Design Between Tweets

When I joined this industry, I was surprised how low-tech it was. It felt like the interior design industry was still stuck in the brick and mortar, pen and paper world. It felt like HighPoint, North Carolina was still the center of gravity of the world of design.

That was two years ago... I have to admit that I have seen a major shift in the industry.


The designers are coming out and in full force in social networks. It is happening, on facebook, on decorati and on Twitter. Designers are watching each others- sharing quick trends, getting minute by minute updates from trade shows and more importantly building a great community that they always lacked. Everyday, my Twitter following is increasing.

• Retailers are there pushing latest products.
• Design Magazines are there waiting for the latest headlines on design
• Designers are there sharing design ideas
• and clients are there, selecting their clients.

But is Twitter the holy grail of interior designer marketing? the jury is still out.

Is Twitter a good way to network with designers? Yes.

Is Twitter a good way to get new trends in design? Yes

Is Twitter a good way to reach out to the press and coordinate design events? Yes

Is Twitter the way to reach customers? That is where I believe it falls short! I haven't or heard of anyone that has bought or sold something on Twitter- Not a product and not a service. So I have to say no.

Can Twitter give a fake sign of fame? You might be tweeting, but who is listening?

Does Twitter have the potential to waste time? Sure it does. After all, it is a fad and it might simply be absorbed into something else.

In the meantime, here are a few tricks to not to fall into the wasteland on Twitter:

Select your followings and followers carefully. Make sure they are either designers, trade rags, customers or retailers

• Don't post useless tweets: forget the "great burger", "heading to lunch", blah blah tweets. Focus on what will make the industry better: A new line, a new trend, a new fabric combination- Project a highly professional image of yourself
• Maintain a consistent presence: Tweet at the pace of the industry (example: if designers are tweeting once a day, then tweet once, if they are tweeting 10 times a day, then do the same- Bottom Line- Don't be the quiet one, nor be the babble mouth in the crowd
• Make your Tweets an event followers wait for. Tweet an article, a blog or any piece of content that you are an expert in. That is what people are looking for
• Last but not list: Maitain your brand. Make sure you let people know who you are, what you know and what you want to know. After all, this is what a community is all about.

Don't miss out on any trends, follow me on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ChezMoi_Design or at Chez Moi and design between tweets... or should it be Tweet Between Designs ?