Be Purposeful And Do It!
I was chatting with someone I have gotten to know quite well yesterday. We were talking about the challenges of marketing a small architectural practice while having to meet with clients, design buildings, make numerous telephone calls, and a myriad of other business activities. How do you find time to use social media when there is just too much else to do? How do you remain purposeful?
How can one be purposeful in marketing a small architectural practice while fulfilling a hundred other things?
Select ONE Social Media platform that works for your construction business
Yes. I did say, “Works for your business!” Now, many will offer very good advice about the benefits of each platform and the success that follows their participation. But, again I say, select the ONE platform that you find most helpful for your practice.
There are three good reasons for selecting one platform.
I need to be able to interact with clients, customers and people I know on that platform. If I focus on one platform it means that I can begin to do the very thing that I want to do. Develop good working relationships. I can offer support, encouragement, help and ask questions which all adds to making some incredible friends and future clients.
I need to learn how to use this one platform very well. If I learn this process well it means that I can budget time each day to fulfil that purpose. If you focus your attention on learning how to use one platform well you can then move on to the next one. Learning too many platforms at once is confusing and leads to overwhelm! Many construction people actually give up after that.
I need to enjoy what I am doing. If you are on a learning curve then you need to enjoy it. If you enjoy participating in the chosen platform then you will want to make time to be on it. That makes for great motivation. Great motivation leads to enjoyment and sharing. An attribute of social media.
The discipline of Remaining Focussed
Spending 15/20 minutes a day on your chosen social media platform requires discipline and focus. As an Architect, Surveyor or Building Contractor you have plenty of responsibilities to fill your time. However, a very important investment in your business is regular and real interaction with your audience. This can be satisfying and purposeful but only as you set your mind to do it every day for your allotted time.
Learn to let Social Media Tools do the Work
With your chosen platform you can delegate other tools to do the work for you. If you use Twitter like me, you can also register with Hootsuite and schedule your Tweets. So, instead of returning five or six times a day to tweet you can schedule your tweets throughout the day by devoting 15/20 minutes of your time in the morning over coffee. Saving you time and keeping your marketing focussed and purposeful. Remember don’t quit, do it!
Directors Pick Up the Phone
Directors are usually on-site throughout the lifetime of a project. However, use this opportunity to start cultivating relationships [not connections] with other professionals/clients involved in the scheme. Make an effort to speak with people, be friendly and genuine. Share your contact details with them and then over time build a list of people to contact. Discipline yourself to make two phone calls every day. That’s 10 per week and 40 per month. Chat honestly about any issues on your current site and go all out to do what you can to correct any issues. Don’t be adversarial and always do what you say you are going to do. Then ask about future projects, timing, size and expectations. Why not try it?
See you soon…
[This blog post was originally sent out in 2014 and revised for 2019]
