Your Website Copy May Be Sabotaging Your Portfolio and Your Interior Design Business
Beautiful designs but no interior design clients? Discover why your website’s words might be the problem—and how to fix it with strategic brand messaging.
In this episode of Interior DesignHer, Kamala Nair, copywriter for interior designers, reveals why many designers lose clients through ineffective brand messaging and copywriting. Kamala identifies the critical gap in how designers market themselves - creating beautiful spaces but failing to articulate their value.
Kamala explains that brand goes far beyond aesthetics, involving every client touchpoint from website headlines to contact forms.
Website analytics confirm it - visitors spend less than 15 seconds deciding whether to stay or leave. Your headline, not your portfolio, determines whether potential clients explore further.
In this podcast episode, you'll learn Kamala’s specific process for uncovering your true brand differentiator - the element that makes clients choose you over equally talented competitors. While designers spend thousands on professional photography, many undermine this investment with generic copy that fails to convert visitors into leads.
"The biggest mistake is thinking brand is all about aesthetics. When you don't have words on your website, it's a huge missed opportunity. Someone visiting your site and seeing beautiful images doesn't know what to do next. They don't know if you're the right designer for them."
Whether you struggle with articulating your value proposition or need to strengthen your overall brand presence, Kamala's practical insights will transform how you approach your business messaging - and ultimately, how many qualified leads convert to paying clients.
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Chapters
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction
00:57 - Origin Story
04:10 - Brand Defined
06:06 - Brand Misconceptions
08:37 - How to Define Your Brand
16:12 - The Power of Words
19:17 - Does your website copy match your portfolio?
22:00 - Success Stories
26:38 - Brand Education
29:38 - Best Practices
37:01 - Social Media
40:51 - Client Communications
42:26 - DIY
44:03 - DIY Your Brand
45:14 - Wanna Work with Kamala?
46:35 - what can effective BRAND building actually do for DESIGNERS?
Read the transcript…
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Kamala, what made you focus specifically on interior design, copywriting, and brand building?
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: That's a great question. Because it's a very specific niche, and I kind of fell into it. Funnily enough, I started my career in New York City in magazine publishing, and I ended up getting a job as an assistant editor at Elle Decor magazine, which was just a really lucky step.
And I didn't know anything about interior design at the time, but I ended up working there on staff for nearly four years. And during that time, it was like the most amazing crash course in the world of luxury high end interiors.
And I really just fell in love with the idea of creating and crafting these stories behind these beautiful photographs and these amazing interiors. And I realized that uncovering those stories and articulating them elevated the work, and it just supported and elevated the interior design by adding in those stories that you can't tell from just looking at a picture.
So that was really my introduction into interior design. And from there, I decided that I wanted to move away from editorial and really learn about the marketing side of things. So I went to West Elm, the furniture and design company, and I worked on staff there as a copywriter.
And that was, again, an amazing education in marketing and copywriting and how to write persuasive copy, how to convert, how to tell stories around products. And from there, I took a little detour away from design.
I went on to become the head of copy at Blue Apron, which is a meal delivery kit company. And after that, I ended up moving to the uk, which is where I still live at the moment. And I decided to use that opportunity to start my own business.
And I spent the first few years writing for a number of different brands from all different categories. But I found that design companies were constantly reaching out to me because of my background and the brands that I had worked with.
And I always found that those were the brands that I enjoyed working with the most and that I enjoyed writing about the most. So a few years ago, I decided that I wanted to just lean into that and focus completely on interior design, because that's really where my passion lies.
And, you know, the depth of my knowledge, my expertise, it's really in interior design. So for the last two and A half years that's been my exclusive focus.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: I'm a big fan in terms of developing brand as like your number one marketing tool.
But quite frequently when I, since I've started doing this and I talk to designers every day, the idea of brand seems to not. The concept doesn't really get understood fully. So could you give us an idea of what you mean by brand specifically for interior designers?
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yes. So it's a good question because I think a lot of people have this idea that brand is about your logo or your color palette or your Instagram feed, but really those are all just small pieces of a bigger puzzle.
So to put it more simply, what brand is, is, is the perception that people have of your business as a whole. So how do they feel about you? What do they expect from you? And why should they choose you over someone else?
