Great Architecture Will Not Build a Great Business

1) Design great architecture. 2) Get noticed. 3) Thrive!

Isn’t that how it is supposed to work. Well… it doesn’t.

The trick is step 2. Getting noticed. How do you get noticed?

The answer in a word, is Marketing.

Even uber-successful “starchitects” have a marketing team working to get their “great architecture” noticed.

Whether you want to be published in national magazines or looking to get noticed by the homeowners around the corner, you can’t reach your audience without marketing. Great architecture alone will not build a great business.

Marketing is the action of promoting and selling products or services. So, how does it work?

First you need to know your target market. What type of architecture do you design? What range of budgets do your clients have? Who are your clients? What do they do for a living? You need to know as much as possible about your target market.

Have no fear; defining your target market does not restrict you from taking on other non-target work. It just allows you to focus your marketing budget and effort appropriately.

Once you have a target, prepare a marketing strategy (and add it to your business plan). How do you best hit your target? Should you advertise in local newspapers, magazines or online? Should you focus your efforts on getting published in national magazines? Should you attend local networking events? Should you focus your attention on Twitter, Facebook and other social media? Whatever it takes to get YOUR “great architecture” noticed by the people in your target market responsible for hiring an architect is your marketing strategy.

Now you have a target market and a marketing strategy. Next you need to execute.

Take your strategy, set some goals and create a marketing action plan. What are you going to do and when will it be done by?

Marketing. It is not a dirty word. Try it and watch your business grow.