When it comes to marketing, there seems to be an overwhelming amount of information available to architects. It can be easy to get caught up – and confused – about what you should be doing to properly market your architecture practice and reach your ideal clients.
A New Year, however, can be a fantastic time to gain some focus on your marketing efforts and create a real strategy for your practice.
In our most recent Huddle, we sat down with Amy Edwards, founder of Markedly, to learn more about seven marketing trends that architects, designers and creatives should know in 2022 and how they can use these trends to benefit their firms.
“I really wanted to set the tone for the New Year,” she said. “I wanted to give practices some direction and focus so they feel like they can start the New Year knowing what they want to focus on.”
Here are the key takeaways from the Huddle:
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Relationships are just as important offline. Social media has received plenty of attention in recent years, but it’s important that we don’t lose sight of our contacts who are offline. Think about ways that you can nurture those relationships that you already have and how you might be able to connect with new people. Perhaps you want to invite existing clients over to your studio for an afternoon tea, or invite them to a lunch. This extends beyond clients, too. Think about ways that you can nurture your relationships with your staff or industry bodies to create meaningful relationships.
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Informative content builds more trust. Architects are very visual people, but we want to ensure that we are also sharing valuable and informational content online. There are a number of ways that you can do this – it can be a short-form video, article, Instagram story, etc. Whatever the medium is, it is a good idea to try and create content that answers a question a client may have. It’s also incredibly valuable to show your audience your process.
“A beautiful picture can get attention, but it doesn’t necessarily bring a client in the door. If you can show them your work at each stage, it builds that trust and draws them in,” Amy said.
Many architects forget how much people value their creativity and want to see it in action, so showing your works-in-progress and how you work can be an incredible way to demonstrate your worth.
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Consistency is more valuable than perfection. Undoubtedly, an architect who owns their own practice has a lot to juggle. Be honest with yourself and the amount of time that you have to dedicate to marketing. Rather than trying to do something that is difficult, time-consuming and out of your comfort zone, such as committing yourself to a weekly newsletter that you know you will abandon in a few months, start with something simple and executable that you can do on a regular basis. You also want to measure what you are doing (ideally each month) to see if your efforts are paying off. If you find you are not getting much traction for your marketing, don’t be afraid to quit and try something new.
Want to get the rest of the trends you need to know in 2022? Head over to Markedly’s website where you can download the full report and gain the insights you need to market with confidence this year. Huddle events are invite-only events where the Archibiz community and friends gather to learn more about a topic or trend that’s impacting architects and how they run their business.
If you’re looking for more tips, strategies and advice to improve your marketing, download our beloved “Architect’s Guide to Marketing” here. Alternatively, you can contact us directly by filling out this form, and we’ll find a time to chat about your needs and how Archibiz can help.