Archmark

Content Marketing for Architects Starts with Three Essential Topics

Content marketing for architects: What it is, how it can help your firm, and how to get started.


Architects, learn how to showcase your expertise, experience, and know-how using under-utilized blog and content topics.


Content marketing is all about helping you attract the right clients, and creating information that helps answer their questions, and in the process, helping them see you as a valuable resource.


Do your architecture firm clients know what you do?

What's the one thing you wish potential clients understood about your role as an architect?


Many architects we work with share a similar frustration about prospective clients: many simply do not understand what an architect does.


Unless they've worked with an architect before, they often have no idea of the full breadth of services a firm provides.


We've heard several firm owners express their concern over the fact that clients see them as gatekeepers, an obstacle to overcome, in order to get their drawings and permits.


But we are here to assure you that YOU can change this.


Yes, you!


How?


By creating a clear content marketing plan for your website and social media.


One that helps clients better understand what you do, while positioning you and your firm as 'go-to' experts.

We've learned a lot from evaluating more than 550 architecture firm websites.

Archmark

After analyzing more than 550 firm websites, we've discovered a common theme: many firms fail to provide the type of high quality information that is relevant to prospects on their websites and social media profiles.


Often, the problem is that architects simply are not sure what types of content will interest potential clients.


The truth of the matter is that content marketing is the cornerstone to your firm's online success — it helps visitors understand who you are, what you do, why you do it, and what makes you different.


When done right, what you post online can position you and your firm as a recognized authority for the precise kind of work you want to do.


Consistently publishing engaging content is essential to promoting your firm as a 'go-to expert' online — and it forms a solid foundation for all of your content marketing and social media efforts.


Learn more about the 10 Questions an Architecture Firms Need to Ask Before Hiring a Web Design Agency here.

Marketing for architects is easier when you share relevant and interesting material with your audience.


In this article, we’re going to discuss three topics that you already know how to talk and write about, which will help you communicate to your target audience why you're the must-hire firm in your industry.


With these three topics, you'll be able to create articles and posts that not only promote your firm, but helps you to connect with your prospects on a more meaningful level.

Where do firms go wrong with content marketing?


For many firms, there is a fundamental problem with what they are sharing.


If you look at their blogs, news sections, and social media feeds, they are full of firm announcements and news, things like awards and recognitions they've received, projects they've won or completed, new hires to their team, and non-profit and/or volunteer activities.

 

And don't forget the white papers, 'thought leadership,' and similar articles directed at other architects and people in the design and building industry.

 

This type of content has its place, don't get us wrong, but there is an obvious problem: it has limited relevance and value for your prospective clients.

 
It does little to address the questions your prospects have when searching for an architecture firm.

 

Let’s take a look at what happens when you rely on these kinds of updates to your website and social media accounts:

 

  1. You're not able to meaningfully engage with your audience to show them how qualified your firm is. 72% of marketers agree that content marketing increases engagement between you and your potential clients.
  2. You fail to showcase your firm's expertise, experience and know-how to potential clients, contextually.
  3. You miss out on the chance to get your firm found in search engines. 95% of people will only look at the first page of the search results. As the saying goes—the best place to hide a dead body is the second page of Google—nobody ever looks there.
  4. Your prospects won’t get the information they need to know you’re the right firm for their project.

 

So what's the alternative?


A great place to start is by attracting and engaging with your target audience through in-depth, highly relevant content.



Three topics firms should include in their content marketing strategy


Working with a variety of architecture firms across the US, we've found there are three topics that help foster better engagement with prospects:


1.FAQ Answers

Provide answers to common questions that your potential clients might have in the early stages of the design/build process, especially those they would turn to Google to research.


2.Insider Insights

Show your website's visitors that you have special inside industry knowledge and advice to help guide them through their project journey.


3.Pain Points

Demonstrate your expertise and experience to your audience by highlighting potential problems that could come up during their project, and how you can help them avoid or fix them.


Let's take a deeper look into how these topics will improve your firm’s lead generation efforts and help you get more traffic to your website.

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1. FAQ Answers

google search field with the query: What is Archmark?

Think about the questions that clients ask at the beginning of your projects. By answering these questions in blog posts and social media posts, you’ll be able to provide future, potential clients with the answers they seek.


The beauty of answering these questions is that they are typically the same queries clients type into Google when thinking about starting a project. These answers help them confirm or inform their assumptions and can lead them on a path to seeking out an expert to help them.


And because these are questions that arise at the starting phases of a project, if they are coming to your site in those early stages, they are more likely to end up consulting you before they consult a contractor.


We often hear from architects that they wish that clients would approach them earlier in the project, because the earlier they come, the more benefit and value the architect can provide.

FAQ answer topics can include questions like:

  • 'Do I need an architect for x/y/z?'
  • 'What are the benefits of hiring an architect?'
  • 'How much does an architect cost?'
  • 'What does an architect do?'


An easy way to come up with ideas for your FAQ answers is to keep a record of what past clients have asked you in your initial meetings and phone conversations. Keep this list handy, and periodically write answers to these questions in the form of blog articles on your website.


