A Dialogue with Mia Fileman

Why Most Interior Designers Are Missing the Power of Strategic Campaigns

Episode 99

In this insightful episode, marketing expert Mia Fileman of Campaign Del Mar explains why campaign marketing isn't just for big brands with big budgets. Learn how small businesses can create high-impact, low-cost marketing campaigns that deliver real results, and why relying solely on "always on" social media marketing often leads to frustration and minimal returns.

I hope you enjoy the episode.

Beth xx

Mia has kindly shared with my listeners a download to help with their marketing strategies

https://www.campaigndelmar.com/focus-framework

The Crucial Difference: "Always On" vs. Campaign Marketing

"Two very different modes of marketing," Mia explains. "We have our always on marketing, which is posting on social media, sending a monthly email, maybe being on a podcast or recording a podcast, writing a blog. This is our always on marketing."

While this consistent content creates brand presence, it's playing the long game with minimal immediate returns. As Mia points out, "If I was to release a blog today, I'm not going to see traction from that blog for months."

By contrast, campaign marketing offers a more focused, strategic approach:

"Campaigns are short, focused efforts. So instead of trying to hit every objective and playing the long game, we are super focused on one objective."

For interior designers who may only need a handful of quality clients each year, this targeted approach makes perfect sense.

Why Interior Designers Should Consider Campaign Marketing

Many designers assume campaigns are only for big brands with big budgets. Mia quickly dispels this myth:

"By definition, a campaign does not need to be expensive. It doesn't need to be an installation. It doesn't need to be a video, but I completely agree with you that it should be big, big in impact, not big in budget."

In fact, Mia shares that her first campaign cost just $2.49—less than a cup of coffee.

For interior designers, campaigns can be particularly effective because:

1. They create a multiplier effect by connecting different marketing channels

2. They help you stand out in a sea of similar content

3. They allow for creative expression beyond trend-driven posts

4. They deliver focused results for specific business objectives

"I feel that this is the missing part of successful small business marketing," Mia notes, "because everyone is doing always on marketing and they're not getting the traction."

How to Create an Effective Campaign for Your Design Business

If you're ready to try campaign marketing for your interior design business, Mia offers practical advice:

1. Plan Ahead

"Start planning a campaign 10 to 12 weeks before you want to launch it," Mia advises. This gives you time to develop all elements while still running your business.

2. Become a "Customer Fanatic"

Understanding your ideal clients on a deep level is crucial for campaign development. "Doing some audience insights, some interviews with our customers, actually getting on the phone and talking to prospective or actual customers to understand them on that level to inform our campaign is really important."

3. Focus on One Clear Objective

Whether it's lead generation, brand awareness, or promoting a specific service, your campaign should have a single, clear goal. For example: "Just for the next four weeks, I'm going to be really intentional about building my email list."

4. Use a Mix of Channels

Effective campaigns use multiple touchpoints: "We come up with a clever mix of paid, earned, owned and borrowed channels and connect those during our campaign."

5. Get Creative

"I think we are starved for creativity amongst the small business community," Mia observes. Your campaign is your chance to break away from the same content everyone else is posting.

Real-World Example: Campaigns for Interior Designers

For designers wondering how this applies to their business, Mia offers a practical example:

"Interior designers don't need to bring in hundreds of customers every year. They might only be looking at bringing in four or five new clients every year."

In this case, she suggests a referral marketing campaign that taps into existing clients who already know and love your work. This approach leverages your strongest asset—satisfied clients—and focuses your energy on a specific, achievable goal.

The Instagram Reality Check

Many interior designers invest significant time in Instagram, yet see minimal business results. Mia offers this sobering statistic:

"The average reach of a post across all of Instagram is 2%. So if you have a thousand followers, 98% of them are not going to see your content."

This doesn't mean abandoning Instagram entirely, but rather being strategic about how you use it. As Mia suggests, "I'm giving you permission to stop posting on Instagram for two weeks, go away and create something really cool, really different, really swinging for the fences."

The Value of In-Person Connections

In an age of digital marketing, Mia makes a compelling case for the power of in-person networking:

"I've decided to reinvest most of my advertising dollars towards getting on a plane and flying to a major capital city... and go and either host or attend an in-person event in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and I can walk away with $25,000."

For interior designers, whose business relies heavily on trust and personal connection, this approach can be particularly effective. Building relationships with suppliers, other designers, and potential clients in person often yields better results than digital marketing alone.

Building a Bank of Marketing Assets

One of the most valuable aspects of campaign marketing is the creation of reusable assets:

"I reuse literally everything, everything, every email, every post, every Canva design," Mia shares. "People can't remember what they ate for breakfast yesterday, they're not going to remember that they received an email six months ago that is somewhat similar to the one that I sent today."

This approach makes campaigns an investment rather than an expense—creating assets you can use repeatedly to continue generating returns.

Authentic Marketing in a World of Hype

Throughout the conversation, Mia emphasizes the importance of authentic marketing:

"I'm so disillusioned by the state of marketing in 2024 and beyond. It seems like the status quo is wealth and success signaling... misrepresentation of someone's qualifications or authority or expertise."

For interior designers who value integrity, this is welcome advice. Your marketing should reflect your true expertise and values, not follow questionable tactics that might make you uncomfortable.

"If it feels wrong, please don't do it," Mia advises. "It's like, you know, if you lift up a weight at the gym and you're like, if there's, if there's pain there, you need to put that back down."

Getting Started with Campaign Marketing

Ready to try campaign marketing for your interior design business? Here's a simple framework to get started:

1. Identify one clear business objective you want to achieve in the next 1-3 months

2. Talk to your best clients to understand what they valued most about working with you

3. Develop a creative campaign concept that addresses your objective

4. Plan a mix of channels to deliver your message (email, social, in-person, partnerships)

5. Create your campaign assets with an emphasis on quality over quantity

6. Execute your campaign over a defined period (typically 2-4 weeks)

7. Measure results against your specific objective

The Bottom Line: Quality Over Quantity

The key takeaway for interior designers is that effective marketing isn't about constant content creation—it's about strategic, focused efforts that align with your business goals.

As Mia summarizes: "I'm not going to sit here and tell anybody that you can pull together a campaign quickly. It is so much work, but it's work that actually delivers a return on your effort as opposed to relentlessly posting on Instagram without a strategy. And six months later, you are nowhere."

By shifting from the Instagram grind to strategic campaign marketing, interior designers can create more impactful marketing that resonates with ideal clients while freeing up time to focus on what they do best—designing beautiful spaces.