Marketing is a long-term task. There are few quick wins and instead companies need to be willing to lay the ground work and take time and care to implement a marketing strategy that works. It’s a process that might sound familiar to many architects.
Architects know only too well the importance of patience – after all, a skyscraper isn’t built in a day!
Marketing an architect firm is no different, and requires a balance of tried and tested marketing strategies and new techniques and platforms that can elevate small firms to a much wider audience.
Architects need their own brand identity. Architecture is about design and emotion, and these need to be central pillars for everything that your firm puts out into the world, especially within marketing.
If you’re wondering how you can successfully market your architecture firm, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve put together four key tips to help you market your architect firm – happy reading!
Build a Website that Inspires
Your website is the online shop front for your architect firm. It’s the place where potential clients should be able to find out everything they need to know about you, your experience and your services.
Think about how you want people to feel when they leave your website. For an architect firm, you’re likely aiming for potential customers to feel inspired, excited and impressed.
Much like when you build a home, your website should have a cohesive theme and tone. It should feel like everything fits together and separate pages shouldn’t feel disjointed.
Standard website templates may not be enough to fulfil the needs of your website. Your website should reflect the standard of your creativity and skills, with elements such as 3D-walkthroughs and interactive plans.
If a potential customer can’t visit your creations in-person, then your website should be the next best thing.
Nail your SEO
SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) is one of the most crucial ways you can grow your business in the online age.
SEO is the process of optimising your website so that it appears in search engine’s results for relevant search terms. The higher up your website appears in results, the more visibility your website and brand will receive.
When implementing an SEO strategy, the key thing to remember is that you only want to appear in relevant results. For example, if someone searches for “luxury architect firm” you can presume they’re looking for a, you guessed it, luxury architect firm. If you think your firm fits the bill then you’d want your website to be presented to them in the search results.
Undertaking keyword research is the best way to find the search terms that are not only relevant to your architect firm, but also that you have the best chance of ranking for. If the search volume of a term is too high, then you might find that there’s simply too much competition to rank well.
For example, “architect firm” is a generic term that’s going to have an incredibly high search volume. “Architect firm Manchester”, however, is much more niche. If you’re an architect firm based in Manchester then this should absolutely be one of your target terms.
Although ranking on the first page of search engines such as Google isn’t an easy task, with a long-term SEO strategy that includes content creation, keyword optimisation and backlink building, it’s certainly not impossible.
Focus Your Social Media
Having a powerful portfolio is key to convincing prospective clients that you’re the architect they should choose. But simply having a portfolio isn’t enough; you need to be sharing it with the world too.
Social media is a great way to showcase your work to a wider audience and can provide you with a platform to prove your experience and reputation.
With so many social media platforms available, it can be easy to think that you need to be on everything. You don’t. Instead, take the time to think about which platforms will offer you the most value.
Visual platforms such as Instagram or Pinterest work particularly well for architect firms as they offer you the chance to let your work do the talking.
Take the time to research the user demographic for each platform. For example, whilst TikTok is currently bursting in popularity, the vast majority of its users are under 30 and probably not the target market for an architect firm.
Don’t waste your time and resources on a platform that won’t provide you with value in return.
Broaden Your Audience
Another great way to market your architect firm is to broaden your audience. The broader you can make your audience, the more chance you have of attracting potential clients who will convert.
There are various ways you can broaden your audience, but a good tip is to begin reaching out to your community. Research top architecture websites and blogs and suggest offering a guest post for their website. They will receive a free piece of content and you’ll be getting your name out there.
Keep your eye out for any architecture events or conferences that you can attend to network and build contacts – and if you feel confident doing so, then you can even put yourself forward to speak.
Positioning yourself as an expert in your field is a great way to instil confidence in your audience, and get your brand in front of new and interested eyes.
How Social Chameleon Can Help
Social Chameleon is made up of a team of experts who understand that each business is different and as such, needs a bespoke marketing strategy.
If you’d like help with marketing your architect firm then contact the team today at contact@socialchameleon.com or by filling out the form on our contact page.
