"How Do I Get Interior Design Clients Without Posting on Instagram Every Day?"

If you're an interior designer who’s ever thought, “Do I really need to post on Instagram every day just to get clients?”—you’re not alone. In fact, it’s one of the most common questions from interior designers, stagers and home-pros.

The short answer? No. You don’t need to live on Instagram to consistently attract your dream clients. There’s a smarter, easier and more sustainable way to grow your business—and it doesn’t involve chasing the algorithm, dancing on Reels, or burning out from content overload.

In this blog post, I’m going to walk you through how to get your interior design dream clients without relying on daily Instagram posts.

But First, Why Instagram Isn’t The Best To Attract New Leads

Instagram has its place. It’s fun, visual, and a great tool for connecting, sharing your brand and inspiration. But it’s not where most people go to hire an interior designer.

Instagram is an entertainment platform. When you’re deep in scroll mode on IG, are you in the mindset of making big decisions? Probably not. You’re browsing, standing in line at Target, maybe saving a few ideas for later. Your dream clients are the same. They’re not necessarily ready to hire an interior designer while they’re scrolling.

Instagram has limitations when it comes to converting inspiration into booked clients:

• People are typically in scroll mode, not decision-making mode

• The algorithm controls your visibility

• You’re constantly feeding the beast to stay relevant

• Content disappears quickly “According to data from Levitate Media, the average Instagram post lifespan is about 48 hours, while blog posts and Pinterest pins can continue driving traffic for months or years.”

Instagram definitely has a role in marketing your interior design business —but it should not be your focus to get dream clients to hire you or keep your project pipeline full. There are easier and more sustainable tactics that will meet your dream clients when they are actually ready to take action: Google. Pinterest. Your website. Their inbox.

These are the places where real decision-making happens. That’s where your dream clients are actively looking for answers, solutions, and the right designer to help them. And that’s where to shift your focus. According to HubSpot’s latest State of Marketing report, search engines (like Google) remain the top discovery platform when consumers are actively looking for services like interior design.

Three Powerful Ways to Get Clients Without Living on Social Media

There are three powerhouse tools to consistently attract dream clients without having to post every day. Following one, or all, of these tactics will have dream clients coming to you, not the other way around. They are:

1. SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

2. Evergreen Content

3. Your Email List
   

You can zero in on just one of these tools, or you can utilize the beautiful trifecta when used all together. Once you’ve got the basics set up, they keep working while you’re designing, on vacation, or simply living your life.

Let’s break them down into more detail.

1. SEO – So Your Dream Clients Can Actually Find You

This is where it all starts. People go to Google to find an interior designer, and your website shows up for them. Simple.

SEO helps your website show up when people are Googling things like:

• “interior designer in [your city]”

• “how to decorate a small entryway”

• “best white paint for a north-facing room”

• “how to hire an interior designer for a kitchen remodel”
  

If your site isn’t showing up for these types of searches, you’re missing out on a ton of potential dream clients who are actively looking for someone like you.

And the best part? Once you’ve done the SEO work, it doesn’t disappear like an IG story. It just keeps working behind the scenes—bringing dream clients to your digital doorstep over and over again. SEO was the route I took to easily grow my interior design business, Happy Place Interiors.

Think of it like this: SEO is the paver path to your business. Every optimized page or keyword you add is another paver. The more you lay, the easier it is for clients to find you.

And even better? SEO is now easier to understand and implement. I created the SEO Kickstart Workshop for beginners, and I’m currently developing a full deep-dive course—How to Rank on Page 1. In both, I break SEO down into clear, manageable steps and walk interior designers through exactly how to implement them—making SEO more doable (and affordable) than ever.

And once your SEO is set in place, your marketing starts to feel effortless. Dream clients find you, not the other way around.

Happy Place Interiors is my interior design firm, located in Minneapolis, MN. My website ranks on Google Page 1. This is what I teach to other designers.

2. Evergreen Content – So Your Dream Clients Find Your Content

Evergreen content is content that lives on. It doesn’t expire after 24-48 hours or get buried by an algorithm. It keeps showing up in search results when your dream client is looking. Evergreen content is:

• Blog posts (or simply a page on your website):

  • Client Project Case Study

  • Q & A Section

  • Free downloads or checklists

  • Resource pages

• Pinterest pins (linking back to your site will increas your SEO)

• YouTube Videos or Shorts

  
  

Say you write a blog post called “The Best White Paint for a North-Facing Room.” (You know that question comes up all. the. time.)

