A lot has changed over the past few decades. The practice of architecture and design has sprung into unprecedented change over the years. In this age of the Internet and social media, your success as an architect doesn’t only depend on the skillset you learnt in your professional training. There is one most important skill you need to know in addition to your architectural practice; Marketing. 

Despite the phenomenal success of social media marketing for architects and designers, some people are still apprehensive to reality. They believe that all you need to succeed is the brainpower you’ve built over time to create efficient designs and hands to turn them into reality. While being at the peak of your professional capability is essential, it is not the only factor shaping your future as an architect. Architects today, can add marketing to their existing skillset and gain an extra edge over the people not willing to step out of their comfort zones!   

Architecture is a demanding profession in itself, so why take on the extra hassle of going through the painful stages of marketing your service? 

You tell me. What good comes out of a super-efficient design that finds no admirers? What is the point of even creating and designing breath-taking designs, putting in hours and hours of effort, time and money only to get little return? You can tell your work deserves more recognition. 

This post is where we help you get familiar with the basics of marketing. We are here to get you to the start here section of marketing for architects. 

The number one reasons architectural firms fail before even setting foot in the market is because of a lack of content marketing strategy. Taking shots in the dark is the approach that is undoubtedly going to fail because of the enormous amount of content being uploaded daily on the web. It will cost you your time, energy, money and give very little return for your investments. 

Here are the essentials for your marketing plan:

  • Set your firm’s mission
  • Identify your target audience.
  • Value proposition: What are you contributing?
  • Situation
  • Marketing infrastructure

#1 – Set your firm’s mission

Contribution to the society should be the theme shaping your mission; Not in a pretentious way, but genuinely bringing out the plethora of your skills into the paper to give back to the human civilisation. 

Keep this as straightforward as possible. Save all the creative, casual “we shape your world” taglines for TV commercials. When you’re setting your mission, it should be free from verbose, informal, cliched words. 

Having a clear goal in your mind and on the relevant sections on your website will help you immensely in standing out from the crowd and creating a candid presence for your clients. 

#2 – Identify your Target Audience

Depending on the locations you are most likely to be working in, analyse your target audience by asking relevant questions. This part is where your analytical skills need to shine even before your firm has managed to carve out a respectable online presence. 

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What type of architecture people require? What are the kinds of projects your firm is willing to take? What age group are you targetting? What is their social status and lifestyle? 

Dive straight into cohort marketing with everything you have with yourself. Cohort marketing targets people within a demographic of shared experiences, needs and interests. Visit Facebook and LinkedIn groups and tap into the large consumer base in dire need of your service. 

#3 – Value Proposition

Your value proposition gives an idea of what value your offer will contribute value to your clients. 

As simple as it sounds, your value proposition can either make or break your firm’s marketing strategy. If you overdo it, being overly optimistic about your capabilities, it can be a disaster for your credibility and authenticity! 

Your value proposition sells. If you offer great value but are not doing an excellent job of communicating it, you will not attract leads. This statement of yours should be in crystal clear, easy to comprehend and honest language. 

A decent value proposition explains to your potential clients:

  • What makes you different from your competitors.
  • Why they should subscribe to your email list and newsletters, and (most importantly of all)
  • Why they should hire you.

#4 – Situation Analysis

Introspection is another very crucial part of your marketing. Turning a blind eye to your weaknesses won’t resolve them. Instead, be willing to have honest conversations with yourself and your team/colleagues for your performance. 

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Start by asking yourself the following questions:

  • What is your mission statement, and is it working?
  • Would you invest in your company?
  • Who are your competitors?
  • What makes them different from you?
  • What can you do better?
  • How can you improve your services to fit the market better?
  • Which markets, online or offline, accommodate the type of service(s) you provide?

#5 – Create a Marketing Infrastructure

Lastly, show your dedication and commitment to your work by investing in marketing for your firm. Marketing for Architects has helped people all over the world to stand out and grow their prospects. 

Create and maintain project and client databases, create compelling online portfolios of your works and see the wheels of fortune turn into your favour!