LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, oh my! Social media is firmly embedded in AEC marketing, but in this ever-changing digital landscape, which platforms are right for your company? For our first discussion on social media, Middle of Six's Digital Marketing Strategist and Graphic Designer, Allison Rose, shares a high-level overview of popular networks and her recommendations specific to AEC firms.
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Podcast Transcript
Welcome to The Shortlist.
We are exploring all things AEC marketing to help your firm win The Shortlist.
I'm your host, Wendy Simmons, and each episode, I'll be joined by one of my team members from Middle of Six to answer your questions.
Today, we're chatting with Allison Rose.
Hey, Allison.
Hi, Wendy, thanks for having me.
Absolutely, I'm so glad you're here, and I cannot wait to dig into this topic on social media.
But before we get started, I would like it if you could introduce yourself to our listeners and tell them a little bit about yourself, how you got started in graphic design and social media, and how you found yourself at Middle of Six.
Sure, yeah, I'd be happy to.
As you mentioned, I'm the graphic designer and digital marketing strategist here at Middle of Six.
And I got my start all the way back in high school when I took my first Photoshop class, and I just fell in love with it.
And since then, I knew that I wanted to become a graphic designer.
Learning about graphic design and advertising, I started to learn about how marketing can be a part of graphic design and graphic design can be a part of marketing.
So it's just something that I fell in love with.
I went to school and got my BFA in graphic design, minor in marketing.
So since then, I've just been working with everything from small businesses to apps to larger businesses, architecture firms, helping them with their digital marketing strategies and graphic design.
What do you like about supporting the AEC industry with graphics and storytelling and that side of things?
honestly, what I love most about it is being able to help companies elevate their overall look and feel, whether it's the design that they put out, whether it's the messaging, everything that comes under that umbrella.
I'm just so happy to be able to help these companies really elevate what they're putting out there.
Yeah, it's fantastic having you on our team because your background, helping firms elevate their stories and put that content out there has been great in your past life, but now you're doing that for 30 clients or more at a time and thinking about what's going to resonate with their particular audience and having so many different brands and styles and personalities to work with.
Do you find that more challenging or exciting?
I would say it definitely keeps it interesting.
It's a different challenge every day that I really do enjoy.
There's so much creativity that comes with it.
You never really know who you're going to be working with, and there's just so many different options out there for all the variety of companies that we work with.
I would say it is definitely something that I get excited by.
Yeah, that resonates with me.
We've talked about this before, but we actually have pretty similar backgrounds.
I also have a Bachelor of Fine Arts and, you know, with painting or something in high school, when I learned that you could actually be a graphic designer and be creative and make a living in that way.
So like a lot of people also fell into AEC, but also fell in love with it.
And it's cool from our position of seeing all these different brands and the unique ways they communicate their stories at all different levels too, from simply just putting out traditional marketing, collateral and brochures or their proposals, how they're telling stories there, and then even more advanced levels of how they're integrating it in all of their digital marketing from the website and social media.
So I'm thrilled you're here today.
I'd love to get into this topic of social media.
It's a huge one.
As you know, we've already thought about 15 different subtopics under this heading of social media.
So as a starting point, let's focus on what channel is the right channel for your firm and how you decide that.
So thinking about that, my first question, it feels so simple because, you know, we've had social media around for 20 years now, and you kind of think that it's absolutely something that people are doing.
But I think in AEC, it's a little bit of a different industry here.
So how important do you think social media is for AEC firms?
I would say it's very important because social media offers a great opportunity for your firm to really showcase your brand and your personality.
Yeah, absolutely.
You get to have a voice.
It's conversational and there are nuances.
Very different than what maybe would be put on your polished website or in a proposal.
I feel like sometimes people forget about the social part of social media, and it really does kind of offer that opportunity to just really showcase who you are as a company.
It all kind of comes back to thinking about the ways that you can utilize social media in a way that you're not able to in your other areas of marketing.
Showcasing your staff, you can highlight your projects and really be able to tell a story behind them.
It should be more than just putting a picture out there and talking about how many square footage it is or how many units are included.
