You’ve invested in professional photography - your images are beautiful.
Now you’re editing reels, posting stories, showing up again and again…
But it’s not translating into enquiries.
You're pouring energy into content, but it’s not getting you the kind of aligned clients you dream of working with.
It’s time to shift from content that simply looks good, to content that leads to clients.
That means content that:
- Resonates deeply with your dream client
- Feels magnetic - drawing people in and holding them close, like moths to a flame
- Sparks desire and seeds the thought: “This could be the designer for me”
- Builds real trust and connection, gently guiding someone from curiosity to conversation
And - as with everything in business - it takes strategic clarity + energetic alignment.
Let’s break it down.
Firstly: Your Dream Clients Don’t Want Design Tips
One of the biggest misconceptions designers have is believing that sharing design tips will build trust and win clients. But the truth is, your dream clients don’t want to DIY their dream home.
They want to pay for it to be done beautifully, confidently, and expertly - by someone who says, “I’ve got you. I understand your vision. You’re in good hands.”
They don’t want advice - they want relief. You’re not here to teach them how to design - you’re here to show them why you are the one to do it for them.
Of course there are plenty of people who will love your design tips.
But they’re not the ones who will pay you.
Design tips might build you a following but they rarely lead to high-investment enquiries because people who are looking to learn aren’t the same people who are looking to hire.
Think about the last time you hired someone whose work involves style, judgment, or that quiet knowing of what works and why - a photographer, coach, or brand designer. Did you choose them because they gave the best free tips? Or was it because they helped you see yourself in who they are, what they do and the way they do it. They demonstrated their expertise - not by showing how much they know - but by showing how their knowledge could deliver what you couldn’t do on your own.
It’s the same for your clients. They’re not scrolling Instagram hoping to learn your process. They’re looking for someone they trust will ‘get them’ and deliver their vision.
Your styling tips and behind-the-scenes reels might be entertaining or informative, but they rarely spark that knowing in someone’s heart that says:
This. This is the designer for me.
Content Is Connection
It might sound obvious but your content is not for you.
It’s not to prove how successful you are or how busy your studio is.
It’s for your ideal client.
The client who loves your aesthetic, respects your role and will gladly pay you to take the multitude of decisions and tiny details off their hands.
So, instead of worrying about likes and followers, focus on them. Be obsessed with them.
What are they frustrated with right now?
What are they afraid of getting wrong?
What do they want their life to feel like on the other side of this project?
Your content is the bridge between where they are now - and where they want to be.
Between their current struggle - and their beautiful imagined future.
And here’s a fun fact: humans don’t make decisions in the rational ‘thinking’ part of the brain.
Decisions are made in the limbic system - the part of the brain used for behavioural and emotional responses. They are not driven by sense, but a need for survival.
Which means that when they’re considering which designer to hire for their project, your prospective clients’ ‘thinking’ goes way beyond logic. Any project is as much an emotional investment as a rational one.
Their choice of designer will be rooted in deep, complex, survival-based instincts like -
Will they ‘get me’ and create a space in which I will thrive?
Will they reinforce how I want to present myself to the world?
What would not doing this project mean for my comfort and experience of life?
Do I feel safe investing in this?
So when it comes to your content I encourage you to think- hearts over minds.
Your visuals and messaging need to speak directly to your ideal client:
- Convey a vibe that’s true to who you are and what you do
- Paint a vision of what’s possible for them
- Reflect the emotions they are experiencing
- Show them how they will be looked after in the experience of working with you
At the heart of all this is a truth I come back to again and again:
Content is connection.
It’s usually the first spark between you and your next client - the moment they discover you, feel something, and start to imagine what it would be like to work together.
Connection comes through content that’s deeply aligned, unmistakably yours, and emotionally resonant with the right people.
Take Amber Lewis for example.
She’s built one of the most recognisable brands in interior design - not just because of her aesthetic, but because of her voice. She shares with warmth and honesty, invites her audience into the journey, and speaks like a real human while staying true to her brand. That balance - realness and refinement - is what builds lasting trust and magnetic brand loyalty.
Stop Showcasing, Start Storytelling
One of the most powerful tools in your content strategy is storytelling. Not just pretty before-and-afters - but narratives that make people feel something.
Storytelling is how you turn content into connection—and connection into clients.
But not just any story. Not a highlight reel of your portfolio or a behind-the-scenes diary about your studio. Because that’s all about you.
The most powerful storytelling keeps your client at the centre. It reflects their current reality, their hidden frustrations, their longing for a space that feels like them. Your role isn’t to be the star - it’s to be the visionary creative and trustworthy guide who brings your clients’ dream to life.
Great Content Isn’t Just Written. It’s Felt.
Something most content calendars don’t account for: energy.
Yes, batch-creating and scheduling posts can be efficient.
Yes, it can help you stay “consistent.”
But I find that pre-scheduled posts feel like placeholders - beautiful imagery, but hollow. There’s no pulse. No magnetism. No sense of presence.
I’m often asked what I think about scheduling content and my honest answer is:
Real time posts connect differently. In my own experience they convert better - even if they’re less polished. There’s something powerful about showing up in real time with something true to share. People feel it. They stop scrolling. They lean in.
I’d rather share one authentic, real-time piece of content each week than churn out five lifeless, pre-scheduled posts that fall flat and go unnoticed.
Because while consistency matters, energy is what sparks connection.
So how does it feel - to think about content as connection?
Every post, a moment to show up with clarity, conviction and presence.
Sharing stories that show - not just what you do - but how it feels to be in your world.
Creating content that makes the right people feel something, and say:
This. This is the designer for me.
…as they reach out to begin a conversation.
How I Can Help
I help visionary creatives to build a thriving design studio where content is the first domino in having people see you, learn about you and consider working with you.
Aligned For Growth is my signature group coaching program for creative founders delivering bespoke work for discerning clients. If you’re ready to grow your business with powerful strategy and personal alignment, join the waitlist to be the first to hear when enrolment opens again.
Katy Stevenson Bretton
Katy Stevenson Bretton is a mindset and business coach who helps interior designers grow their businesses with proven strategy and depth coaching. After a decade managing multi-million-pound projects at London’s City Hall and seven years running a successful interior design studio, Katy now empowers designers to connect to their unique purpose, build their brand, price profitably, and create next-level income and freedom. Known for her clarity, insight, and intuitive coaching, she unlocks your biggest vision along with the strategy and inner work to achieve it.
