Top 10 Marketing Strategies to Help Architects Grow Their Practice
You know in theory that ramping up your marketing could help you grow your architecture practice. But when you’re faced with communicating technical information to laypeople, working out which strategies will give you the best ROI, and setting aside time when you’re busy with existing projects and running your business, it can feel like an impossible ask.
Kuldip “Kooks” Sahota, one of our expert business coaches, has years of experience helping independent architects and small firms scale. We asked him to share his thoughts on marketing for architects and some simple strategies you can use to make marketing work for you.
Why Marketing Matters for Architects
Kooks says the most important thing marketing does for architects is enable them to truly differentiate themselves. He explains that relying on your credentials and accomplishments to attract clients will only take you so far because numerous other practices have equally impressive qualifications and experience.
“How you stand out is by highlighting your specialism and communicating who you are,” he says.
Marketing lets you showcase your values, the problems you solve for your clients, and how you work. It lets you appeal to people at a human level and give them a real sense of what it would be like to go through the design process with you.
As Kooks puts it: “No two architects are ever going to be the same because no two people are exactly the same and so their approach will be different.” By giving people insights into you and your approach, you’re far more likely to attract your ideal clients.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Kooks says there are several common mistakes he sees architects make with attracting new clients.
The first is relying entirely on word of mouth. While personal recommendations are valuable, they’re largely out of your control, resulting in an inconsistent flow of work and unpredictable cashflow.
The second is being wary of experimenting. “8 out of 10 marketing strategies won’t work,” Kooks explains, “so you have to constantly be trying many different ways to communicate to your clients to find those that do.”
This reluctance to experiment comes about for a variety of reasons, ranging from an overpowering need to get it right the first time to simply not having the time.
The final mistake Kooks sees architects making is communicating at a technical rather than an emotional level. “If you’re able to communicate in an emotional way and tell stories,” he says, “then that helps someone really understand what they’re getting.”
Top 10 Marketing Strategies to Help Architects Grow Their Practice
Here are Kooks’ top 10 strategies to upgrade your marketing.
1. Understand Your Ideal Client
“The start point for an architect would be to truly understand their dream client and what their pain point is so they can go about communicating how they can solve it,” Kooks says.
What projects do you specialise in? Who needs that? That knowledge will make it much easier to identify the types of marketing that are worth pursuing.
Think about how your ideal client would look for someone to address their pain point and simulate the journey they’d take. Ensure your website clearly states your specialism and how you can help.
Use keywords and phrases people will be looking for as these help you rank with search engines and are likely to be what people are looking for when they skim read your site (for example, if you specialise in conservation, use the phrase “conservation architect” frequently).
Think about how you’ll appear in search results too – your metadata (the title and description search engines display) needs to be helpful and keyword optimised.
2. Find Inspiration
“Analyse other practices, even large ones, and just see what they’re doing well, what works for them and how consistent they’re being,” Kooks says. Look at companies in other sectors too – they could be a fresh source of creative inspiration.
“You don’t need to reinvent the wheel – there’s nothing new in this world,” Kooks says.
He recommends grabbing the best ideas from different places and combining them to create something new.
3. Social Media
94% of respondents to OpenAsset’s 2024 AEC marketing report named social media as their top priority when it comes to building brand awareness and a pipeline of leads. But what should you post?
Kooks says to focus on storytelling. 80% of your posts should focus on story-led content, including who you are, your values, your projects, and who your clients are and what you do for them. The other 20% should be focused on more direct selling.
Remember to include your specialism and target audience in your bios. “Ultimately, someone has to land on your platform and very quickly understand who you are, what you do and what problem you solve,” Kooks says.
4. Blogs and Content Marketing
As well as using your blog as another storytelling opportunity, you can use it to answer questions prospective clients are likely to have. This enables you to build trust and to target “long tail keywords” – the longer phrases and questions people put into search engines.
For inspiration, note down the questions people ask you and use “search listening” tools like Answer the Public.
Kooks top tip when it comes to content marketing for architects is repurposing. Use a blog as the basis for a video and then divide that video into snippets you can post on your Threads, LinkedIn and X profiles.
5. Paid Advertising
Paid advertising can be very effective but only if you approach it strategically. Think about your ideal client: where are they likely to be and what sort of message will catch their eye?
Keep evaluating too. Put out different versions of an ad and see which performs better. Use these findings to constantly adapt your approach to achieve the best ROI.
6. Email Marketing and Newsletters
Kooks says email is vital because it’s the only source of customer data that you own. If you rely entirely on third-party platforms like social media, you’re in trouble if they go down or your accounts get banned.
Another benefit of email marketing for architects is customisation. “If you’re able to segment those lists and understand who is in that list and why they have connected with you,” Kooks says, “you’re able to communicate to those segments in slightly different ways.” For instance, you could create a nurture sequence for potential clients.
7. Client Testimonials and Case Studies
When first encountering your practice, people are likely to have two key objections that might keep them from reaching out: not being able to see the value in your work and lack of trust.
Kooks says this is where client testimonials and case studies come in as they can make your case when you can’t. They demonstrate the value of your work in real-world terms. They also start to build trust through what’s known as social proof.
8. Free Resources
Another way to build trust and demonstrate value is to create free resources, like how-to Guides and explainer videos.
You might be worried that giving away too much info might encourage people to try to proceed without you but Kooks says that people still need the reassurance and structure provided by an expert. Rather than spilling valuable secrets, think of this as a way of demonstrating your expertise, generosity and empathy.
9. Industry Publications
Being featured in industry publications, either by writing articles or having your work showcased, is another way to prove value and build trust. It could also be useful for driving traffic to your website and boosting your authority through quality backlinks.
Kooks says to be cautious of paying for traditional PR though as there’s no guarantee you’ll get ROI. It can work as a brand-building exercise but you need to be happy with that before you commit.
10. Networking
The OpenAsset report into AEC marketing saw 39% of respondents rank attending industry events and networking as the most important task for generating new work. It’s not just about showing up though.
“If you’re networking, what’s your strategy?” Kooks asks. For it to pay off, you need to go where your ideal clients or suppliers are likely to be.
You also need a system for following up. Kooks recommends having someone go through the business cards you collect and send personalised follow-up emails.
Final Thoughts
As an architect, marketing enables you to connect with your ideal clients at a more meaningful level, increasing the likelihood that they’ll want to work with you. Whichever channels you use, being clear about your specialism, demonstrating your authenticity and telling the stories behind your work will help you attract their attention and build trust.
If you’d like some expert help with marketing your architect practice, reach out for a free 45-minute coaching call and receive actionable strategies you can start using right away.