So for interior design specifically, brand is going to be the story that you tell through every touch point. So your website, your social media, your client interactions and communications and materials, and even the way you present yourself, you know, in in person events and local communities.
So that's kind of in a nutshell, what brand is. And it's really important that your brand has clarity and consistency because a strong brand is what's going to create that sense of trust and make it easier for people to understand exactly what you do and why it matters to them.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Okay. Without divulging any names, I'm curious about misconceptions that designers have around brand that you've experienced that you have to kind of either help them unlearn or teach them new things.
What kind of mistakes do they.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah, I think the biggest mistake is that especially in interior design, which is such a visual industry, a big misperception that I see is that brand is about, is all about aesthetics.
And a lot of designers will look at these celebrity interior designers who have, you know, who are world famous, who just have a really minimalistic website with just some images and no words and they think that looks really beautiful.
It's really aesthetic. That's what I want for my website. And the truth is that brand is about so much more than aesthetics. And when you don't have words on your website, it's this huge missed opportunity because someone just visiting your site and seeing beautiful images, they don't know what to do with that.
They might think, oh, this is gorgeous, I love this person's work. But then they don't know what to do next. They don't know if you're the Right. Designer for them. There are so many. It just unlocks so many questions in their mind. And you end up losing that person who might have become a client.
So that's probably the biggest misperception. I think another really big mistake that I see is trying to appeal to everyone and just having a really broad appeal because you're afraid to get specific.
You're afraid that if you get too specific, you'll lose paying clients and you'll lose opportunities. But being too broad actually has the opposite effect, where if you're talking to everyone, you're not going to attract anyone. You end up sounding just like everybody else out there.
Your message is generic. People don't know what they're getting from you. They don't know what you're about. And that really degrades that sense of trust that is so essential to getting clients and elevating your brand.
I would say those are the two biggest.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Yeah, I would. I would 100 agree. This is just based on the conversations I've had. One thing I've noticed on podcasts and YouTube videos, and it's more a function of marketing experts than people who focus like you specifically on brand and copywriting. Your.
Your points that you make seem to be much more specific when it comes to brand. But marketers across the board, when they get on a podcast and start talking to designers, they'll say, well, you have to establish brand what you just said. You have to who you are and. And focus down.
But when they do that, they're always now saying, you want the luxury client. And this has been the advice for brand. If you want luxury client, if you want bigger projects. And to be 100% fair, not every designer is ready.
They may be ready like in terms of their design skills, but not in terms of their business skills of handling a multimillion dollar job. They're just not so. And there's many different ways to establish who you are as a brand. It could be hyper, local geography.
My wife's company, most of her clients are in midtown Toronto, and that's come through word of mouth. So now when, when she does her marketing, she really hammers that home, whether it's paid or unpaid marketing. It's midtown Toronto, Central Toronto, Toronto, Toronto.
And she gets more clients as a result. For her having people approach her from Los Angeles, it doesn't work with her brand, who she is. So can you give me an idea of if I'm trying to, as a designer, say, this is who I am?
Maybe some questions that you go through with them to Kind of really hone in on what their brand is or could be or.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah, absolutely. One of the first questions and one of the most important questions that I go through with potential or with clients and that every interior designer should ask themselves is, who is your ideal client?
And get as specific as possible. It doesn't, like you said, it doesn't have to be that multimillionaire in Los Angeles or Paris. It could be a young family who wants a home that's going to grow with them, you know, within a certain budget.
It could be someone who, you know, really is drawn to minimalist designs and wants a really calming, sustainable sanctuary. So it's really important to define who that person is and speak directly to them.
And when I say speak directly to them, I mean it literally. So instead of saying, we serve clients in blah, blah, blah, like say, use the word. You don't talk about clients in the third person.
Speak directly to them. Identify what their pain points are. Show that you understand what those pain points are. If it is a focus to attract more clients within your local area, highlight that on your website, as you said, not only by saying, you know, mentioning where the areas that you serve, but also showing a deep understanding of that community and what's important to that community, whether that's a specific style that might be popular in the area or, you know, whatever might be the priorities of that ideal client who lives in that area, get really specific about it and speak directly to them.
