MARKETING/PROMOTION
Explain how this marketing strategy targets specific target groups of clients?
The people we intend to reach with our marketing strategies are like-minded individuals or companies invested in creating a social and environmental change through the built environment.
On the smaller scale these could be families with a vested interest in creating sustainable homes or an alternative, self-sufficient lifestyle. On the larger scale these could be companies, charities, public institutions or developers with an interest in social enterprise and prioritising people over profits. People who believe, like us, that urban environments should foster both individual and community wellbeing.
The intention behind this is to start small and gather influence. By advertising on platforms that reach individuals with similar interests to us we intend on staking a claim in the small scale residential market, and then extending to the medium-high density market by utilising our reputation and branding.
How will you market your practice- through websites, social media, public engagement etc?
Explain how this marketing strategy targets specific target groups of clients?
Our practice intends to use multiple avenues to market our business. Each avenue should have a specific marketing strategy, based on the platform. As architecture is in essence a visual medium, we believe that an emphasis should be placed on visual social media platforms:
Website: All images should be shareable to social media, visitors can opt in to a monthly email newsletter (using a platform such as Mailchimp or equivalent) , a blog or news page should be included to showcase our latest projects, videos of talks we’ve given or presentations of future works, or even books or articles we find relevant to our potential client base. This bolsters peoples trust in our brand and remind them why they should remain connected to us.
Instagram Potential pages that we can be advertised on should be explored (these could include pages like Domain, Houzz, Australian Architecture, Permaculture, etc.) Stories should be uploaded on a regular basis to keep followers updated on our everyday activities and office ‘vibes’. Engagement should be made with other relevant firms’ pages to scope out potential relationships. Strong images, considered hashtags, updated bio links are fundamental to success.
Facebook
Pinterest: An image-based network, graphics and high-quality photography are integral to its success, usually utilised for people to compile a set of ‘aspirations’, our images should therefore be something to aspire to, appealing to potential clients.
All avenues of marketing should have appropriate checks and balances in place. Traffic data should be analysed to ascertain the success of our marketing avenues, this includes information such as: how many people are visiting avenue? Where are they coming from? How long are they spending there? What images or information receive the most traffic? Why are these more successful?
This data should be analysed appropriately, weaker strategies should be improved or abandoned and successful strategies bolstered.
Competitions: Competitions as a way of getting your name out there, good way of highlighting a uniqueness in design
A good brand is key to promoting any business. Ways in which we can achieve a cohesive brand are as follows:
• A simple logo and a consistent and cohesive colour scheme and typeface, keeping the colour palette muted allows for less distraction and a greater emphasis on ‘the architecture speaking for itself’. This logo, colour palette and typeface should be used on all documentation associated with the business, not just the website. This encourages a clear association in the minds of potential clients.
• Maintaining an emphasis on hand drawings and sketches throughout the website.
• Ensuring high quality images on websites, newsletters and social media. Employing talented and well-known photographers who have connections and can ensure our content reaches a wider audience.
This being said, we believe that our brand lies not within our logo and graphics, we are a service and not a product. Therefore, our brand lies mainly in our reputation, developed as a set of memories, stories, expectations and personal relationships. It is this that we intend to foster. Ways this can be achieved include:
• Embracing the public spotlight, publicly discussing our work, personal beliefs and passions
• Public talks and lectures are a good way to advertise our business, allowing us to enter a discussion on our areas of expertise