That one post could: • Rank on Google Ai Overview • Get pinned on Pinterest • Drive traffic to your website via email newsletter (this also increases your SEO) • Lead to an inquiry from someone who now trusts your opinion

And guess what? You only had to write it once. According to HubSpot, companies that blog get 55% more website visitors than those that don’t—and those posts continue to bring in leads over time.

One Pinterest Pin can do serious double duty—bringing steady traffic to your website, boosting your SEO, and helping you grow your email list, all from a single Pin

3. Email Marketing – So Your Dream Client Keep You Top Of Mind

Let’s talk about your email list for a second. If you don’t have one yet, this is your sign to start. Today.

Why?

Because your email list is the only audience you own. Algorithms can change, platforms can disappear, social accounts can get hacked, but your email list? That’s yours.

It’s also one of the best ways to build trust, stay top-of-mind, and gently remind people that, “Hey, I can help you with that awkward living room you’ve been stressing about.”

What to Email Your People

Your emails don’t have to be long and they shouldn't be salesy. Keep them simple, helpful and consistent. Add a free download on your website to entice people to sign up to receive emails. These are people wanting to hear from you, wanting to engage with you. Here's a few quick email ideas (use ChatGPT for more ideas based o your demographics and niche, etc.):

• Link to a recent blog post or FAQ page on your website

• Share a story from a recent client project

• A quick before & After

• Give a quick tip or answer a design question

• Recommend a product or paint color

• Check in with a behind-the-scenes update
  

And when they’re ready to hire a designer? You’ll be the first one they think of—because you showed up consistently in a way that felt genuine, not pushy. How It All Works Together.

These three strategies feed off each other and amplify your visibility.

Here’s what it looks like in action:

1. You write a Blog Post

2. Your make a Pinterest Pin that leads to the Blog Post

3. You send out an email newsletter with a link to your Blog Post These three steps connect with your dream clients and drive traffic to your website which increases your SEO (so you're more likely to show up in search results)

And for years, this can happen:

1. Someone Googles “how to mix modern and traditional furniture”

2. Your blog post shows up

3. They read it, love your voice, and head to your site

4. Your site invites them to download a free design checklist

5. They join your email list

6. You send them weekly tips and inspo

7. A few weeks later, they reply and say, “I think I’m ready to work with you.”

No dancing reels. No daily posts. Just a piece of helpful content doing its job—for years to come.

A Plan You Can Actually Stick With

1. Pick a common client question you hear a lot OR a recent IG post— reuse the content you have already made.

2. Write a blog post (or simply add it to a page on your website) answering that question

3. Create a Pinterest graphic and pin it. This links back to your website page/ blog.

4. Send a short email to your list linking to the website page/ blog.

5. Optional: Post a quick recap on Instagram if you feel like it
   

That’s it.

Now your one piece of content is working in four platforms—your blog, Pinterest, your email list, and your website—without doing a single dance or spending all day posting. Simply do this once a week or a few times a month to make an incredible difference — building your SEO and showing up for your dream clients when they are looking to hire, not when they're scrolling.

And it will be viable for months and even years.

However, just because I walked you through SEO, blogging, Pinterest, and email doesn’t mean you have to do all of it. You can absolutely focus in on just one strategy—like improving your SEO by optimizing your existing website pages or simply turning your Instagram posts into Pinterest pins to increase your reach. You choose what fits your style and your bandwidth. Start with what feels doable, and build from there. The goal is to be found by your dream clients with less burnout and over time, these strategies will bring your dream clients to you.

Ready to Dig In Further?

Here's some resources that can help: Start Getting The Designer's Blueprint Email— for awesome interior design business tips

Free Download: The Essential Homepage Checklist to be found, Loved, and Hired

SEO KICKSTART WORKSHOP – perfect if you’re brand new to SEO and want to get found faster.

More courses created for interior designers and home pros.

Let's build a business that works for you—not the other way around.

Get visible. Get booked. And do it without the burnout. — Mel Zaelich is an interior designer, branding strategist, and SEO expert dedicated to helping fellow designers build wildly successful businesses—without the stress of constant marketing.