It is a great opportunity for you to be able to really enhance your storytelling.
So thinking about what platforms are best for each firm.
Allison, I'd love to hear your thoughts on what makes sense.
Where should people put their attention?
does it matter if you're an architecture firm or engineering construction, owner's website, any of that?
How do you recommend people where they should be focusing their social media attention?
Well, it's a great question and it's one that we get often.
And unfortunately, I don't feel like there's a one size fits all answer for everyone.
I would say what's most important is for the company to think about what their goals are and who their audience is on each social media platform.
What types of goals, when you're working with clients, are they trying to achieve and how does that align with the platform they might select?
It could be to create more brand awareness.
It could be to highlight your work.
It could be to highlight your culture.
There's so much to think about when you're starting a social media campaign or social media strategy.
Yeah.
If you were planning a social media strategy, obviously a topic for another time, but would you start with the goals or would you start with the platform?
I would 100% start with the goals first.
Let's say you are open to being on everything, which is not what we would advise, but you could list your goals and understand, here's what we want to accomplish and what we want to communicate, and then take a closer look at each of the platforms to decide which one is the best vehicle to do that.
And maybe also another step from there is decide, now how can we maximize our efforts and where do we see some alignments and that sort of thing so that you're not spread way too thin, depending on your resources.
Absolutely.
And I would encourage people to also be creative about it.
I mean, we get comments from companies that say, oh, I'm a mechanical engineer company.
I don't want to just post pictures of pipes and the mechanical systems.
Fair enough, sure.
But there's ways that you can get creative with it and start to think about how you can highlight your staff or your other expertises.
There's just more that you can do with it than just posting what it is you do.
Yeah, that's a good recommendation.
So let's take a closer look here at the different platforms, the ones that we see most frequently used in AEC, and just give an overview of how they work and where you might be able to achieve your goals through each, starting with LinkedIn, which I feel like for professional services is the big boy in the room that we see people on, but also has this interesting element where it's professional and personal, very much intertwined in that way.
Allison, what would you recommend for firms managing their LinkedIn profile?
Yeah, I mean, there's so much you can do with LinkedIn, and I'm going to start with one that I feel like is often overlooked, and that's the employee advocacy that comes with LinkedIn.
That's where your employees are, and that's where your colleagues are.
And I think that it's really beneficial for the employees to be sharing the content that comes from the company on your LinkedIn, because it's been proven that people trust people they know way more than they're going to trust the companies that are posting.
So if you can get your employees to be sharing your content, whether it's a blog post or an event or something that has recently been published, once you get your employees sharing that, that's really how you're going to be able to spread the word about your company on LinkedIn and really build some great brand recognition.
Okay, so we're in agreement that LinkedIn is a definite yes.
There are a ton of benefits to using that and definitely worth the energy to be active on that platform for AEC firms.
Talk about a few others here, like Facebook, for example, a big one.
And that one comes to mind for us, Allison, because this year you and I made the executive decision to leave Facebook from Middle of Six perspective.
Why did we do that?
It was a strategic decision.
Why did we do that?
Yeah, it was kind of funny.
I remember it was when I was just starting and you and I just started talking about social media and what our strategy was going to be.
And you kind of looked at me and you said, I want to get your thoughts on this, but I'm thinking that we should probably close our Facebook account.
I was so happy to hear you say that.
I said, yes, I am totally on board with that.
Let's get rid of it.
Yeah.
Isn't that funny?
Because Facebook is an important element in social media marketing, and we use it heavily with some of our clients.
It's really important in our strategy.
But for Middle of Six in particular, it wasn't the best strategy.
It has to do with some of their algorithms, a little bit of pay to play, our following.
There are just so many factors that we felt like we weren't willing to really invest the amount of time to get out of it what we would have needed.
So instead, we funneled that energy over to Instagram, and we will talk about that in a second here.
Just going back again to why we left, it goes back to the discussion of thinking about what network is right for you.
Who is your audience?
What messaging are you going to be able to put out there that is different than your other platforms?