And that's really the most important first step. Another exercise that I walk through my clients with is it's really important to establish what is your brand differentiator, what sets you apart, what makes you different.
And funnily enough, a lot of designers really struggle, struggle with answering that question. And you can see it when you look at a website that someone might have written themselves or just, you know, they didn't, they had ChatGPT write it.
And you'll just see the same generic language over and over again, like, you know, modern designs for everyday living or, you know, just really generic words strung together that don't actually mean anything. But once you start figuring out and nailing down what makes you different, writing that headline on your homepage just becomes so much easier.
So the exercise that I like to walk through to help designers figure out what that differentiator is, is I ask the question, fill in this blank. When a client discovers blank about me, they have to hire me.
So I'll say it one more time. When a client discovers blank about me, they have to hire me. So what is that blank? What is that X factor that makes a client have to hire you? And once you can nail that down, you've figured it out.
And when they answer that question, how often is it an image, a design, like a picture, or how is it something else more about the service they deliver? Yeah, it really varies because every designer and every.
They all have different strengths and they all have differentiators. So for one client, it might be a really distinctive style. For another client, it might be, you know, a focus on sustainability. For another client, it might be that they're experts in kitchen design and they're amazing at kitchens.
So it could. For another designer, it could be something about their process. Maybe they're known for always staying on a tight timeline and managing budgets really well. So it could really be anything, that differentiator, it doesn't have to be an esthetic or a style.
It can be, but it doesn't have to be. It's really the most important thing is what makes you special and amazing and what is it that you do best?
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Yeah. And I wonder how often the thing that the designer thinks is that key differentiator actually is the key differentiator to their clients.
And realizing that a different clients are going to have different reasons, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's different than what they perceive it's going to be.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Absolutely. That happens all the time. And that's kind of why when I work with a client, there is a pretty elaborate brand discovery process at the beginning.
And through that, I wish it were as simple as just I could ask everyone that question and they instantly nail it. But it's so often not. And a lot of times designers will say they feel like it was a therapy session because they never like actually asked themselves or dug that deep.
And then, you know, through this process, being able to uncover that, it's like really revelatory and almost cathartic.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Yeah. When I've spoken with designers specifically about their website and their social presence, I find for them posting images, whether it's in their portfolio or on Instagram or wherever.
Images, no problem. They have no qualms about doing that. Getting them to sit in front of a camera and. Or do a walkthrough of one of their jobs and talk and do video, definitely harder. Most difficult is text, is when I look at their site copy.
And I'll say, you know, why did you choose these words on your home page? Why did you choose these words on your about page? Most of them don't really have an answer. Why? So they don't really understand the power that those words have on potential customers.
So maybe you have an answer to that question. Why do designers struggle with the words on their websites and on their captions for social posts as well?
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: That's a great question. I think almost for the same reason that it's hard for a lot of creatives to, as you mentioned, to show up on camera and film a video of themselves walking through a project.
Because finding the right words is about being authentic and showing off your personality and embracing your personality. And I think there's a lot of fear when it comes to branding of being authentic, because creatives get afraid that they're going to rub people the wrong way or urn people off and lose clients. And there's a lot of fear and insecurity around that, which I completely understand. I also think it's difficult because it's really not just about stringing words together and stringing pretty sentences together.
There's a lot of strategy that goes into creating great copy and into. And I want to just make the distinction between copy and content. So content is what you might put on a blog.
You might write a blog post, whereas copy is words that are written to persuade. They're written to initiate an action from the reader. And in order to do that, that's really like an art.
It's not something. It's not just about sounding good. So I think that's why a lot of designers struggle, because that's not really understandably, that's not their expertise. In the same way that if I'm trying to find the right throw pillows for my sofa, I might be able to look at Pinterest boards and be like, oh, I really like that one.
I like that one. But I wouldn't be able to actually arrange them in the perfect artful way on the sofa.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: No, agreed, 100%. I'm in the same boat.
Another thing when I speak with designers is I'll look at their portfolio and it's beautiful and perfect and does actually describe who that designer is. It's a visual representation of who they are and what they do. Then when I compare the. The.
