Here’s an insightful article I came across on architecture and entrepreneurship site, archipreneur. It speaks to the need for architects to become effective marketers and shares the process to how that can be achieved. Read and be inspired.
Most architects enter the profession with little to no knowledge on how to implement a smart marketing strategy. This is one of the reasons marketing is often neglected by AEC businesses. An archipreneur could take advantage of this knowledge gap. Architects can build on their existing skill set to become savvy marketers.
“If I make good designs, then clients will come.” – This one of the biggest mistakes architects make. Your work may be excellent, but if it doesn’t have any way to reach your prospects, it might as well not exist. A well-executed marketing strategy can go a long way in bringing in new clients and customers.
Throughout our architectural education, we are taught to be problem-solvers. We present our project in front of juries, clients and peers. We deploy strategies for effectively researching topics. We can analyze the data we find. We can deliver detailed designs. Marketing, then, is just a natural extension of these skills.
Here we’ll cover the basics how you can start out with marketing. Keep in mind that many clients think of architecture services as a cost and not a value. This should be the starting point for all your marketing efforts: clients are interested in added value. Your job is to communicate that value as persuasively as possible.
A lot of new companies start out with ‘tactical experimentation’. That means throwing all kinds of content out at broad demographic categories and seeing what fits with which demographic best. This is not a good approach.
More often than not, this approach results in excessive money spending and companies not being sure of how to untangle the statistical evidence they receive.
The solution: Figure out your:
- Company’s mission
- Target audience
- Value proposition
- Situation
- Marketing infrastructure.
Then use that information to guide your tactical experimentation. Read the rest of the article here.
