There is no point in arguing that, when it comes to architects, social media marketing is a whole new domain for them. The industry around architecture always revolved around word of mouth. It has always been the domain of the most visionary firm, who can actually get the client and get closure for themselves. As the world is gradually changing and adapting to the new technology trends, it is the architectural firms that have taken the biggest hit.
How to Start Social Media Marketing?
There is no rocket science to understand social media marketing. In fact, being an architect means you are already creative enough than the rest of the population. Down below is a list of some of the most promising ways in which your architectural firm will boom in no time:
1) Starting with a Website
The first and foremost thing to do before getting starting on SMM is to get a compelling website. The website needs to be intuitive and user-friendly so that your clients and potential prospects can easily reach out to you.
Make sure to treat your website as your online portfolio and display exactly how your firm proceeds forward with the work. You need to express yourself in such a way that your visitors can make out the difference between you and your competitors. Make your copy compelling in such a way that it leaves a mark on your clients.
Adding testimonials is yet another effective way to depict what your previous clients have to say about you. Testimonials add that extra touch of authority, which everyone finds intriguing. Testimonials don’t hide the truth, so your prospects can rely more upon you. One pro time, good testimonials come at a price, and this the quality of work you put forward for your clients.
2) Blogging the Offered Services
Blogging is, by far, one of the most promising ways to actually converse with potential prospects. By briefly defining the services that an architectural firm offers, they can make sure what their clients want. Some of the most prominent places to get inspiration from blogging include Medium, Architizer, Houzz, and Archello. Firms can also make use of free backlinking just by reposting their content on different websites.
But, bear in mind to bring forth value on the table. Make sure that your blogs are informative, along with being promotional. Blogging is also one of the best ways to build trust with the audience, i.e., your potential clients.
3) Getting the Most Out of Social Media
Talking about the elephant in the room, social media is by far one of the best places to be seen, being an architectural firm. In this section, we shall be describing the different social media platforms, how you can get the most out of them.
- Facebook and Twitter
These two platforms are mostly known for their openness. This is where people interact and shares their opinion. So, these two websites are the perfect example to establish your credentials as well as putting general advertisements. In fact, you can even create an entire community around Facebook.
- Pinterest, YouTube, and Instagram
These platforms are mostly known for their visual appeal. So, if you want to get viral or recognition, you need to target these platforms. In other words, Pinterest and Instagram are also great places to actually share your portfolio.
A few years back, what was termed as a job-hunting website has now become one of the largest B2B marketplaces. At the core of it, LinkedIn is still used for professional networking. Being an architectural firm, your net worth will only be evaluated with the number of networks you share.
It is one of the best places to create professional relationships. Maybe you can get along with the CEO of a certain company, and end up with a huge closure. Truth to be told, this is something that’s only possible around LinkedIn.
4) Using Lead Generation Services
Lead generation services are by far one of the most promising and sought out social media marketing strategies. In fact, being in the architectural industry, you can even term it as one of the fastest marketing strategies.
You can actually get along with lead generation in various ways. Cold calling is one of such prominent strategies. Here the company collects data of individuals. And by data, we mean in thousands. Lead generation companies, with the help of the obtained data and your firm’s information, will get in touch with those people. In fact, even you can do the same if you have good copywriting skills.
Other lead generation technique includes running social media advertisements. The same is also applicable to Goggle AdWords. This is where your company’s ad copy is shown on other websites, and if any user clicks on them, they shall be redirected to your website. If you want to reach out to a large number of audiences, this is the easiest way to achieve such. Make yourself prepared for a large number of unqualified leads too.
5) Learning Elevator Pitch
Knowing your way around elevator pitch is very important, especially if you are going to use social media marketing. First of all, discard all the ideas of bulky sales pitches you have used so far because the elevator pitch is nothing like it. These are a short and concise description of your firm and how you operate it.
The overall reading time for your elevator pitch should never exceed more than one minute. This is the maximum time limit you can get from an individual who has just started to know about your company. For starters, you need to understand the value propositions of your company and what sets you apart from the rest.
So, in the meantime, make sure to work on that elevator pitch, and trim it down till it seems perfect to you. Bear in mind that your elevator pitch is one of the most crucial marketing strategies for your firm. In the end, your elevator pitch should make your client wanting to know more about you, instead of annoying them.
6) Publishing Your Work
Running ad campaigns is not just the only way to get recognition. Publishing white papers or conducting studies are also one of the best ways to establish your credibility within the industry. Providing a better quality of work is adequate enough to get new room for opportunities.
Once your work has been published, you can either incorporate them directly to your blog, share them on social media. You will get not just the perfect opportunity for better engagement but also a ton of potential prospects who have understood the depth of your work. So, it is always a win-win situation for you.
7) Keep Your Contact with Old Leads
Think of this as a precautionary opinion. One of the biggest mistakes that booming companies tend to make is that they become overwhelmed with the number of leads they start to get through SMM. But, don’t let your focus get redirected from your old clients. There are thousands of reasons for the same.
One valid reason is that, among your old leads, chances are some of them turn out to be potential retainer. So, always focus on the best customer service while you can. Further including, prioritizing customer satisfaction might end up with new clients from their references.
In case if a client turns you down, don’t go right away, discarding their details. On the contrary, make sure to keep the thought of following up to them, later on. There could have been several reasons due to which the client was bound to say no, for the time being. So, always keep your doors open for previous clients.
8) Catching up to the Technology
Even as you are reading the article, technological advancement is on its way. As technology changes, the methodologies for presenting architectural models also changes.
One of the biggest perks of actually selling architectural services is that you need to be ahead of the curve. Thinking from the perspective of the client, they would certainly want to work with a firm that moves ahead with time. So, adapt to new technologies, so that you can have a firm grip on the market. This, in turn, will also set you apart from the rest of your competitors.
Conclusion
It is imperative to understand that all the above-mentioned marketing strategies are most effective for architectural firms. As you start going through them, make sure to implement the strategies gradually to your regular regiment. That being said, when it comes to SMM, you need to have patience above anything. Your business is not going to boom overnight. So, hold on to your horses and be consistent. Once you get everything right, you will gradually start getting clients.
