As virtual media makes the identity of a studio or company increasingly visible, so the importance of establishing the right profile rises.
Clients can do an “on-line shop”, looking at recommendations, blogs, projects and any other exposure in order to ascertain what fits in with their requirements.
In some ways this shifts advantage from the architect, engineer or interior designer to the client.
It’s not about a sort of “hard sell” anymore – it’s about putting across knowledge, experience and expertise so that a company or individual gets on that “shopping list”, preferably as near to the top as possible.
Whether it’s looking at designing a visually spectacular structure, building on time and within a budget safely and sustainably, or creating stunning décor, it is really now up to the architect, designer or construction specialist to take the lead and convince the marketplace that they, and their company, are the right fit for the job.
Trust, innovation and vision
Becoming a thought leader in the world of design and build goes along way towards establishing credentials as a professional who can be trusted, is able to innovate, and can go that little bit extra in fulfilling a client’s vision.
In the past, events, awards ceremonies, panel discussions and live roundtables were great ways of achieving this. Debating with peers, taking questions from the floor, acceptance speeches and presentation all served to heighten awareness of a person, company, studio or team.
But now – in a Covid restricted world – these opportunities are not really available.
So it’s all about gaining exposure with an online presence the obvious first step.
Most design and build professionals are good communicators – they have to be, to translate ideas into bricks, concrete, glass, steel, fabrics, tiles and all that makes for a completed project.
But getting across those ideas is another matter – especially when reaching out into the virtual sphere to new prospective clients and the wider business world for the first time.
B2B content marketing: 4 steps to establishing expertise
- Go niche – It’s great to be an all round expert. But if you have a particular speciality push that forward. It sets up a niche. And the media follows one another. Someone who writes a blog on, for instance, the use of traditional materials in villa construction, and gets exposure, becomes the person to turn to for print journalists, radio show hosts and TV reporters. They become a thought leader – the go-to expert. They own that area.
- Get personal – A personal brand lets people know who you are. Blog your thoughts on a specific topic on a regular basis, so that people come to see what you are thinking at any given time. It’s great if you can tie in with specific issues, as and when they impact on the market place. It shows you are agile, flexible and on the cutting edge when it comes to responses.
- Grow your network. Work together with like minded people. Many projects are joint efforts – establish compatible partners, put work their way and they will do the same for you. Find people online who are already talking about subjects you are familiar with and join the debate. Interact, open up, and let your voice be heard.
- Build strong media relationships – And when you have an online profile, get published in mainstream media. You can offer to write guest columns in newspapers and magazines. Contact journalists and tell them about projects. Get into their contact books and they will start to call you. One thing great about the UAE – many well-regarded and established journalist work across broadcast and print formats. And even if they don’t they will all have contacts in other media, so ideas and contacts are easily shared. Get them talking about you.
And there you have it – you are the acknowledged expert. It’s your field.