The copy on their website, on any page, right? Homepage, about page, contact page, I'm like this. This person that's talking here is not that person who put that portfolio together. Okay, so my question was, do you see that too?
That the text and the. And the visuals do not match. And that. But what do you do with that? How do you. How do we fix that?
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: I do see that. And that actually should have been in my answer about one of the biggest mistakes that we see.
Because the reason that it's so bad when that happens is that you're really undermining your own work. You're undermining this amazing work that you've done. You're not making the most of this, getting that beautiful photography.
It's a big investment, it's a major investment for interior designers. And to not then support that portfolio work and that photography with a consistent brand presence and a consistent brand voice, you're really letting your brand down.
Because what happens when that disconnect, when someone notices that disconnect that you mentioned, is that person loses trust in the brand and they think even though this designer's work is incredible, even though their style is exactly what I'm looking for, I don't trust this person because their voice is all over the place.
There's a disconnect. I don't know who this brand is. I don't know what I'm getting. And so they're going to then go to someone else who does have, who also has beautiful work but has the really consistent, compelling brand. Brand messaging
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Right.
Every, every client at whatever budget. I've never met a residential design client who, you know, they're spending a lot of money. If they're very rich, they're spending more money. But if they're, if they're a regular person, it's still, it's a huge amount, it's a big deal to them.
So making that decision involves a huge amount of trust and something is like almost ignored as the, the, the copy on your website. You think it's no big deal. The designs, that my designs will sell the job. Right.
Maybe you could give us an example or two of clients you worked with, who you've helped transform their brand, what it's done for their business. And that could be money, number of clients, type of clients, free time, how they enjoy their business, anything.
Anything that we can consider a success.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah, absolutely. So one of my very first clients, interior design clients, came to me and she didn't even have a website yet. She didn't have any brand messaging.
She had amazing work. She's a Brooklyn based designer and she was designing these gorgeous townhouses in Brooklyn, but she had no way to articulate, she didn't know how to articulate her style. And so when she kept getting referrals, but she was losing the clients because she would get on that call and she couldn't actually articulate her process or her style.
And even Though her work was amazing, she was losing out on a lot of jobs. So I like to mention her because I have sort of a special place in my heart for that project. So it was the first big one for me. And we wrote her website from scratch.
We went through the whole process, the brand discovery. We did a lot of exercises which included her sharing a lot of visuals with me to really nail down what was her style in a way that was really specific, that wasn't just throwing out buzzwords or jargon or the generic words that we see on every interior design site.
We got really specific. She then also, in conjunction with the work we were doing together, got her projects photographed professionally. And then once we put those two things together, we did a lot of storytelling to accompany the photography.
And her results have been amazing. She. She's just blown away by the fact that she can now articulate her style and she has the words to actually express what she does and why she does it. And she's gotten a lot more big budget projects.
She's able to nail those discovery calls. She finds that when people land on her website, they already. There's so much information there that they already kind of know that they want to work with her. So she's no longer having to convince and explain on these discovery calls.
It's really just like a formality because that person has already discovered her brand and they already know this is who I want to hire and work with. So that's one example. Another example I wanted to mention because it sort of speaks to that localized messaging that we were discussing earlier.
I have a client who works in Phoenix, and she's very much focused in that region and in her copy. We really tailored the messaging to not only the clients, what clients want in that area and speaking to the community, but also just weaving in the way the Arizona landscape, like the amazing sunsets and the deserts and the colors, how those are woven into her designs and how that's really a big part of her aesthetic.
And she's also said that within three to six months of her website going live, she started getting a lot more inquiries through her website. And they were also. The big difference was that they were qualified.
So she wasn't getting people. She wanted the big projects and she was getting. Before we started working together, she also did a brand redesign. In terms of the aesthetics of her website, she was getting a lot of clients who wanted smaller projects like one off rooms and styling, and she wasn't really interested in that.
She really wanted to focus on the full Home renovations and remodels. And she started getting. Because we had tailored the messaging and because she had redone her branding, she started getting those qualified leads, contacting her and reaching out.
And I think within three to six months, she had landed two major projects that she says she doesn't think she would have gotten without the website rebrand.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Those sound amazing. And I'm sure some of the push, probably the number one pushback you get from potential clients is going to be price. It's going to be that. That upfront cost. So it's good to hear some success stories. I'm really curious to know about, and it would be awesome if we'd had one of the.
