Social Media for Architects; the road to success

Some architecture firms get it.  They understand that the effective use of Social Media can bring in business.  These firms have been committed to building their business online, and in a matter of three, two and even one year, they have reaped the rewards of their diligent work.  

Gone are the days when Social Media was just a place for teens to hang out.  Social Media has infiltrated the lives of all age groups in society, and is continuing to take up more and more of people's time each week.  Over 80% of Australians use the internet, with some 62% of these using social networking sites.  36% of these use social networking at least every day, with 10% using it more than 5 times a day (Source: Yellow Social Media Report, June 2012, Sensis).

And it's not just a platform to share family photos and talk about the ins and outs of daily life.  More and more Australians are using Social Media to research products and businesses, before visiting websites, making a call, or visiting bricks-and-mortar businesses.  Three of the top ten  reasons for using Social Media involve researching and connecting with brands or businesses.  

 

I already have a website, isn't that enough? 

Today’s business website should be the hub of all your business operations, and you should regularly “feed” that hub with fresh content from places.   Your corporate blog, pod casts, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and other social media channels.  

Google gives weight to websites which are active in Social Media. The more active you are across the Social Media landscape, the more chance you will have to rank on page 1 in Google search.  Your website and blog will indexed and qualified leads will have a way to find your website from valuable search terms, such as “Architects in Geelong”, "Architects in Melbourne" or "Architects in Australia".  

People don’t know where to go to find architects other than the Yellow Pages.  Architects need to be where their potential clients are; surfing the Internet, and on Social Media platforms. 

Most architecture firms already have decent websites, and many even have Facebook pages. But innovative firms take their social media strategy much further, and reap the rewards in the form of more exposure, more leads and more clients.  

How do Architects harness the power of Social Media to get more businesses?

Small or large, architectural firms can make progress in the social media world, and establish their firm as thought leaders.  There are many firms out there now which consider Social Media an integral element of their overall marketing strategy.  By blogging, pod casting, and interacting with the design community on-line, local architecture businesses can open up to the national market, expanding their audience without the need to open bricks and mortar offices in multiple locations. In this world word-of-mouth marketing and referral based marketing, traffic can be driven to your website, resulting in targeted, qualified leads.

Define your firm as a thought leader:  Communicate & educate

Many architects concur that their responsibility extends not only to the places they create, but also to communicating and educating the community about issues that they are engaged or interested in.  Facebook, Twitter, blogging and other platforms enable architects to educate and communicate with the general public, and others in the industry.  

In addition to creating your own fresh content, sharing carefully selected information from various sources can be an important element to building relationships, and your reputation on-line.

Architecture firms which share carefully selected, relevant industry news, photos and articles are widely respected and followed on Social Media platforms. it takes time to build your own archive of content.  While growing your own library of information, you can promote other websites and influencers. Once you have your own pod cast to share, you have already built an audience eager to hear what you have to say.

Get personal:  It's all about building relationships

Whether or not you are successful Social Media Marketing, comes down to how you use it.  If you are using the tools in the correct manner, you will be successful.  Social Media is all about communicating and building relationships, not just broadcasting.  If you understand that from day 1, you are already half way there.  

A good Brand Strategy is the key to a solid Social Media foundation

Before you commence using the online world to spread the word about your business, it is imperative you have a solid brand strategy;

     Who is "insert your business name"?
     What do you stand for?  
     Who are our target clients?

     How do you reach your target clients?

 What is your position in the marketplace and what makes you unique

  
Finding a unique way to position your brand allows you to stand out on crowded platforms.  

Social Media platforms for Architects  

There are several online marketing platforms which architecture firms can use to increase brand awareness and connect with their audience.  At a basic level, the following "big 5" are recommended;

Twitter –You can find ways to add value to discussions. Start local then expand geographically. Share links to interesting content on other websites, gradually to build trust and credibility. 

Facebook –Your Facebook page is a great place to post interesting articles. This is a platform on which you can build a reputation as a resource for the architecture and design community. By talking about the industry rather than self-promotion, you create an educational resource where people enjoy visiting as a resource.  This keeps your name in the forefront of your community's mind, and creates a path for inbound rather than outbound marketing.  

Linked in - A great platform for expanding your leads database, communicating with others in your industry and contributing to community discussions, leading to securing more clients.   

Pod casts - Create your own branded series, talking about anything from tips for turning your home into an eco-friendly home, to holiday homes on a budget / on a luxury level. use your other Social Media platforms to promote your pod casts, and build a loyal following.  

Blog - Architecture is a field driven by innovative ideas.  Demonstrating that your firm is aware of new design tools and regulations, shows potential clients that you know your business well.  Blogging about best practices learned at events and trade shows establishes trust and a professional image.  

There are many other platforms and applications which are industry specific and can help your architecture firm succeed on-line.  

How much time needs to be dedicated to Social Media? 

Strategies and schedules can be created  to suit any time or budget allocation. Do it all yourself, or supply a Social Media management firm with weekly content and let them post it for you in a optimized-for-web manner across multiple platforms.  Using this approach requires from 1 hour per week to 3  hours work per week on your behalf, and frees up your time to focus on your core business.    

Commitment to regular posting and interaction builds brand awareness

Setting up Facebook, Twitter and Linked In profiles, and using them to keep increase awareness of your business in your local community and industry, is a great way start to keeping clients informed, keeping the communication channels open, and increasing the likelihood of repeat business.  Keep you posts regular, your content fresh, and talk about topics which are recent an relevant, and you will keep the channels of communication open with past clients, prospective clients, and others in your industry.  

Yes, you still need to market off-line

Although inbound marketing can be exponentially more profitable than the traditional outbound marketing tactics that many of us have grown up utilizing, Social Media Marketing is one important element of a holistic marketing strategy.  Your team members still need to network at live events. In-person networking is still a key to your accounting firm's success, but social media is a brilliant forum for pre in-person networking and post in-person networking.  The fastest growing companies are employing both traditional and digital forms of marketing. 

Are you using Social Media to market your Architecture Firm online?  What platforms do you use, and where have you seen the most success?