How to Identify and Communicate Your Design Niche
By tapping into what makes your business special, you’ll find it easier to appeal to the clients you work best with
Many design professionals find it useful to specialise in a particular area in order to really make the most of their skills, or to target clients they’d like to work with. However, it can be tricky to identify just what that area should be, especially if you’re busy trying to juggle complex projects.
Take a look at these tips to help you find ways to identify what’s special about your business and to communicate that unique selling point to potential clients.
Professional advice from: Jonathan Tsoupis of Amalfi Tiles, Julianne Bull of The Den Interiors, Kate Liedtke of Style & Design and Kahlia Cordony of Cordony Designs.
Take a look at these tips to help you find ways to identify what’s special about your business and to communicate that unique selling point to potential clients.
Professional advice from: Jonathan Tsoupis of Amalfi Tiles, Julianne Bull of The Den Interiors, Kate Liedtke of Style & Design and Kahlia Cordony of Cordony Designs.
Highlight your style
Your niche could be more of a visual one, centred on your design aesthetic. As your portfolio of work evolves, you might notice you’ve veered towards a particular style, either intentionally or by accident.
Take a look back over your recent projects to see if there’s a cohesive style emerging, whether it’s the type of materials you use, the colour palette, or even the feelings your designs tend to evoke. Once you’ve identified this, you can have the confidence to highlight your brand’s style and appeal to those clients who appreciate it.
“Being everything to everyone will not only lead to exhaustion, but will confuse potential clients,” says Bull. “When you find what it is that you’re passionate about, what you really love to do, and what makes you give 110 percent, you will be good at it. Developing your skills is easy when you love what you do and want to be the very best you can.”
How to Make Your Company Stand Out From the Competition
Your niche could be more of a visual one, centred on your design aesthetic. As your portfolio of work evolves, you might notice you’ve veered towards a particular style, either intentionally or by accident.
Take a look back over your recent projects to see if there’s a cohesive style emerging, whether it’s the type of materials you use, the colour palette, or even the feelings your designs tend to evoke. Once you’ve identified this, you can have the confidence to highlight your brand’s style and appeal to those clients who appreciate it.
“Being everything to everyone will not only lead to exhaustion, but will confuse potential clients,” says Bull. “When you find what it is that you’re passionate about, what you really love to do, and what makes you give 110 percent, you will be good at it. Developing your skills is easy when you love what you do and want to be the very best you can.”
How to Make Your Company Stand Out From the Competition
Tap into your unique skills
We all have specific strengths when it comes to our work, and it could pay dividends to show them off to your clients. If there’s an aspect of your craft or area of business you’re particularly adept at, embrace it and turn it into your firm’s unique selling point.
“Find what type of design lights your fire and gets you up in the morning,” says Kate Liedtke. “Be your own client – collect images that you connect with and that speak to you.”
Cordony Designs highlight its unique style to clients by investing in good photography and Cordony recommends setting aside time and resources to take good professional photographs of completed work. She says this can showcase how well a project functions as well as how great it looks.
We all have specific strengths when it comes to our work, and it could pay dividends to show them off to your clients. If there’s an aspect of your craft or area of business you’re particularly adept at, embrace it and turn it into your firm’s unique selling point.
“Find what type of design lights your fire and gets you up in the morning,” says Kate Liedtke. “Be your own client – collect images that you connect with and that speak to you.”
Cordony Designs highlight its unique style to clients by investing in good photography and Cordony recommends setting aside time and resources to take good professional photographs of completed work. She says this can showcase how well a project functions as well as how great it looks.
Find a gap in the market
Your niche could also be defined by your target market and a desire to tailor your service to its needs. Cordony says her company’s style of work is more versatile, which allows them to cater to a variety of different clients. For other designers, focusing specifically on one or two types of designs might work best.
“We saw gap in the tile market,” says Tsoupis. “We import unique products to give us a competitive edge.”
It helps to do some research on your local area to find out the needs and habits of potential clients. Identify these needs and work out how you can best help those homeowners by offering something that others aren’t.
Your niche could also be defined by your target market and a desire to tailor your service to its needs. Cordony says her company’s style of work is more versatile, which allows them to cater to a variety of different clients. For other designers, focusing specifically on one or two types of designs might work best.
“We saw gap in the tile market,” says Tsoupis. “We import unique products to give us a competitive edge.”
It helps to do some research on your local area to find out the needs and habits of potential clients. Identify these needs and work out how you can best help those homeowners by offering something that others aren’t.
Communicate your niche
Once you’ve tapped into what makes your brand unique, it’s time to show this off to potential clients. An easy way to do this is by highlighting your interests, style and skills online.
“Social media is a great way to communicate your work,” says Bull. “I particularly like Houzz as it allows me to showcase my full portfolio, with details on the scope of the project, the budget and location.”
Bull says that because homeowners have seen her projects and style of work before they get in touch, it makes it quicker and easier to convert those leads into actual clients.
Liedtke agrees. “Social media and Houzz are your best tools to show potential clients who you are,” she says. “Apart from word of mouth, this is how you are found. Be consistent with your marketing strategy, photograph homes with your particular style, and use the same hashtags on social media.”
Your turn
How has your business found its design niche and has it helped attract clients? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Need more advice about running a business? Read stories with tips for professionals here
Once you’ve tapped into what makes your brand unique, it’s time to show this off to potential clients. An easy way to do this is by highlighting your interests, style and skills online.
“Social media is a great way to communicate your work,” says Bull. “I particularly like Houzz as it allows me to showcase my full portfolio, with details on the scope of the project, the budget and location.”
Bull says that because homeowners have seen her projects and style of work before they get in touch, it makes it quicker and easier to convert those leads into actual clients.
Liedtke agrees. “Social media and Houzz are your best tools to show potential clients who you are,” she says. “Apart from word of mouth, this is how you are found. Be consistent with your marketing strategy, photograph homes with your particular style, and use the same hashtags on social media.”
Your turn
How has your business found its design niche and has it helped attract clients? Share your thoughts in the Comments below, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Need more advice about running a business? Read stories with tips for professionals here
People tend to produce a higher quality of work when they’re doing something they love, so it makes sense to focus on an area you’re passionate about.
Johnathan Tsoupis says his love of tiles was always there, but his design niche has been inspired by many clients. “We have a passion for what we sell, the service we provide, and the relationships we make inspire our ideas, risks and encourage our team,” he says. “Passion is addictive.”
Set aside some time to think about your passions and interests, and compile a list of the things that spring to mind. Go back over the list, reviewing and prioritising each item – you might be surprised to find which areas truly interest you.
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