Those people here today. The. That process of you two going back and forth. Right. You learning about their business. But I'm assuming they're also learning all of this stuff about brand and the things that they've done wrong and the things they don't understand.
So it's like just this two giant mind dumps going either way, you know, and every time you have a new client, you probably learn a little bit more about this quirky designer or this one. Totally. Yeah. So by the end of it, are those.
Are those clients of yours? Do they really. They get brand now, So, I mean, it seems like it does if they're able to now talk to their clients.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: I hope so. I certainly hope so. I do think so, because I think once you get. Once you engage in that process of brand discovery and you have that story down, that becomes an evergreen story that you can just keep using.
And it becomes. It's like a foundation that you're laying. It becomes the story that you tell through every touch point. You know, another thing that I do with clients is creating, like, a brand voice and tone guide.
And that's also a really good thing to establish, because then that's really helping create that brand personality. Figuring out what is the personality of the brand, what are our values, how do we speak, what words do we use, what words do we not use?
And then designers can take that and just use it forever, or, you know, use it until they're ready to. Things evolve. And then if they hire someone, they can hand them that and say, this is my brand. This is my brand story. This is my brand voice.
This is my brand personality. And that really ensures that everything stays consistent. Yeah. Across the board. Not just your online world, but your offline work, too.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Exactly. Yes. Because I could just imagine, you know, somebody.
We've got a big interior design show coming up in Toronto later this month. And, you know, I'll go and I'll meet designers that I have spoken with online or whatever. And quite frequently I'm like, huh, that's. They're different.
That's not what I expected. Right. And if it's better than what I expected, that's fantastic. Right. But if it's not, you're like what? Like that disconnect. Right. And so when you meet a client, you don't want that. You want it to be consistent.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Absolutely.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Okay. I'd like to go a little nerdy, a little technical if we're going to look at a website. Okay. So I want to do website and I want to do social media and I would like to do client communications, if you could.
A generic interior designer website. The. The different pages that are important, home about, portfolio, contact, anything else you think of, what you look for, what you would say is optimal, best practices, all that kind of stuff.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: So, yes. So the. You meant you hit on all the main pages. I would also add a services page. I think that's really important. The big thing, when you're. So there's.
I would say the two most important things elements to your website are. Number one is going to be your headline or your hook, which is going to be on your home page. And it should be front and center. It should be immediately visible above the fold, which means before you scroll down, you shouldn't have to scroll down to see it.
And that statement should really make clear what is your. What is your differentiator? What is that X factor that we talked about earlier? And it needs to really hook the reader immediately and entice them to keep scrolling because otherwise it's really.
You only have really a few seconds to capture their interest before. In this day and age, with so much going on in the online space, it's so easy to click away. So, so easy to get distracted. So you really need that enticing, gripping hook that gives people something to hold on to and want to keep finding more about.
So that's probably the most important element. And I actually see a lot of websites that just make me die inside. Because in that really prime real estate, they'll say something like, welcome to XYZ Interiors.
Or like, welcome to my website. Thanks for being here. And every word is so precious. That's such precious real estate that you just don't want to waste it with fluff or filler or, you know, it's nice to say welcome, but you don't really have to.
Like, it's more important to Make a brand statement and make a strong statement. So that's one thing. The second thing that's really important that I don't see enough of is you need a lot of calls to action and you need them on every page.
So not just on your contact page. You should have contact, you should have, you know, book a call or whatever the call to action that you want throughout the website, throughout your homepage, throughout your about page. You want to be giving your viewers the opportunity to take action throughout the journey that they're taking as they read your site.
Because they're all going to be ready at different phases. So someone might be ready the minute they read your hook, your amazing, compelling hook, and the minute they see that paired with an image of your work, they might be ready right away. Or they might want to read every single page and then get to your contact page and contact you there.
So you want to make it as easy as possible for them to reach out to you. The third thing that is really essential is you want to have, you want to make it crystal clear what it looks like to work with you from every step of the process.
