At Archmark Architect Branding & Marketing, we’ve seen architecture firms struggle to implement effective marketing strategies that help them get in front of better prospects so they can win better projects. Historically, architecture firm marketing has relied heavily on word-of-mouth referrals. This passive approach is what we call “Hope Marketing.” Essentially, you’re not marketing at all, you’re just hoping one of your contacts will refer you to some new work. But in the internet … [Read more...]
Architects’ Claim to Storyteller Status
In the first article of this series, Architects as Storytellers we looked at the possible historical and etymological origins for why we call the levels of a building “stories.” The main idea is that the frieze of an ancient Greek temple often featured sculpted scenes honoring a god or goddess. The frieze was a narrative device to proclaim the honoree’s story. The ancient Master Builder – the architektōn – made the story a prominent design feature of the temple to be admired by the masses, … [Read more...]
Where Referrals Fit in Your Sales Strategy
For as long as you have been in business, you have been taught there are a limited number of ways to generate referrals. Ask your clients and contacts – anyone in your database whether you really know them or not – for referrals and ask often.Be promotional and gimmicky by placing “your referral is the greatest compliment you can give me” or “I’m never too busy for your referrals” in your email signature or newsletter.Pay a kickback or commission for referrals.Spend as much time as you can … [Read more...]
Why Your Architecture Practice Website Matters
Now—More Than Ever
Last year I studied 163 architecture websites (crazy, I know!). I studied them because I was tired of hearing architects say: “My website doesn’t matter… I get all my projects from referrals or word-of-mouth”. But in today’s Google-driven, economic-uncertain, pandemic-plagued world, nothing could be further from the truth. Architecture practice websites do matter. Your practice website is your key to getting more (and better*) clients through the door. (*And by better clients I mean … [Read more...]
The Problem with ‘Hope Marketing’ and What to Do Instead
Working with many architecture firms over the past several years our agency, Archmark Architect Branding & Marketing, has been approached by many architects who have struggled to establish a consistent, repeatable, and reliable process to attract new clients and projects. The challenge for many firm owners is that they rely too heavily on passive new business development techniques like networking, referrals, recommendations, and repeat clients. In the marketing world, passive … [Read more...]
Collecting, Communicating and Closing in a Time of Crisis
The following is a guest post written by Blair Enns, founder and CEO of Win Without Pitching. The content for this article, published here with permission, was first published on March 25, 2020, on the Win Without Pitching blog here. Learn more about Blair Enns, his fantastic books, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto and Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour, and his impactful coaching and training programs here. In last week’s post Three Steps to Surviving … [Read more...]
Three Steps to Surviving and Thriving in a Crisis
The following is a guest post written by Blair Enns, founder and CEO of Win Without Pitching. The content for this article, published here with permission, was first published on March 17, 2020, on the Win Without Pitching blog here. Learn more about Blair Enns, his fantastic books, The Win Without Pitching Manifesto and Pricing Creativity: A Guide to Profit Beyond the Billable Hour, and his impactful coaching and training programs here. “May you live in interesting times,”goes the old … [Read more...]
Is your architecture website hurting your firm?
Imagine you'll get hungry tomorrow while you're out and you decide to pick up some quick lunch. What would happen as you drove down the road if you didn’t see signs for McDonald’s or Chipotle—but instead only “Fast Food” or “Eat My Lunch?” Or let’s say you needed a new pair of shoes. What would you do if every shop in the mall had blacked-out windows, doors that opened backward, and a banner out front that read “Guess What’s Inside?” If businesses worked that way, we’d have a hard … [Read more...]
10 Rules for Building a Powerful Brand in Architecture
When Annmarie and I launched our architecture studio in 1999, we knew that we wanted to give our firm a unique identity. Every other firm in the region was named for their founders. Another “Smith and Smith Architects” was not what we wanted to be. (No offense to any Smith and Smiths out there.) Our plans were to create a firm unlike anyone else and we needed a name to separate us from the pack. After a few days of considering alternatives, the name Fivecat Studio consistently rose to the … [Read more...]
Make Your Social Media Content More Shareable
Many (if not all) of us are using social media on a daily basis. Some of us restrict our time online to personal social interactions, while others use these powerful networking platforms to help promote our architectural businesses. Social media can certainly be a powerful tool, but if not carefully and intentionally managed, our time online can waste away the precious few hours that we are afforded each day. There are a dozen different channels from which to choose. Each has its strengths … [Read more...]
How To Systematize Your Marketing
This is the second guest post by Ashley Gartland in a series of three about simplifying your business. Marketing Without the Overwhelm Let’s just call it like it is: marketing takes up a lot of time in your business – not to mention space in your head. Between social media, content marketing, networking and pitching, you’re working what feels like a full-time job trying to get the word out and stay on people’s radar – and not surprisingly so, because big companies actually have marketing … [Read more...]
The Power of Blogging
as a Small Firm Architect
The Power of Blogging for Architects The blog is still one of the most effective tools a small firm architect can use to foster community. The goal when writing a blog is to gain an audience. Over time, if encouraged to interact, your audience will develop into a community. A community will guide you, support you and share your content with others. A community will help your audience grow. A community will help you succeed. Small firm architects are busy people. We are not seeking more … [Read more...]
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