And if you don't have a good answer for it, it might be a reason for you to reconsider if you really need to be on that platform.
And for Middle of Six, we didn't see that there was any benefit for us to be on Facebook.
The message wasn't different.
Our followers weren't that different.
Facebook is a great platform.
I can just think of several of our clients who are seeing a lot of success on that.
What I've personally witnessed is the engagement in some firms, either your employee base is really into Facebook, maybe even more so than LinkedIn.
For example, trade partners, their group may be a really huge audience.
Their families might like the companies online, be a Facebook friend and follower so that they can see the projects being built.
Facebook does have a reach in a different way that can be very exciting for different firms.
And so it just depends on like, is that where your audience is?
It's very real when you think about who are those followers and how are you engaging with them.
And then the stories that you tell should be focused on what do the friends and families of these workers want to hear?
You know, what are you celebrating?
How are you showing safety and innovation and that kind of thing?
Facebook is so hard.
It's a hard one to talk about.
I mean, I don't know, Wendy, have you seen anyone who uses it exceptionally well or seen any great benefits from it?
AEC focused, right?
Because I do think a lot of brands are successfully using Facebook.
But in our industry, I would tend to say a bigger brand that has just a broader audience and a broader reach feels better suited to Facebook in AEC.
The smaller brands may have a hard time breaking through, so that creates some challenges.
But if you have more followers and people who are going to engage and get those algorithms really going and working, then you're going to be more successful on Facebook.
That's right.
So I just want to add here that we are using Facebook paid advertising very successfully for a few clients.
We like that platform because you can reach a broad audience, but then you can get very, very specific in your targeting.
It's also cost effective compared to other types of advertising media.
So it's something to consider if that is an element of your marketing strategy you want to use.
Let's not overlook that.
It's very, very powerful in that way, and that's definitely a benefit to Facebook.
yes, definitely.
Let's move on to Instagram, owned by Facebook.
So, you know, there's some similarities there, and maybe as things evolve in time, they'll become more closely aligned, but we see some benefits to Instagram.
And I also think that companies who want to be very visual about what they're showing, so if you're an architect or designer, this is a fantastic platform for that.
Allison, what do you see as kind of the benefits and potential downfalls of Instagram?
Yeah, I mean, I feel like for me, the companies that do it most successfully, they have a really great mix of their people, their projects, and their process.
That's an interesting way of framing up how you're gonna present your content.
Could you provide a few examples of how that is done on Instagram visually?
Sure, I mean, there's so many people out there that do the meet the staff type content, which I think is great.
It's an excellent way to showcase your staff and to get to learn a little bit more about them.
So I love seeing that kind of content.
I also really enjoy seeing the content that isn't staged.
You know, just the shots of people working together.
I mean, I know during COVID times, it's a little different, but in the office.
So I enjoy seeing that.
It showcases not just the people, but it also showcases the process.
And for projects, I think that the big, glossy professional photos are obviously great, and who doesn't like looking at that?
But it's also great to be able to see some of the process behind it, whether it's photos that the staff take during site walks, or whether it's charrettes that led to the build project.
I just think it's an awesome opportunity to be able to see everything that's kind of behind the curtain.
If you're a smaller company and you just don't have that really nice photography, I wouldn't let it hold you back.
Right, and there are some easy tricks you can do as you're selecting your photos.
Whatever you put places your first photo is going to remain on your page creates that overall look.
And then as viewers are scrolling through their feed, they're getting to see additional photos.
So to your earlier example, if you have a series of photos to show your process, think about what might be the best first one to show in that way.
But you can have several photos that step through it, and those can add to the depth of the story without really distracting visually.
Yeah, absolutely.
There's a variety of ways that you can post your content on Instagram.
It's really the thinking about ways to be creative with your content moving forward.
So what would you say are any downsides to Instagram?
Because I know it is not for every firm.
Sure, yeah, I think some of the downfalls are the same ones that come with any social network.
You're fighting an algorithm, and it's changing all the time.
So right when you think you have the perfect strategy that the algorithm wants to see, it could change the next week.