So what happens on that first call when they click book a call and they fill out your contact form? What should they expect? Is someone going to reach out to them within 24 hours and schedule a call? Is there going to be like a calendly link where they can directly book a time with you?
Do they need to prepare anything for that first call? You need to give them a sense of what to expect from that first step all the way through to signing the contract, the proposal. And then what happens once you are officially working together?
What are the steps? What's the design process? You need to make that really crystal clear. So your sales process and your design process need to be really clear. And again, that's making it easier for people to take action.
It's getting them excited to reach out to you rather than maybe thinking, oh, I don't really know what this is about, maybe I'm not ready, maybe I won't be able to answer their questions. You want to address all of those hesitations and nip them in the bud, right?
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: And if this was a meeting that was happening in real life. So imagine that first time website visitor wasn't a website visitor, it was someone you ran into at like say the, the tile sourcing place, right? And oh, you're a designer, I'm looking for, blah blah.
And you started talking, we would both be able to read our own visual cues and get all that Kind of stuff and say, oh, wait a second, this is a potential sale. And then react in a different way. Or it's just somebody you know who's, okay, I'll give you some, a tip or whatever and you'll be on your way.
But on the website, you have no idea. Like, your website can't react to that. So you're right. You have to give them the opportunity if, if they're ready, after just seeing your hook at the, on the above the fold, they're ready to go. There should be the opportunity for them to connect with you right then and there.
That makes a ton of sense to me.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: It also enables you to have a lot more powerful first call with that potential client because you're not having to just explain all the steps of your process. They've read it already, they know.
And you can actually get to the heart of what needs to be discussed. So it makes it easier for not only the potential client. It also makes it easy, easier for you as a designer and a business owner.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: When I helped redesign my wife's interior design website, every call to action goes to a different form.
And so we know that where. Where on which web page and where on each web page they made a decision. So that's kind of feedback for us to like what's working, what's not working. But I hadn't really thought about this. It would also tell us something about where that potential client is in their journey of becoming a client and maybe their personality. Right.
If they go all the way to the bottom of the page. Right. That's an analytical person. That's somebody who wants as much information as they can before they make a decision versus somebody who. Top of the, you know, in the header, they make that. They click that button. Then there, maybe they're more impulsive.
So that would impact how the designer is going to reach that potential client. Yeah, that's a great point. You're making me think this is really good. Okay. All right, let's transition to social media and how captions differ from your website copy.
And also possible best practices for social media captions for things you see that are horrible things. You see here a great anything.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah. So I'm going to start with the thing that I see a lot that's horrible on social media, which is designers posting, other designers work.
And I see that a lot. And there will just be a really generic caption, like in a festive mood or loving this, you know, blue paint, whatever the caption is. But that's the worst thing you can do, because it's not telling your ideal client anything about you or your work or your personality.
And to me, that's like the social media equivalent of writing welcome to my website. It's better to just not post anything. So number one, please don't do that. A lot of designers, the reason they do that is because they're maybe at an earlier stage and they feel like they don't have a lot of their own images, but I don't think that that's any reason to hold back.
What I love to see and what's really effective on social media is using that as a space to amplify those stories about your process, about, you know, show behind the scenes images of a project that you're working on at the moment, talk about your process, talk about your, you know, talk about that discovery call and what happens on that.
Share insights. Maybe you're out at a restaurant and there's some really beautiful decor that really speaks to your esthetic. Like, show off your personality, be authentic, use your voice, use your own voice.
I would say sound like yourself, which you should also be sounding like on your website. It should be consistent. But really it's about being authentic and being yourself and sharing those behind the scenes moments, sharing details about your process, sharing customer testimonials, case studies, moments of inspiration while traveling.
Maybe it's an artwork, maybe it's something you see while on your travels. Whatever it is, those are all giving your potential clients a look at who you are, a look at your personality. And that's really what's going to help build that trust factor.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Yeah, you just, you totally took something that's a weakness, a designer who doesn't have that portfolio yet, and turned it into an amazing strength. I saw someone do a reel one time where they, they were out tile shopping for a client and they saw this tile and they, they went live and they said, this, this tile is fantastic.
