If you're not using social media to market your firm, you may wonder if it actually has any relevance for architects. In this day and age, no industry can afford not to be online – the question is how to make your content useful. And the answer is really the same across the board: Help people. Educate them. If you approach your social campaigns in a service-oriented way, you’ll find there’s always someone out there who wants to hear what you have to say.
Across all platforms, you have one major goal: Share what you know. Your industry is not necessarily positioned for impulse purchases – instead, strive to establish an ongoing relationship with your future clients by dazzling them with your expertise. You want to be top-of-mind as the go-to expert by the time they are ready to start a project. Here are a few architecture marketing tips that can make that happen.
| Image by Flickr user Jeroen Bennink |
Blogging is a huge cornerstone of the social media world – and it also happens to be the best way to establish your professional expertise. If you’re not doing this new-fangled thing they refer to as “content marketing” – you should be. Content marketing is what they call an “inbound marketing” technique devised to bring more organic search traffic to your site. People search for topics they want to learn more about, find your amazing content and come to trust you as the one with all the answers. So sit down and make two lists: one that reflects the most common questions people ask you, and the other a summary of your strongest selling points. Then get to it. Start blogging. And don't forget to share your posts on your social pages.
The way to make this count is to ensure you convert those people once they get to your site. If you’re hoping to pick up new clients, a good way to go about it might be to put a banner on every page offering a free consultation. Even those who don’t have a project right now will remember your offer when the time comes.
| Image by Flickr user Peter Alfred Hess |
Pinterest is the most interesting visual platform by far, and if you’re not posting there, you’re missing an opportunity. In order to use Pinterest to its fullest effect, however, you need to understand the platform. First of all, 80% of Pinterest users are female – so think about ways you can connect with women as a demographic, in particular. Check to see what types of content are being pinned, and think of ways you can contribute to the conversations that are already ongoing. Interiors are a huge topic on Pinterest, so if you do interior work, be sure to highlight that with high-quality, professional photos. But you’ll find a little bit of everything – commercial work, retail, homes. Poke around and see where you fit.
Make sure to write proper, keyword-optimized, descriptions for all your pinned photos. That will make it easier for users to find your work.
This idea transcends any one platform and gives you endless fodder for all your social platforms – but it’s especially good for Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube. You want to have a stream of sharable content – so think about interesting ways to use pictures or videos from the office or worksite to tie into broader discussion topics. Post an image of your assistant building a model for your newest project, and explain how and why models are actually built. Or post an image of a contractor hard at work on-site, and explain what they’re doing. Most people have very little real understanding of what the average architect actually does. Educate them. Find a way to make it interesting.
| Image by Flickr user Cydcor Offices |
LinkedIn is a great tool for reaching other professionals – so particularly if you do commercial or retail work, it can be priceless for drumming up work. But once again, what you’re after here is raising your profile – you want to be seen as an authoritative expert in your field.
After the success of its Influencer program, the site expanded so that anyone can now publish an article – but it’s ultimately up to you to promote it. Log in, click the little pencil icon on your homepage and start writing. Add images and links as desired. The key to being widely shared is to write about things that interest your audience – so do a little intel. Search for groups dedicated to your areas of expertise, and then lurk until you have a sense for the information people are looking for. And be sure to post links to your articles in those groups (as well as on your other social profiles, to friends and family… you get the idea).