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Mar 1, 2021

How the AEC Industry Can Build with Inbound Marketing

Watermark Coffee Mug
by Nicole Stiverson
It’s easy to rely on what we’re most comfortable with. Maybe your firm has been door-to-door marketing since its inception; handing out brochures, booklets, and cards to everyone you meet--they are, after all, potential clients.
Or maybe you’re more comfortable seeing someone face-to-face and shaking hands at trade shows to make a lasting impression. Perhaps you’ve relied on direct-mail or even cold-calling for so long it’s hard to know how else to reach anyone?

Gain Targeted Traction With Inbound Marketing

Watermark has been in the marketing industry and has employed virtually every type of advertising there is.
We know that putting all your money, time, and effort into only one method of marketing, no matter how tried-and-true it has been in the past, could be actually more costly for your firm.
You could be missing valuable networking opportunities that expand beyond the Rolodex on your desk.
Don’t get us wrong, outbound marketing (a.k.a. traditional marketing methods like the ones mentioned above) has its place. With the ever-evolving and expanding reaches of , inbound marketing has to be included in any firm’s marketing strategy for keeping up with and outlasting competitors.
One isn’t better than the other, but we will show you a lasting approach to bridge the two together to reach the most potential clients without exhausting your budget on costly advertising and marketing strategies that no one may ever even see.

You can't have inbound marketing without a powerful CRM to back it up!

Not 100% on what a CRM can do for your business? Watermark is offering free self-serve training videos to guide you on how a CRM can enhance your sales and marketing teams.

How Inbound Marketing Can Boost Visibility and Client-Connection for the AEC Industry:

Gone are the days of yellow pages and junk-mail inserts. Even email blasts are quickly becoming a thing of the past. That's where inbound marketing comes in, especially in the crowded world-wide-web?
That’s where comes in.
Inbound sets your firm apart from the thousands of others in the AEC industry, not with forced, stale advertising gimmicks, but by creating genuine and lasting consumer connections.
Inbound uses dynamic content like video, photography, and educational blog posts or white papers to tell the world your company’s story and how it can better your clients’ lives. Sounds great, right? But how exactly do you do this?

More Deeply Understand Your Customer:

As consumers become more comfortable with using technology, they are also more likely to expect a personalized buying experience rather than a high-pressure sales pitch. Organic and intuitive content will inform your client about your products and services and build brand trust.
According to a survey from , a staggering 95% of consumers surveyed said they were more likely to be loyal to a company they trust. This fact includes B2B (business-to-business) industries such as Architecture, Engineering, and Construction.

Stay Ahead and Adopting Evolution Technologies:

Since web searches drive most consumers to B2B companies, focusing on isn’t enough. The B2B industry has to keep up with rapidly and ever-changing search engine algorithms. Ensure content is relatable to your consumer, and stay one step ahead of how your customers expect to interact with you. Don’t forget; your competitors are also evolving!

Combine The Right Tactics of Digital and Traditional Marketing:

The most significant benefit of inbound marketing is tying together rather than focusing on each one separately.
The most innovative and impactful campaigns create an experience for clients--and future clients—weaving video, photography, digital, and print content together. Create a seamless and consistent brand experience across all platforms, online and off. Such strategy creates brand awareness, trust and establishes thought leadership at your firm.

Understand That Inbound Marketing is Not the End-All Solution:

We’ve mentioned it before: relying solely on digital marketing and abandoning all outbound avenues isn’t a guarantee for successful company growth. Neither is printing out a 100-page bulky brochure and snail-mailing postcards to cold leads.
You’ve got to know when and how to use both to your advantage.
A custom marketing strategy combined with the right balances both to ensure a further reach to bring your brand and company story to more people wanting to see it. Ready to speak with a inbound marketing consultant?

Time, Investment, Effectiveness: How to Decide What Works for Your Firm

A little research into your company’s customer history and your future projections should help you understand which marketing strategy to employ. Knowing where you are right now will help you to see where you need to start and how. When it comes to costs, there’s no cut-and-dry answer.
Here are a few questions to ask that can help guide:
  • Is your firm currently tracking SEO ranks on its website and blog?
  • Does your firm even have a site yet?
  • Do you have a ton of content and videos but are unsure how to link them together?
  • Is your brand stale and impersonal, so you’re looking to break into social media to cultivate communication and share your story with more eyes?
To say that inbound marketing costs more or less than outbound is less simple than that. Spending your entire marketing budget on flashy business cards when you don’t even have a website can misses the target and be a costly mistake.
Yet so is spending all your marketing budget on the latest website technology and content development. But then there is the cost of following up with SEO tracking, engaging with lead nurturing automations and prospecting, and . Your efforts--and your money--can quickly get lost in the ether if the strategy is unfocused.
By having a partner marketing firm like Watermark, you can know that your business keeps up with-- or even ahead of-- ever-evolving technology, internal teams can be upskilled, and we can help make educated decisions brand's future and the growth of your business.