I don't have a client for this now, but I could just imagine. And then they painted the picture of what this theoretical person in their theoretical home were using this tile. Right. It was like fantastic. You told me so much about yourself and yet there's, there was no client.
It was just a story, right?
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah. Go off your expertise. Even like you said, even if you don't have a client, that's your platform to show off your expertise, to show off what your values are, what your design philosophy is.
It's, it's really an amazing opportunity.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Yeah, for sure. If we move, I want to move on to client communications and that could be email, that could be proposals, that could be any, any piece.
I mean, we can even go back to what you said when, when people go to book a call or they go to your contact page or whatever, all of that stuff, that dry, boring stuff are still touch points. How do you take that, those pieces of content or brand and bring them together with that identity that you want them to be bringing forward?
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah, it's really about not thinking about any piece of copy is boring or dry. Like, I never think about the contact page as dry. I think it's another opportunity to show off your voice and your personality.
So it's really about. It's not just saying, you know, fill in this questionnaire and we'll get back to you as soon as possible. Like, that's going to be boring. That's going to be inconsistent with if the rest of your copy is full of voice and personality, that's going to feel off.
That's going to be that record scratch moment. And same with the, you know, other communications that you have, like your welcome letter and, you know, your questionnaire. All of it needs to sound, have that same voice. It has to have that same personality.
And that really boils down to not thinking about any copy as boring. It's all opportunity to show off your personality.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Okay, all right, so we've got somebody listening to today's podcast that we're doing and they're just not in a place to hire you financially.
They just can't do it. Give me maybe something that they could and they could go onto their website today and make a change that might help them.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah, so I'll give you a couple things. The first thing is find all the places where you refer to your client as your clients or my clients and change it to you.
So speak directly to the client. So that's one small tweak that anyone can do that will make a huge difference in terms of just feeling personal and more intimate. So that's one little tweak. Another tweak is adding in more calls to action, as we discussed.
I think those are small wins that anyone can do. I would say the last thing and, you know, I completely get it. It's. It's an investment and not everyone is quite ready to take that yet. I would personally say it's better to write your site yourself and be authentic.
And maybe it's not going to be perfect copy, but it sounds authentic. I think that's better than just putting in generic chat GPT copy. That might sound polished, but it sounds like Everybody else out there.
If they wanted, they said to themselves, okay, I really get what. What you're saying about brand voice, but I don't really know what my brand voice is. Is there any kind of way or a few questions, things that you could suggest to them that they ask themselves to kind of help them flesh that out, who their brand is, what it could be?
Yeah, I think thinking a good place to start is thinking about your own personality, and what are the aspects of your own personality that you want to come out in the voice? Like, do you have a sharp sense of wit?
Are you funny? Are you warm? How do you come across to people? How do you want to portray yourself to potential clients? If you're out at an event and you meet someone who you really want to work with, what would you want them to see in you?
So I think that's a really good place to start.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Okay, somehow they put the money together, and they decide they want to work with you, and they're going to give you a call right after the podcast is over.
Can you describe to us what that process would be like for them?
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah, absolutely.
So I'd be more than happy to jump on a call with anyone who's interested in learning more. It's really. That first call, for me is actually very similar to what an interior designer would do with a potential interior design client, which is, for me, it's about understanding what that client's goals are.
What are their business goals, what are their challenges, what's their big dream for their interior design business? And how can we. What. What can I do? Because it's. It's not. There's no standard package that fits everyone.
It's really about coming up with a bespoke approach that will help that person achieve their goals. So the first call is really about understanding their goals and figuring out if I can even help them with that, and then deciding what the next steps will be.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Okay, that's perfect.
Zooming back out a little. That kind of 30,000 foot view. What, how, how can effective brand building transform a business, transform an interior design business?
Best case scenario? Yeah
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: So number one, it can transform your business financially. So we were just talking about how it can be a scary investment to make to invest in a professional copywriter and professional branding, but it pays off financially when done well because a strong brand is going to enable you to attract those higher paying clients who value your expertise and are willing to invest in your services.
It also positions you for growth opportunities. So whether that means expanding your team or landing press, features and collaborations, a lot of designers want to get published. And you know, from my perspective, having worked on the editorial team at Elle Decor, editors want a strong brand story.
