One of my favorite online interior design technology tools is Olioboard mood board creator. Here are some creative ways to use Olioboard to market your business.
#1 USE IT SELL YOUR SERVICES
Vacant Stagings
You can use Olioboard to sell your services with before and after pictures. During the consultation show the client a picture of a vacant room and then show them an Olioboard of a staged room. The compelling difference will wow your clients.
Occupied staging
Use Olioboard to show the client how to:
- Get rid of clutter. Think about what a hotel room or model home looks like – no personalization, just clean and neat. Illustrate clean bookcases using Olioboard. Cluttered bookcases, personal photos, seasonal items out of season, fake plants, and collections just confuse buyers and collect dust.
- Remodeling. Some houses need a few aesthetics improvements before putting in the market. Take an existing photo of a clients room and replace the outdated 1970s chandelier with an updated fixture. Help them visually re-stain their floors to attract more buyers. You could showcase a major improvement with a small investment that will pay off with a quicker sale.
#2 ADVERTISE YOUR BUSINESS
Olioboard Community
Pro Membership
Contests
#3 INCREASE YOUR SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE
Facebook/Twitter/Pinterest
It’s always a good idea to participate in the conversation on Twitter using the hashtags #oliolove and #homestaging to create brand awareness for your company. Let your followers know what mood boards you have created for Home Staging and Redesigns. Or create mood boards for the jobs you would like to do. If your target market is staging high end real estate then create these boards so prospective clients can see your “work”. Don’t forget to share them on ALL social media websites.
We are honored to be apart this month’s OlioHop. Hop on over to see these really talented bloggers on this Olioboard Blog Hop!
Be sure and sign up for our FREE DESIGN TOOLS newsletter to keep update on all the cool technology tools – software, apps, websites, and education for Interior Design plus marketing tips!
And for more information about Olioboard, you can find them on Facebook and Twitter. They also have a You Tube channel, which features video tutorials.
What clever ideas do you have for marketing your business? Please share your comment below.
Great job Stephanie! Olioboard has been a wonderful marketing strategy for my business. It also keeps me actively engaged with other pros in the industry around the country. Way to go!
Thanks Frances!
Hi Stephanie – great tips on how to use Olioboard and all the different ways a stager might use it, based on the client’s needs. One note – my link should read ::Surroundings:: and the URL is not working, it should be http://www/chameleon-interiors.blogspot.com Thank you!
Thanks Linda! I corrected your link.
[...] STEPHANIE WEEKS of Interior Design HQ [...]
I loved the idea of showing the do’s and dont’s of home staging! So many home owners don’t realize what can hurt their chances of getting an offer Great ideas, and love the colors you used for your furnishings! Great job.
Thanks Ronique!
Stephanie, your tips for low cost marketing of a staging business are great! Love your boards, all wonderful examples. Thank you so much for sharing and congratulations on your #OlioHop!
HI Stephanie!
First, as the representative of Olioboard, I want to say thank you for the time and energy that went into creating this wonderful post! We all appreciated the way you approached it for your readers -most of whom come to your site for ideas about how to use the online tools you showcase- to help their own businesses make more money.
Many readers of your blog may not realize you ALSO own one of Dallas’ most successful staging and redesign businesses yourself – and that you an expert in staging and a pioneer in the redesign industry and that your team uses Olioboard very successfully in this capacity.
~~~
As myself, I want to say that I appreciate how you understand { and helped your readers understand} the way that Olioboard ‘s free site could be used to secure staging jobs for themselves. It is so much easier for clients to hire you { or buy from you } when they can see a 3D visual of what it is they’re considering.
What clients don’t always understand {which is where the confidence and marketing skills of the stager/redesigner/designer come in to play} is this: that even though it might LOOK easy to do this on their own, it isn’t.
It takes innate talent – aided by years of experience and a trained eye – to be able to visually see proportion, scale and flow in a real space.
Stagers/redesigners and designers save money for homeowners because of their deep knowledge of resources {which allows the homeowner to access what they need – faster – or to live with what they never knew existed, but which now bring them joy + working with stagers/redesigners and pro designers allows the homeowner access to the professional’s knowledge of delivery times and guarantees that a supplier resource offers.
There is no substitute for the hiring of a trained pro – if the homeowner wants the best outcome for their homes and their families.
Thank you again, Stephanie, for showcasing how the pros who visit your site can use Olioboard to help their businesses grow and prosper!
Leslie / @tkpleslie
Leslie,
Thank you so much for asking us to be a part of the Olioboard Blog Hop. It was fun getting to know the other stagers and design professionals. We have such a wonderful supportive industry!
There is so much you can do with Olioboard- Visual Merchanding, Client presentations, the list is endless.
I personally look forward to see what Olioboard has in store for 2013 with adding new features and product lines.
Thanks again!
Stephanie @interiordsignhq @redesigndecor
Love the focus & board demonstrations, especially explaining the difference between a Vacant Staging and Occupied Staging Stephanie! And it’s ALL so true what you pointed out – Designers-Decorators-Stagers can make it look easy but — “It takes innate talent – aided by years of experience and a trained eye – to be able to visually see proportion, scale and flow in a real space.” Also love how you stressed the importance of using Olioboard both at their site and thru Social Media to build brand awareness!
Happy to hop with you!
xo Lynda
Lynda,
Thanks! So happy to Hop with you. I have always enjoyed reading your blog and success with the Skirted Roundtable podcast!
[...] Stephanie Weeks at Interior Design HQ [...]