Offline Marketing might seem obsolete even for architects and architecture firms. But a small amount of it is still needed. For some particular niches, these offline actions can be the single most efficient strategy. For other architecture firms networking is still effective, although it depends on the exceptional social skills of some charismatic entrepreneurs.
3 Types Of Offline Marketing for Architects
There are three major scenarios when offline marketing plans are needed, necessary or still working.
The backup offline marketing. This has to be part of all marketing plans. Its role is to consistently support the results of digital marketing.
The niche projects. For some kinds of projects, the prospective clients constitute such small groups that it’s way easier to contact every one of them. Although you can reach them online, it’s still based on old-school, person-to-person relationships.
Old School Offline Marketing is mainly networking. That is, this is the territory of a few natural-born sellers who happen to be architects.
The Backup Offline Marketing For Architects
The content that your architecture firm created based on a content marketing plan works. Some prospective clients contact you.
They have interesting projects. Your unique perspective intrigues them. They are into you, but they don’t want to take unnecessary risks. Not yet.
You have to prepare all the necessary materials to back up your content marketing claims. You have to get numbers, presentations, clients’ testimonials, and recommendations.
The guys who contact you are not necessarily the decision-making persons. They have to make recommendations. They need not the best solution, but the safe one.
The Niche Projects
There is a category of projects that has a certain type of owners. The first one that’s coming to my mind is the malls. But it’s not the only one.
Corporations have either their project management department or closely work with project management companies. A small bunch of guys make short lists with architecture and engineering firms, contractors, and building materials suppliers. They focus on investment safety and predictability. These lists are theoretically open, but personal relationship is the key.
I think a proper comparison is with lobbyists and what they are doing with elected officials. They are going directly to the decision-makers to promote the interests of their employers.
A lobby group has to convince just a few hundred people. Not all of them, but a strict majority. In some countries this is illegal.
Networking
This technique works. It will always work. But it takes a great deal of social skills and constant involvement.
Garry V wrote a book that all marketers should read: Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook. Although this is about social media, it reveals one old approach. In one of his many conferences, Garry tells a story. He followed on Twitter the CEO of a company and noticed he was a baseball fan of some team. Garry engaged him on baseball topics. They became Twitter buddies…..
Networking is a very effective offline marketing technique for architects. But you have to be a certain kind of guy. We all know at least one of them. They are dubious, popular, and charismatic. They know everybody and they are old friends.
All of us have good relations with former clients, constructors, and other architects. But we can’t stand in front of the networking entrepreneurs! They are not only on the boards of professional organizations, commerce chambers, or industry events, they organize them!
Online Versus Offline Marketing
Online marketing, especially content marketing, is about creating the right kind of content to attract specific website visitors. Offline marketing, especially networking, interrupts people. Somehow, offline is more similar to advertising, although the backup offline is rather at the prospective client’s request.
But why is still effective the networking?
First, let’s take a look at what networking activities are:
- Join business organizations, such as commerce chambers or patronal associations. It’s better if you are one of the founders.
- Get involved in professional associations, not only architects but engineers, constructors, developers, and so on.
- Participate in industry conferences and events. Try to be one of the speakers.
- Get involved in various local initiatives. Be one of the local leaders.
- Join the clubs and organizations where interesting people are.
- Get a teaching position. Be part of the Academia.
- Extend your relationships outside the formal events of all the above. Cultivate the right people, have lunches and dinners, and be a golf, tennis, or fishing partner. Be a social butterfly.
Being always present, you become the available expert. It’s as simple as that. The expert is the one who always has a professional point of view.
Look, I might sound a little bit ironic. But I admire the skills of those architects who are there all the time and keep doing this for years and years.
The problem is that all these activities are time-consuming. You can’t be tired, have no vacation, and have no real friends.
That’s why networking should be limited to those niche projects. The persons of interest are available on Twitter and LinkedIn. Within 6 social contacts, everyone can get in touch with every person on the planet. It’s pure mathematics.
As you see, not even the old school networking can’t escape the Internet.