They want to understand what this brand is all about. They want a story. And so when you've made that investment in building that story, you have a much higher chance of actually attracting the attention of the press that you want it. Also.
We sort of touched upon this earlier, but also with clear strategic messaging in place, you also, as a business owner have. You spend less time having to explain your process or dealing with misaligned clients, you know, and, and wasting time on calls that are actually not really aligned with your goals or what you do.
And then I think finally, a strong brand presence really gives you the confidence to present yourself and in the way that you want to present yourself. When you know that your messaging is clear. It's much easier to show up online.
It's much easier to, you know, turn the camera around on yourself. It's much easier to pitch to clients, and it's much easier to grow your business.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: Yeah, yeah. And designers across the board, what I found in my small sample size, are woefully unaware of the story that they do have to tell.
That they just think, I'm a designer, this is what I do. And I'm like, every single client you've had, there's always, I mean, I, I get this from, I mean, during the darkest days of COVID and when everybody was trapped at home, I'd listen to my wife on the phone talking to clients. And I mean, a lot of that discussion was with what's going on and whatnot.
But the stories, the, the details, everything I'm like, it's a gold mine. It's such a goldmine of stuff to talk about. And yet it doesn't get. It doesn't get used properly or even improperly. It blows my mind.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: True. So true. It really is a gold mine. That's such a good way to put it, because when I uncover these stories during these sessions with clients. Clients, it's like, ah, how is that not like, how are you not screaming this from the rooftops? That's amazing.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: So, yeah, I mean, I, I, In a, In a previous life, I had two different fitness businesses that I've owned and sold, and it.
Almost all of the business came from referrals, like interior designers. But I always made a point of, you know, the clients knew our story, knew what we were about, knew what we were going to promise, knew what we delivered, and I would get them to be my salespeople.
And I don't see designers doing that. And I think this is a great place for them to start, is having a clear idea of who they are, what their brand is, because they've. They've got a brand. Whether they know it or not, a brand exists. But is it the right.
Is your story being told correctly?
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yes. That's so well put.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: There you go. My one, my one good idea for the day. This is. This has been fantastic. I really, really appreciate you coming on.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: Yeah, thank you so much. I really enjoyed it. Thank you for having me.
Douglas Robb - Interior DesignHer: That's great. We'll have to have you back.
Kamala Nair - Meticulous Copy for Interior Designers: I'd love that.
Why Interior Designers Need Strategic Brand Messaging
The disconnect between beautiful design work and weak messaging creates a trust gap for potential clients. Kamala reveals that successful designers transform their businesses by focusing on these key elements:
A compelling website headline that clearly articulates your unique value
Strategic calls-to-action throughout your site, not just on the contact page
Clear explanation of your design process from first call to project completion
Consistent brand voice across all touchpoints, even "boring" pages
Speaking directly to clients using "you" instead of referring to "clients"
This approach allows designers to convert website visitors into qualified leads without spending additional money on marketing tactics.
The Designer's Brand Messaging Blueprint
According to Kamala, effective brand messaging comes down to a structured approach:
Identify your unique differentiator by answering: "When a client discovers ____ about me, they have to hire me"
Create a compelling headline that captures this differentiator above the fold on your homepage
Include clear calls-to-action throughout your website for visitors at different decision stages
Speak directly to your ideal client using "you" rather than referring to "clients" in the third person
Ensure every touchpoint—from your about page to your contact form—maintains consistent brand voice
The difference between designers who convert website visitors and those who don't isn't luck—it's having strategic messaging that builds trust.
Transform Your Design Business Through Strategic Copy
After implementing Jamie's strategies, designers report dramatic business transformations:
Designers who implement Kamala's brand messaging strategies report meaningful business transformations:
More qualified leads as your messaging attracts ideal clients
Higher conversion rates when visitors become inquiries
Stronger client relationships built through authentic connection
Less time explaining your process on discovery calls
The ability to command premium rates with positioning that establishes your value
The ultimate goal for designers is to make their marketing efforts pay off in signed contracts. Strategic brand messaging makes this possible by connecting with the right potential clients.
Connect with Kamala Nair
If you want to learn more about Kamala's copywriting services for interior designers, you can reach her at:
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