Over a quarter of the architecture firms in the United States are run by sole practitioners. And only 3% of the firms have 50 or more employees, so 97% of firms can be considered small. When operating as a sole architect or even if you have a few employees, there’s a good chance that word-of-mouth and your network brings in a majority of your clients.
Lower marketing budgets and an inability to hire a marketing staff can make it difficult for a firm to grow and expand.
But these low-cost marketing tactics can help any small firm improve their marketing.
1. Social Media is Key
It’s easy to overlook social media and believe that it’s saturated, but architects have a unique opportunity to join in on the conversation. Architects have a lot of options at their disposal, and this includes:
- Facebook Groups where firms can be more innovative and show off some of their best portfolio pieces.
- Instagram pages which act as a portfolio for your work.
Start engaging with other architects or developers, providing insight when asked and also showcasing your expertise.
2. Create a Houzz Profile
Free Houzz profiles should be optimized and created if you don’t already have a profile. Houzz is a platform that may lead you to million-dollar projects, and it is a platform that led one architect to land a deal on a $2 million contract.
When you have some money freed up, you can also advertise on the platform, which will further help you get your name out there.
The profile should be optimized to your location so that your key demographic can find you on the site. When people search on Google, there’s a good chance that your Houzz profile page will come up due to the massive authority of the site.
3. SEO Campaigns
SEO campaigns may require a massive budget if you’re operating in a major city, but when you operate out of a smaller city, you’ll be surprised by how easy it can be to land on the top page of Google.
These campaigns are over the long-term, and you’ll want to start with your campaign as soon as possible. Organic traffic can pay for the campaign costs quickly, and once you’ve built a solid backlink foundation, you can cut back on other marketing costs, such as PPC advertising.
Optimize your site for local keywords, and also, don’t be afraid to look at a few local SEO guides which can help you with on-page optimization.
4. Community Involvement
Community involvement is often cheap and will allow you to start networking with others. Join any builder or architect groups in your area, and you can even join groups that you’re interested in marketing your services to as well.
One firm owner joined an SPCA group and landed clients that were veterinarians that wanted to remodel or build new homes.
You can also help the Habitat for Humanity and offer your services for free. While free, you may network with builders and developers that may also needyour help on their next project.
