In 2011, three members of the Society for Marketing Professional Services set out to research social media (sometimes abbreviated SoMe) use in the design and construction industry. Holly Bolton, director of marketing for CE Solutions, Dana Galvin Lancour, director of communications for Barton Malow, and Adam Kilbourne, senior associate and director of marketing for Tec Inc. Engineering & Design, looked into the ways that clients were incorporating social media into their process for finding and retaining A/E/C firms. The findings were published in the SMPS Foundation white paper, The Clients Use of Social Media and Social Networking, and the Three SoMegos were born!
Through the research process, they found one owner that utilized social media for the RFP and selection process, and another owner that partnered with their design consultant to push project messages using the social media space. Their efforts broke new ground in the A/E/C industry because very little research existed at the time they began working on the white paper.
Adam Kilbourne
A lot has changed since their original paper was published, so I reached out to them to look at the evolution of social media in our industry, and how firms are now using it.
While things have definitely changed, as an industry we still have more work to do according to Adam: “Social media has become more widespread in the A/E/C industry, but is not necessarily being used the most effectively. Many firms are trying it, but not implementing it well. Content is the most difficult part in creating a great social media program.”
Adds Holly Bolton: “When we conducted our research, we saw firms using social media as more of a recruiting tool or a marketing tool to build awareness and nurture relationships. Today, A/E/C firms are starting to use social media as a way to communicate with stakeholders during the actual project process. I think firms have recognized that social media is simply another way to communicate, and it can be used in a variety of ways to help meet a variety of goals.”
Holly Bolton
Companies today are finding more traction with the technology, says Dana Galvin Lancour. “I think what has changed the most is the widespread acceptance of the medium by our firms, A/E/C leaders, and people in general. Unlike what some predicted, this is not a fad and it continues to evolve. Our ability to get news and information about the industry, partners, etc. is directly linked to social media as it is a go-to outlet for many.”
But Dana cautions that we still have a long way to go for three overriding reasons. “First, we are still figuring out how to sell and market our services. Up until thirty or so years ago, we were still relying heavily on our firm leaders and that one outgoing engineer to do our selling and some firms are still doing that. Second, as soon as we feel like we have made some ground, the social media landscape changes or we perceive it to change. Remember when Google+ was the next big thing? I think some are still waiting for the social media landscape to solidify. Third, we are still catching up from the recession. Marketing budgets and staffs were cut heavily so as we pull our way out of that, new marketing initiatives like social media can begin to thrive at firms where they could not before. As leaders realize it is something to pay attention to, they are more likely to invest resources in it.”
Dana Galvin Lancour
Since the original research was conducted, visual-oriented sites like Pinterest and Instragram have become extremely popular. But do they have a role in marketing A/E/C firms?
“Visual social media sites can be great for architects and construction, and maybe some structural because those are very visual fields,” says Adam. “The visual approach is much more challenging for the engineering community. The work is necessary, but usually not visually interesting. It takes creativity to share. Firm culture is different, and the visual sharing may be appropriate and work well.”
So what is the role of social media within an A/E/C marketing program?
According to Holly, “The key to success in social media is engaging with your connections and providing them with valuable content. What I would call an unsuccessful application is when a company starts up a Twitter account and uses it to merely Tweet out links to press releases and features of their product or services rather than using it to provide valuable content and interact with others.”
Adds Dana, “Firms are successful when they can provide relevant information to the masses in a timely manner. It also helps when there are valuable thoughts behind the posting. The most successful applications that we have seen at Barton Malow have to do with reaching into our communities, working with them, and sharing information with them that they feel is important – not necessarily what we think is important…”
The real advantages of social media are not just for generating brand awareness, but also providing a venue for clients to find and research firms that they want to work with.
“As reported in the SMPS Foundation book, A/E/C Business Development – The Decade Ahead, clients reported that they are looking for firms that can provide innovation, and they are using the web to research and vet firms,” notes Holly. “These findings have a direct relationships to social media. Social media platforms play an important role in the communication of thought leadership – which can be delivered through content marketing tactics like blogs, white papers, webinars, etc. – by helping drive traffic to those online destinations. As decision makers increasingly look only for valuable content and resources that help them innovate and solve problems, firms using social media and content marketing effectively should gain a foothold through their visibility.”
Social media adoption across the A/E/C industry is varied, and firms are still determining how to best incorporate the various social media channels into their overall marketing program. Some have made more progress than others, but few firms are totally ignoring social media space these days. Does your firm have a robust social media program? What approaches and channels have you found to be the most effective to build client relationships and generate brand awareness?