Not only does this help you get found on the search engines, it’ll also shorten your sales cycle—you’ll have answered many of their initial questions before they’ve even spoken to you.


2. Insider Insights

Insider insights are questions that help your future clients see you as an integral guide to the design process.


In Joseph Campbell's "The Hero’s Journey," the Guide is an important character, he or she helps leads the Hero on their journey, often providing important information, or revealing needed resources and tools.


In your client's journey, you want to position yourself as their guide.


You want to be their Obi-Wan Kenobi—guiding them through their journey, helping them realize their project.


Sharing insider insights allows you to present yourself as having unique expertise, experience, and know how about the design and building industry that can help your prospects avoid mistakes and surprises that can cause serious setbacks or completely derail their project.


These topics are aimed at helping you demonstrate that you are on their side, that you are someone who is not afraid to be open and transparent about the realities of your industry and that you have all the knowledge, information, and insight that they need in order to succeed on this journey.


Insider insight topics can include:



  • 'Where and with whom does responsibility for a project lie?'
  • 'What are some ethical or legal gray areas that can affect projects?'
  • 'What are some unintended issues that can arise and cause clients harm?'


These topics focus on what are known as philosophical problems, they are the intrinsic problems and issues which create unfair situations for your clients in the project journey.


Informing your prospects about these issues and making them aware of the ins and outs of the industry helps to position you/your firm as the experienced, insightful guide that can help them navigate the project successfully.


These topics help them to also see you as trustworthy.



over the shoulder view of a person looking at a mapo

Insider insights are questions that help your future clients see you as an integral guide to the design process.


In Joseph Campbell's "The Hero’s Journey," the Guide is an important character, he or she helps leads the Hero on their journey, often providing important information, or revealing needed resources and tools.


In your client's journey, you want to position yourself as their guide.


You want to be their Obi-Wan Kenobi—guiding them through their journey, helping them realize their project.


Sharing insider insights allows you to present yourself as having unique expertise, experience, and know how about the design and building industry that can help your prospects avoid mistakes and surprises that can cause serious setbacks or completely derail their project.


These topics are aimed at helping you demonstrate that you are on their side, that you are someone who is not afraid to be open and transparent about the realities of your industry and that you have all the knowledge, information, and insight that they need in order to succeed on this journey.


Insider insight topics can include:


  • 'Where and with whom does responsibility for a project lie?'
  • 'What are some ethical or legal gray areas that can affect projects?'
  • 'What are some unintended issues that can arise and cause clients harm?'

These topics focus on what are known as philosophical problems, they are the intrinsic problems and issues which create unfair situations for your clients in the project journey.


Informing your prospects about these issues and making them aware of the ins and outs of the industry helps to position you/your firm as the experienced, insightful guide that can help them navigate the project successfully.


These topics help them to also see you as trustworthy.

3. Pain Points

illustration depicting a businessman in a shirt and tie surrounded by red lightning bolts

Finally, the third topic important for architects is what we refer to as pain points.


Pain points cover issues that could occur in the course of a project, but that clients would want to avoid, for example:

  • 'Avoiding project delays with proper project planning.'
  • 'How site visits ensure that you get the design that you expect.'
  • 'The importance of material selections in avoiding cost overruns.'

Pain point topics are perfect for blogs and social media posts as your audience will be interested to learn how you can help them avoid project problems.


The more you show them how you can solve their pain points, the more they’ll come to see you as an expert in your field and want to work with you.


These topics help you share issues that can occur during a project, and help them see how you are the right choice to help them avoid those mistakes—through your extensive expertise, experience, and know-how.


You can use pain points effectively in many types of content, including:

  • Blog posts
  • Podcast topics
  • Webinars
  • Guest posts
  • YouTube video content
  • Case Studies
  • Testimonials
  • Social media marketing (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram)
  • Email marketing

By highlighting real-life examples of client pain points in testimonials or case studies, you can outline your methods of creating unique solutions to a difficult problem or challenge for your past clients.

Create an effective content marketing strategy to attract your ideal clients to your architecture firm


By using these three types of content in your firm's marketing plan, you’ll be able to express your expertise, your knowledge, and your experience without saying, ‘Hey, I’m an expert!” - and gain your audience's trust as a result.


Using these three topics, you’ll be able to:


  • Get more visitors to your firm’s website
  • Get more business opportunities from qualified prospects
  • Become recognized for your expertise and problem solving abilities


Ultimately, you'll educate your audience about the real role of an architect—and when enough of us are adding to the information available online, the entire industry will benefit too.


At Archmark, we specialize in marketing for architects, helping firms differentiate themselves from their competitors, find their own voice, and implementing effective online marketing plans.


If you'd like to get more insight into promoting architecture firms online, you can follow Archmark on LinkedIn.


If you'd like to take the first step towards growing your presence online, attracting new prospects, and converting them to clients, click here to apply for your free 20-minute intro call to get to know each other and see if we're a good fit to work together.

We welcome your comments, suggestions, and questions

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