So you're always fighting against that.
I would say another downfall of Instagram is that it is important to post consistently.
And I know a lot of people, especially marketers and small teams, they have a lot going on, so it can be difficult to keep it updated.
So we hit on the big three, the platforms we see most frequently used.
I guess it's not fair to not include YouTube or Vimeo and those channels, because if you're posting video content and you can have a whole library of videos available for your audiences there, that's really great.
But would you say, Allison, there's any other platform we want to hit on or is worth a mention?
No, I mean, I think YouTube and Vimeo are great.
But again, it's just thinking if you're going to have the content to keep those populated.
And coming up with really great video content is difficult.
It's definitely time consuming.
There's also Twitter out there that I know a lot of people use, and it has a lot of benefits, and it's very fast moving, and it's something that you definitely need to dedicate the time to to make it a successful platform.
Yeah, does that require a full time social media manager if you decide to jump into Twitter?
yes, I believe that you would need someone more full time focusing on that.
There are ways you can share content on Twitter such as Hootsuite that automatically posts stuff from your other social media networks, but I just don't think that's the best way to do it.
I personally like to keep my content tailored to the specific social media network.
So for Twitter, I would definitely say that it requires someone a little more full time, just focused on social media to really do a great job with it.
For people who are listening or thinking about the size of their team, I might balk at a full time social media manager, especially if they're doing Twitter.
Why would they need that kind of resource?
I mean, for Twitter specifically, just because it's so fast paced, it's constantly moving.
And if you put a tweet out there and someone instantly replies to it, you need to be on top of that.
People expect a response right away on all social media, and especially with Twitter.
So you want to make sure that you have someone who's keeping an eye on it.
Yeah, that makes sense.
You know, Twitter, for many people, is a real newsfeed.
They're looking and seeing what's going on in their communities or, I don't know, on the highway or weather.
I mean, lots of things, it's happening right at that minute.
So I can think of some of our firms might really want to be part of that.
If you're a general contractor, if you're a really big or regional general contractor, and you want kind of up to date information on what might be going on in your projects, or if there's a big milestone happening, that could be great, but you can't just step into it for one minute and then not be there the next.
Yeah, definitely.
That brings up a great point.
I remember seeing when I used to manage a Twitter account, we would see a lot of engagement from the community, from publications and from journalists.
So it was definitely a great way to get the news out there and for them to see our news and to share it with their communities too.
So it was a great opportunity to build brand awareness on Twitter.
We cannot overstate the fact that reach beyond your own network can really help amplify your message.
So that's a part of the strategy for sure, thinking beyond just your own followers and your own employees.
I'm going to address some of the smaller or niche social media channels that we're not going to go into at this point.
So Snapchat and TikTok and others, they can be beneficial.
They're not something that we're seeing heavily used in AEC, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't keep an eye on it or kind of understand what trends are happening.
At this point, it's not our top selection and recommendations for firms, but that can always change.
And social media is evolving all the time.
Yeah, or go all in, get creative with it.
If you're a company out there that has a Snapchat or a TikTok account, please let us know.
I would love to see what you're putting out there.
Right, you could be a trendsetter.
You could be the first in your area or in your industry to do something, and that's pretty cool, too.
So I guess that's a good point.
Be experimental if you've got a little time to do it.
And if you find yourself not having time to manage your social media channel, definitely take a close look of, is it time to sunset that, or do you need to put more resources towards it?
Because having a channel that is not active is much worse than having no channel at all.
I really like the way you phrase that, sunset that.
It just makes it sound so happy.
We're not going to delete the account.
We're going to sunset it.
The sun is setting on Facebook.
We're not quitters.
Okay, so we do have a listener question, and it's one that we've heard several times, so I think it'll resonate with others.
It is, I'm a single marketer in my firm and have a pretty full plate.
I only feel like I have time to manage one social media channel.
Which channel would you recommend?
We do get that question a lot, and I never know exactly what the right answer is.
It's kind of like someone coming up to you and asking, should I get bangs?
