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Author

About the Author
Originally from Dallas, Texas, Lauren moved to Denver three years ago and is loving every bit. Though she came to Colorado to study communications, marketing, and journalism, she’s got a love for all things art, design and media related. Lauren’s gig at The Chaise Lounge includes writing, copy editing and creating social media content. When not in classes at the University of Denver or writing about the business of interior design, you can find her with a camera or paintbrush in her hand, hiking in the Rocky Mountains, or on the ski slopes.

273 – Entrepreneurs Justin Riordan and Bria Hammel

Welcome!
Over the weekend, The Chaise Lounge posted a version of this episode that mistakenly included an older conversation with Bria Hammel instead of a more recent conversation (that came as the result of the first conversation). This episode was uploaded to replace the one posted on Saturday and now includes Nick’s chat with Bria, as well as the full explanation of “Cocktails and Conversations”, and how to 10 people will be able to get free copies.

Today in The Lounge, Nick sits down with designer Bria Hammel, as well as Justin Riordan of Spade and Archer. Nick and Bria focus on the trivialities of managing teams and finding the work-life balance. Justin and Nick discuss a variety of topics including cheerleading, drawing floor plans, and of course, everything that home staging encapsulates.

Social Media: Creating a Brand Persona

Visit an Instagram page, Pinterest Profile or Facebook page then take note of the first thing you see. Does the bio speak to you or do the images grab your attention? First impressions are KEY when people find your profiles. In a matter of seconds, people will leave if they aren’t absolutely in love with what they see.

Persona

Your persona in the digital world consists of everything that your brand encapsulates (or strives to) – voice, color theme, consistency, and all. On social media platforms, everything should align with your brand. Never get off track! Consider how you want to be perceived, create content that contributes to that idea, tailored to each platform. Your brand must be consistent across every outlet, including in press, at events, and most importantly today, social media.

Your potential client must be able to connect your business from platform to platform, but yes, what you post on Facebook should be different from Houzz. When you make a post, you want your audience to know it’s coming from you, even before seeing your name or logo. People need to identify who you are as a designer or firm. Give your brand a personality people will recognize!

What Differentiates You?

When creating this persona, think of what is important to you as a designer and all the things that make you stand out. This is your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Always communicate how you are different, this will pull people in. You’ll make yourself memorable when you set yourself apart!

Play the Algorithm Game

If you’re not posting regularly, it’s time to change that. As you may hear from time to time, the Instagram algorithms change. If you’re not posting at peak hours, no one will see your photos, no one will give you likes, and you’ll be at the bottom of everyone’s feed… therefore probably not getting any reach. If people aren’t liking your photos, they will be less likely to see your photos in the future, even if you are posting at a popular time. So, post on peak days, at peak hours, and stay consistent.

Depending on the size and newness of your company, you’ll need to adjust your posting accordingly. For more established companies, it’s alright to post more sparingly – but consider maintaining a steady presence to keep your audience on the edge of their seat and updated on what you’re doing. Smaller and newer businesses benefit from posting more and promoting. By promoting you expose yourself to a greater reach, and at a higher frequency you’ll boost public perceptions, making your name stick in people’s minds.

Consider using apps such as Schedugram or Later to plan and automate posting to Instagram. If you don’t use the Instagram draft feature, these tools can help to visualize your content and maintain consistency.

The Grid

Make sure to be conscious of the posts and ultimate grid you are composing on Instagram and Pinterest. Do you have a color theme, standard style of shooting photos, or method to editing your posts? An acutely curated feed will show your attention to visual detail, which relates back to your work as a designer.

Communicate & Stay Connected with Your Followers

Keep clients and your greater audience in the know with what you’re up to, even if you are not looking for more projects. You may have all the business you’re looking for and want to stay small, but even so, it’s important to represent your brand in the digital world. Be sure to make your name stick!

Social media offers opportunities businesses can benefit from. Learn how to use it in the most efficient way, and take advantage of all the features. Your social media content represents who you are as a designer or firm, and you want people to stay around, so remember YOU need to stay around. No one will find you on their own if you’re not connecting correctly. Furthermore, you’ve got to give a reason for people to come back to you. Make your digital brand persona memorable – one to come back to.

271 – Cheryl Janis & Danielle Woodhouse: Wellness and Nonprofit Design

Today, Nick chats with Cheryl Janis and Danielle Woodhouse from The Oasis Alliance. With fellow podcaster Cheryl, the two discuss podcasting and wellness design. With Danielle, he talks about nonprofit design and serving people in need. This is a wonderful episode to listen to if you’re interested in getting into podcasting or working for a nonprofit!

269 – Polywood & Shelley Cekirge: Designer Extraordinaire

Nick sits down with Shelley Cekirge of Shelley Cekirge Interiors and Doug Rassi from Polywood. Shelley is an incredibly fascinating designer to listen to and an artist with a background in theater and painting.

267 – Laura Muller: Four Point Design Build

Welcome back! Today in The Lounge, Nick chats with Laura Muller, CEO of Four Point Design Build. The two chat about what it means to be a CEO and designer, education, and networking. This is a wonderful episode to listen to for inspiration to step up your business!

265 – Ellen O’Neil and Jane Dagmi: Benjamin Moore and Designers Today

Welcome back to The Lounge! Today, Nick sits down with Jane Dagmi, editor-in-chief of Designers Today, and Ellen O’Neil, creative director of Benjamin Moore. Jane shares her expertise that publishing entails and chats about High Point Market. With Ellen, Nick gets a peek into what it’s like to choose the color of the year. This is an incredibly interesting episode to listen to for any lover of color or designer looking for publishing tips!

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