Architects, Engineers & Contractors – Expect More from Marketing!

Finally! The AEC industry is thriving. Large projects are being awarded. Everyone is hiring, and design and construction firms are booming.

With all this new activity and frenzy comes a higher level of competition. So, make sure you are using your marketing resources most effectively.

Do you think of marketing as the department down the hall that puts together proposals? Do you realize the professional services industry is the only industry that thinks this way?

Marketing should be positioning you before the sales process begins!

Ever hear the phrase, “the squeaky wheel gets the grease”? Well, in marketing the brand that is talked about most gets the business. Think about it – do you shop at Target or Kmart? Home Depot or Sears? Chances are you shop at Target and Home Depot more frequently than Kmart and Sears.

What is the difference? You guessed it – Marketing.

The companies who win are the ones that strategically target buyers and build sound marketing strategies to stay front and center of that target in many different ways.

The more frequently your name comes up, whether in a Google search, at a tradeshow or on social media channels, the greater chance your target will choose you over your competition.

Believe it or not, marketing works just the same for architectural, engineering and construction companies. In fact, since most professional service providers do not use marketing as they should, the companies that have sound, effective strategies are getting the best results.

Unfortunately too many architects, engineers and contractors peg marketing departments as “overhead” and not the lead generating tool and revenue driver they can be.

If you own an architecture, engineering or construction company, what is your biggest cost outside of labor? Chances are, it’s the cost of new client acquisition. So, why would any professional services provider look at marketing as overhead and not expect to measure ROI?

3 Ways Marketing Drives the Bottom Line

1) Marketing builds a brand for architects, engineers and contractors.

With the recession on its way out, firms in the AEC industry need to stay relevant, informative and top of mind with potential target buyers.

Innovative AEC firms use marketing to position as market thought leaders. Through effective brand presence, not only will a firm be invited to submit a proposal, but will establish a positive reputation with the prospective client well before the RFQ/P.

2) Marketing helps architects, engineers and contractors attract top talent.

Millennials make their career decisions based upon many other factors other than the bottom-line salary offer.

They are attracted to flex-time schedules, working for companies with humanitarian missions, or work for a company that has a collaborative environment.

Marketing can help you communicate your company’s unique employee environment.

It can help attract the best and brightest talent by illustrating your innovation and showing off the other benefits you offer beyond a paycheck.

3) Marketing can generate leads for your sales team using InBound.

Leading firms have made the shift from a sales-oriented culture that heavily relies upon one-to-one relationships in person, to a marketing culture that utilizes today’s technology to attract leads, convert those leads into customers and delight those customers for life.

Successful companies understand that marketing is not suppose to be reactive and simply overhead, but rather a series of proactive strategic moves that drive bottom-line results – a method called InBound Marketing. All buyers, whether they are buying a product or service, have become savvier and go through what marketers call a “Buyer’s Journey”. The buyer’s journey has 3 phases: Awareness, Consideration and Decision. Buyers of design and construction services are no different. During the buyer’s journey, they do their own research before anyone outside their organization even knows a project is going to happen. They may Google “Healthcare Design” or “Lean Construction”. Wouldn’t it be great if your firm was discovered during the awareness phase and become the primary voice “educating” the buyer throughout their buyer’s journey? This actually happens all the time. In an industry where everyone tries to be an expert, it’s essential that when a potential client is looking for one, that your firm shows up. Learn more about InBound and how it works.

Architects, Engineers & Contractors – Take Action!

The AEC industry no longer can step back and rest on the “we have always done it this way” philosophy. Old belief systems that marketing does not work for this industry is outdated and could leave you out in the cold.

Companies who are innovative are the ones who are positioning their brands, staying top of mind with their target markets, and attracting top talent.

Marketing is no longer just overhead. In fact, it is an essential weapon.