It's like, well, I don't know, are you gonna upkeep them, are you gonna do the maintenance that comes along with that?
But to answer the question, I would say, again, think about what your goals are.
What are your goals with starting that social media account?
And once you really have a firm outline of what that is, you can start to think about what some of the benefits are of each social media network.
So again, just going back to what we talked about with Instagram or LinkedIn, are you gonna be posting a lot of photos?
Are you trying to get your employees more engaged?
It just goes back to really thinking about what your goals are.
Right, and to add on to that, you can do some estimating on how much time does it take.
You may realize that, well, I mean, I think a blog takes a long time to curate the content and create the graphics and get it out there in the world.
That may not be the top choice for a single marketer, given your resources.
You might realize that Facebook can be a mini blog in that way, and it's a lot easier lift for you.
So, just look at each platform and make sure that it aligns with your goals, and then estimate.
This one's a one hour a day type effort, compared to a 10 hour a week effort for others.
So, that's another consideration, definitely.
So, all that said, I feel like if we really had to pick one channel to recommend, and we hit on it earlier, LinkedIn has a really strong case for people who are promoting things in a professional way.
You have your industry organizations that you're connected with.
There's people who are interested in your firm.
It's very focused.
It's much less kind of social elements.
So, if you're going to put your energy into something, that's what I would recommend.
There's no reason to put energy into something if it's not meeting the goals of your firm.
We're gonna say that 100 times, but it is very important.
Let's not waste any energy on something that's not helping your firm achieve what it wants to accomplish.
Yeah, definitely.
And since you chose LinkedIn, I'm gonna go ahead and choose Instagram.
Just to switch things up a little bit.
And the reason that I would choose Instagram over LinkedIn, if you had to choose one, is because it's a lot easier to share shorter bits of content.
The content that performs really well on LinkedIn is kind of the bigger pieces of content that you're putting out there, whether it's a blog post or something you put in a publication.
But if you're a small marketing team and you wanna get content out there fast, I would make a case for Instagram.
Okay, well, we'll keep arm wrestling over this one in the next few weeks, Allison, and see who wins.
But I feel like that works, and hopefully that helps that person kind of focus their energy on the one thing.
And one thing is enough.
You can be focused and it's better to do one thing well than many things kind of halfway.
Wrapping up everything with social media, I just wanted to make a point to remind people to have fun with it.
I mean, so often we get into these conversations about strategy and what's the ROI, but social media really is the opportunity for you to have some fun with your marketing.
So, just get out there and see what works, see what doesn't, track your analytics and just have fun with it.
awesome.
That's great.
I love that ending on that note for sure.
And I think that wraps up at least this high level overview of the different platforms.
Allison, thank you so much for being here.
I'm so glad you've now made your introduction into podcasting.
We're going to have a lot of fun with this.
I cannot wait to pick your brain on a million other digital marketing topics as we go through this.
So, anyways, thank you so much.
Thank you.
Yeah.
Believe it or not, this was my first podcast.
But you're a natural.
Shocking, I know.
You did great.
It was so fun talking to you today.
Oh, thank you.
The Shortlist is presented by Middle of Six and hosted by me, Wendy Simmons, principal marketing strategist.
Kyle Davis is our producer with Graphic design and Digital Marketing by Allison Rose.
If you have a question or topic you'd like us to discuss, send an email or voice memo to theshortlistatmiddleofsix.com.
If you missed anything or want more info, check out our podcast page at middleofsix.com/theshortlist.
And follow us on LinkedIn and Instagram at middleofsix.
Thanks so much for listening.
We hope you'll tell your friends and colleagues about the show, and be sure to subscribe so you don't miss any of our upcoming episodes.
Until next time, keep on hustling.
Bye.
Bye, everyone.
The Shortlist is a podcast that explores all things AEC marketing. Hosted by Middle of Six Principal, Wendy Simmons, each episode features members of the MOS team, where we take a deep dive on a wide range of topics related to AEC marketing including: proposal development, strategy, team building, business development, branding, digital marketing, and more. You can listen to our full archive of episodes here.