketing, rendering, bookkeeping, or other tasks and feel like it's all too much to manage - almost as much work as if you were still doing all the work yourself - you need to make a crucial new hire in your business. You need an online business manager (OBM). If this sounds like something you need in your business, stop floundering and start listening. Today on The Kate Show, I'm chatting with Steph...
Mar 23, 2020•32 min
"How do I get more people into my furniture store?" "Can you help me increase foot traffic in my window treatment showroom?" In an age when you can order just about anything online, you might think your brick-and-mortar store has been given a death sentence. However, that actually isn't the case. The era of prolific online business simply means an offline business needs to have an online presence. Don't worry, I'll explain how it works in today's episode of The Kate Show, along with how to monet...
Mar 16, 2020•21 min
Today is part 2 of How to Sell Online Design & Staging Packages. If you're a note-taker, please pull to the side of the road. I'm going to share so much information, so many resources, so many examples... If you've been thinking about selling your interior design or home staging packages on your website, you will have no excuse to put it off after you hear this episode.
Mar 09, 2020•18 min
Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing the main things you'll need to effectively sell online staging or design packages, from consults to designer-for-a-day to anything else you can put in a tidy, sell-able package. I'll start by covering the basics that you'll need, everything from the technology to the marketing strategy.
Mar 02, 2020•24 min
Today on The Kate Show, I'm chatting with Julia Bocchese. She is an SEO consultant for creative small businesses. Her goal is to make SEO approachable and easy to implement for all small businesses so they can reach their ideal clients organically. My conversation with Julia focuses heavily on actionable ways you can improve the SEO of your website and give Google the information it needs to send you the right leads. We also discuss how you can avoid being scammed by unethical SEO companies who ...
Feb 24, 2020•39 min
"You really need a CTA." What the heck is a CTA? CTA simply means, "call-to-action." That, my friend, is a technical way of saying, "dear potential client, here is the next step you need to take if you want to work with me." Today on The Kate Show, I'm simplifying the call-to-action overwhelm and giving you specific steps and scripts you can use to add the right CTA to your marketing efforts.
Feb 17, 2020•20 min
Back in episode 73 of this podcast, many of you heard me describe how I was preparing my business and my team for my new role as a mom. Now that my daughter Sadie is six months old, I'm reporting back with what worked, what didn't, and what I'm doing differently. Let's talk business and babies. P.S. Shout out to all the mompreneurs who have reached out to me since I made my motherhood journey public. The struggle is real. The joy is real. Thank you for letting our stories mingle.
Feb 10, 2020•27 min
On this episode of The Kate Show, I'm sharing the struggle and angst that I faced as a new business owner six years ago in hopes that it will encourage you to keep going, continue doing things that make you ridiculously uncomfortable - and know that the payout will be so much more than you ever imagined. The first two years in business are often the HARDEST you'll ever face; they can make you doubt everything about yourself. At the same time, they can also make you emerge stronger and more confi...
Feb 03, 2020•21 min
Today, I'm covering the other pages of your website: Your about, services, process, and contact pages, along with a few extras. If you're getting a new website or think you might need to at least update your verbiage, you're going to get way too much information from this episode.
Jan 27, 2020•15 min
"Words are hard." I read that sentiment on a social media post recently and couldn't help but laugh. It's true! Unfortunately, words are one of the most overlooked aspects in the home industry marketing. Using the right words can make the difference between landing a new client or losing a lead... Words matter. Today on The Kate Show, I'm sharing simple and easy tactics for adding the right words to your website. Since your website is the mothership of your brand and the most popular piece of yo...
Jan 20, 2020•17 min
I never thought I'd be here. To be honest, I started podcasting with zero expectations. One HUNDRED episodes later, I've learned a few things and even landed in the iTunes Top 200 Business Podcasts accidentally. If you're up for an honest little chat on the pros and cons of podcasting and the tremendous impact it can have on all things business and marketing, stick around.
Jan 13, 2020•24 min
If the new year has you ready to de-clutter your home, your office, and your brain, you've likely started to wonder if you can de-clutter your marketing, too. Short answer - absolutely. If you are ready to simplify your marketing and do only what brings you joy, you're going to love this episode.
Jan 06, 2020•23 min
Have you ever been presented with a sponsorship, advertising, or partnership opportunity and felt unsure how to navigate that decision? Ha, same here. At face value, sponsorship opportunities look amazing - as they should. The organization or company offering the sponsorship to you has the responsibility of "selling" that slot to you and will likely promise you all sorts of new clients if you just write them a check. ...but will the act of slapping your logo all over their event materials actual...
Dec 23, 2019•20 min
Do you want to become well-known as an interior designer, home stager, or custom workroom? Do you want to be memorable, personable, and magnetic to your target client? Do you want to inject your business with high octane, proven-to-work marketing? Yes? Me, too. What I'm about to share with you is oddly simple and, financially, so attainable. But don't let it fool you. It will do wonders for your marketing. That's right, I'm talking about photos of YOU, or more specifically, a lifestyle photo sho...
Dec 16, 2019•18 min
If you are trying to reach high-end clients, increase your rates, or establish your credibility, you're going to love this episode. Today on The Kate Show, I'm chatting with Ashley Uhl. She specializes in helping interior designers create amazingly simple (and simply amazing) client experiences that will help you stay organized, look professional, set expectations, and provide your clients with a delightful experience.
Dec 09, 2019•35 min
