Everyone in the AEC industry is interested in jumping on the social media bandwagon. Many have chosen to start “tweeting” without a formal plan or strategy. Social media has burst onto the marketing scene faster then anything in history. The initial adoption of social media, as a marketing tool, compared to the Internet, has been tremendous. I recall developing and launching the first website for Williams Scotsman in 1995- and that was to decades after Al Gore invented the Internet. In the last couple of years alone, social media has dramatically changed the landscape of marketing communications. Before you get started, develop a plan for how you will use social media. Your social media plan needs to be an extension of your overall marketing plan.
Here are a few tips for getting started on Twitter:
Have a plan. When it comes to Twitter, it is best to start with a strategy and plan. Before you start to tweet, I suggest that you start by following leading people in your industry and other industries. Look at their posts and see how the posts relate to building a brand, offering expertise, solving customer problems, providing information (or links to information published by others), or a more direct marketing pitch. Then look at the people you are trying to influence and determine what would be important to them.
Twitter 101. Twitter recenlty added a tool for businesses called Twitter 101. The useful tool provides information on Twitter basics, getting started, best practices and case studies. To view the tool, visit Twitter 101.
Multiple accounts. Consider establishing multiple Twitter accounts. Some people suggest balancing or blending personal and professional tweets. I suggest keeping them separate. At least have one for business use and one for personal use. An important customer probably doesn’t care about your kids soccer game or what movie you saw last night, so separate business from pleasure.
The short and sweet tweet. Since each post can only be 140 characters, tweets must be short. Use very succinct posts with a link to information you post in a blog or on your web site. When providing a link to another site, be sure to provide enough descriptive information.
Keep it tiny. Use TinyURL.com to reduce the size of your links. The service is easy and free.
Brand your Twitter page. Avoid using the standard backgrounds and icons. Create a distinctive look that is consistent with your company brand identity.
Leveraging other social platforms. There are several tools you can use to push your Twitter posts out to your other social media platforms. This can help broaden the reach of your message. In addition, Twitter posts are starting to appear in search engine results pages.
What to tweet. Remember, you want the tweets to be relevant and useful for your followers. For firms in the AEC industry, there are a number of things that you can tweet, including: new projects, completed projects, awards, certifications, new offices, new resources, etc. You can also provide links to articles, news or information that is interesting and relevant. Ask yourself: what is going on in your firm that is valuable to prospects and customers?
Some examples:
-A steel supplier tweeted about a seminar they are hosting on codes.
-An engineering firm announced engineers that have recently achieved LEED certification.
-A construction company tweeted about recently completed projects.
-An equipment rental company tweeted about an upcoming ABC meeting.
-A construction attorney provided a link about a risk management seminar.
-A scaffolding company tweeted about a new safety resource on their web site.
-A small architectural firm announced a speaking engagement.
-An electrical contractor tweeted a link to an article in ENR.
Remember your tweet should be focused on building your brand, establishing thought leadership, offering expertise, solving customer problems, or offering information. Need help in starting or managing your Twitter efforts, e-mail me at BGallagher@LeadingWithMarketing.com.
