It doesn’t matter what type of business you run; the important thing is to ensure that you have the most clients you can (and that you are a success too). This may sound straightforward enough, but the truth is that marketing can be tricky. Especially if you are a small business (as many architectural firms are).   

When you are a smaller firm, the marketing issue is that you probably won’t have a considerable budget set aside for marketing. Neither will you have a large bank of staff to free up to tackle the tasks associated with marketing.   

This doesn’t mean that you have to give up on the idea of marketing yourself. However, it just means that you must be as strategic as possible about approaching things.   

To help you to work out how to make marketing work for your architectural practice, I have put together some of my best tips to allow you to pump it up!   

Take the time to cultivate trust in your marketing

Trust can make the difference between securing and not securing clients, which means you need to find the best ways to cultivate trust. When your potential clients trust you as a brand, they will be much more likely to sign up for your services.   

The thing to remember about trust is that everything you do will become a part of your brand (and, therefore, what your clients form their trust in). Your website, your social media pages, your presence, and even the way your premises look. So make sure you have everything just as you want it to be and that you are making the best impression of your firm.   

Always feel the power of social media  

I know that social media isn’t for everyone and many architects are among those numbers, but the truth is, social media can make an impact when it comes to business.   

Social media is where lots of your potential (and existing) clients will be connecting, sharing, and talking above everything else. This means that you should get involved with this platform as much as possible. Recognise the power of social media and make sure you use it to your advantage.   

Not only is it cheaper than the other approaches you can use, but it can be much more far-reaching than you may realise.   

Become a networking pro  

Networking isn’t always something you would choose to do, but when you recognise that it is amongst the best ways to plant seeds in what you do, it becomes clear why it is worth doing.   

You never know who you may be able to meet and impress when you are networking. This could be direct networking; perhaps at an event or through another client you have already worked hard to secure.   

The important thing to focus on when it comes to networking is to be authentic about what you can do and the services you offer. That way, if they are impressed by what you have said, you know they will be equally as impressed by what you can do.   

Learn the new technology in marketing 

It can be hard to adopt new technology; after all, why would you fix something if something isn’t broken? However, you may not realise that sometimes this new technology (especially in the marketing world) can make a difference in your efforts.   

Say you get on board with some new tools you can use in your daily business. Not only will this show your clients that you are ahead of the curve (and, therefore, you know what you are doing), but it can also improve the experience for your clients. As we all know, this is one of the most important things to focus on as a business owner.   

Keep clients updated with marketing newsletters  

If you want to find a low-cost way to market yourself and keep your clients updated on what is happening within your business, then you will want to use newsletters to your advantage.   

Sending out a newsletter means that you are going to be at the forefront of your contacts’ minds, and then, when they need an architect (or need to recommend one), you will be the one that comes to mind.   

You can put a newsletter together with relative ease, and even the simplest of newsletters can be effective in what you want them to do and the message you want to convey.   

Be present in the community  

Whilst you want to make sure that you think about online marketing, you should never ignore the power of local marketing, especially since many of the clients you are likely to find for your firm will be in your local area.  

There are lots of ways that you can do this. However, one that is not only beneficial to you but has benefits that reach far wide is to be present in your community.  

Become involved in groups that not only align with what your business believes in but also that are going to be the most connected with your target audience too.   

There are so many perks to this. It helps you to make sure that your brand is visible, it shows people that you care about what happens around you, and if the work you carry out is related to your industry, then it also shows exactly what you can do.   

Keep your clients happy  

One final point to consider is how important your existing clients are. If you keep your clients happy and satisfied with your services, they will tell others about it.  

Being able to deliver on your promises and manage the expectations and outcomes for your clients, well, that is one sure way to get others to want to sign up for what you can do.   

You are going to be seen as a firm that is credible, who can do what they say that they can do and that they are experts.   

Having all these things is going to help you to grow and therefore is well worth doing.   

As you can see, marketing your architectural firm can be easier than you realise. The best place to start is to think about what approach will work best for you and that you can make the most effort. Then you must sit back and wait for all those fantastic clients to find their way to you.   

Some of my services: 

5 steps to a fighting fit social media presence for your property firm

Simple steps to setting up your professional service firm’s website

Need help?

If you would like help with your marketing then bringing on a marketing consultant with a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. I work with B2B businesses and professional service firms in London, Kent, UK and Europe as well as specialising as a Legal Marketing Consultant. Please get in touch or book a free 30-minute consultation.