Historically, there has been an (invisible) wall between marketing and sales. This lack of alignment can cause friction between your team, preventing the growth you are reaching for and undermining the work you are accomplishing together. One way to close the gap is by optimizing your contact to suit the needs of your sales team.
In the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry, an increasing number of firms are using inbound marketing strategies to optimize and socialize their marketing campaigns.
Optimizing website content through search and social media channels attracts, engages, and retains prospective clients who are searching for information online. Converting these online visitors into clients cannot be achieved without a proper system to implement, monitor, and measure the performance of content marketing efforts.
1. The digital revolution
According to 2013 ITU Telecommunication Development Bureau stats, 2.7 billion people across the globe are online - almost 40% of the world’s population. Looking at the developed world, 78% of all households are connected to the Internet. According to eMarketer estimates, “there will be 140 million smartphone users in the US by the end of this year, up from 121.4 million last year and set to reach 159.9 million by 2014.”
Website
A website is your virtual home. In the same way you would construct and decorate a home, you have to construct and ‘decorate’ a website to reflect your brand. This idea stretches from a strong technical foundation (to make your site easily found by search engines) to design and content elements that complement each other.
You plan, develop and track your projects - why not do the same for your marketing? These days, marketing automation seems to be the most popular kid on the block. And for good reason. It saves tons of time and can do wonders for your bottom line. It is a solution to the time constraints faced by a variety of marketers and companies, and offers particular benefits for AEC firms.
With ever increasing digital technologies, increasing social media usage and internet access everywhere becoming the norm, we are more connected than we have ever been. People spend an increasing amount of their time online and interact with a variety of entities in the digital world – from family and friends to colleagues and companies. This presents a tremendous opportunity for those that employ inbound marketing principles, especially on the social media front. Social media holds great potential for architectural, engineering, and construction firms. Firms can achieve greater awareness and engagement with both their existing and future customers through these channels. Social media also presents an opportunity for firms to position themselves as thought leaders and more effectively share content that attracts new and repeat business.
As a company in the AEC industry, you face some unique challenges for gaining new and repeat business. Finding and connecting with people who need and want your services can be difficult in a busy world characterized by an increasing amount of communication channels, in addition to the high number of advertising messages that the average person is bombarded with on a regular basis. Time and budget constraints present additional obstacles. The question is, how can you effectively and efficiently establish and develop business relationships? The answer is inbound marketing. A recent survey by the Construction Marketing Association found that 82% of respondents used inbound marketing. Why? Inbound marketing achieves results, especially for those with a limited marketing budget who are short on time.
To grow your business, marketing has to be as effective as your sales and project planning. Businesses, particularly those in the architectural, engineering, and construction industry, are increasing their use of inbound marketing principles and tools to connect with individuals, increase awareness, generate leads and to create positive relationships with prospects and customers. They use inbound marketing because it is never pushy. It does not employ the in-your-face tactics of traditional advertising, but rather helps potential customers find the business. It also saves time and money and is easily measured when correctly implemented.
