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One of the first things that come to mind when starting an architecture firm is the ability to get a steady inflow of customers. If you’re just starting out, or have been working at a larger company previously, chances are that you’re not familiar with this process.
In this article, we give an overview of 4 methods to help you build up your brand and start attracting new customers. We also share helpful resources to help you with each option. The goal of this article is to create an automated process that brings customers to you, spending only the minimum amount of time to maintain it. So, how do architects get clients? Let’s have a look!
Contents:
To understand how architects get clients, we first need to look at the growth stage of their business. Established architects rely primarily on word-of-mouth advertisement. Large companies launch massive social media campaigns. Others have enough resources to hire large-scale influencers who do the talking for them.
But what about smaller firms, or solo architects? How do architects get clients when they don’t have the resources, expertise, and time to do any of the above?
For them, it’s best to focus on methods that are low-cost and low-maintenance. This way they can allocate their time and resources to doing what they are good at.
And this is the essence of digital marketing - Attracting clients instead of chasing them. So then the question becomes not “how do architects find clients” but how you can set up your marketing so that clients find and choose you for their needs. And the following methods are a great way to get started.
Localized Search Engine Optimization is an absolute must for anyone who wants to work with customers within a certain geographic vicinity. This is especially true for architects who want to expose their (personal) brand to new opportunities. What you want to do here is let Google know that about your business. This way, anytime someone within your area is looking for an architect, they’ll see your name and details.
A great way to start this process is by setting up your Google My Business (GMB). GMB enables others to see all important information about your business, as well as reviews from previous customers simply by typing your brand name in Google. And it is 100% free to set up and use. Let’s take a look at an example.
Fontan Architecture is an architecture firm in New York. As you can imagine, the architecture market in New York is extremely saturated, which is why it is important to make the customer awareness journey as easy as possible. Their GMB listing is very comprehensive, listing the location of their offices, website, and phone number. They also have multiple 5-star reviews and links to their social media pages. Such GMB listings benefit the firm two-fold.
Before you move to the next method, take 15 minutes to set up your GMB account by following the information shown in the video below:
After setting up your GMB and exploring the potential of Local SEO for your business, you should already get more interest from potential clients. But what comes after that? How can you further enhance your image and become an authority in your niche? This is where you will need to get creative and bank on your strengths.
There are multiple channels to reach an audience that doesn’t know you exist. However, don’t fall into the trap of doing a little bit of everything. Be critical of yourself and see what works best for you.
If you’re more of an eccentric, outspoken person who can persuade others by talking to them, video or podcasts may be the best way to proceed. You can start a Youtube channel to showcase your work and talk to people about common concerns around your profession. You could also appear on architecture podcasts or even start your own, focusing on topics that your target group will find value in. You can also experiment with Youtube ads to further enhance your digital presence.
On the other hand, if you are a more reserved person, you can either focus on writing or creating video content that focuses on your work instead of you.
Facebook is by far one of the best ways to get clients for architects. And no, it’s not as simple as setting up a couple of ads for your portfolio. What you want to do here is a tad more complex. You’ll need to create a funnel that attracts awareness-stage customers and turns them into fans of your brand.
This process requires a three-pronged focus and some sales practice.
This method is both aggressive and delicate. It is also the most provable method that leads to more meetings.
So, how should you get started if you don’t have much experience in any of the above? The answer is simple - let us help you! NJ Media is specialized in creating and managing funnels of this sort and offers guaranteed results. Click on the button at the bottom of the page for a free 30-minute consultation with one of our specialists.
You now have a good understanding of how architects get clients through digital mediums. Next, we’re going to explore a social media channel that is underappreciated but often used when looking for architecture and interior design. In this section, we learn how to get clients in architecture using Pinterest.
Pinterest is a little more target-oriented than Instagram and offers two ways to attract new clients.
First, you can create an account for your architecture firm and showcase your work, in which case, over time, you will start getting organic traffic back to your website. This is a great start for those who want to spend as little time and money as possible. The following video gives an outline of all the steps you need to follow:
The second way leads to faster and more concrete results though. And it’s ideal for architects, as many awareness-stage customers look at Pinterest for their inspiration. We are talking about Pinterest Ads. According to Pinterest’s data, ads on their platform offer 2x higher return on ad spend (ROAS) with a 2.3x cheaper conversion price (CPC), compared to other social media platforms (on average). This is further enhanced when picking niches that people prioritize Pinterest for. Architecture and interior design are two such niches.
Learning how to get clients for architects is a process of trial and error. Spending a little money upfront will give you a good amount of data and experience to understand what to prioritize in your strategy. In this case, Pinterest is a good experiment, especially for those less inclined to make videos.
If you’ve managed to reach this point, you should now be more confident in your marketing skills. This post gave an introduction to some of the creative roads you can explore to increase awareness for your firm. More specifically, we looked into:
Note that we’ll be updating this content regularly by adding more tactics that you can use to grow your business. Therefore, make sure you bookmark this post to stay up to date.