social media Archives

How Can Building Firms Get More From Twitter?

17th August 2015 By Ian Winterton Leave a Comment

With the right Twitter strategy, you could be providing better customer service and hooking up with new clients in a matter of weeks. Su Butcher from Just Practising gives us her tips on how to get the most out of the platform

It’s not easy to get your head around hashtags and tweets. When something seems so impenetrable, it’s easy to feel it’s irrelevant to your construction business. But Su Butcher, from social media consultancy Just Practising, is here to challenge those misconceptions. If you’re ignoring Twitter, you might be missing out on an easy way to support your clients better – and find new ones.

Su advises construction companies on how to use the Internet to achieve all sorts of business ends. And she’s seen companies of all shapes and sizes get rapid and lasting benefits from using Twitter.

“The construction industry is built on relationships between individuals,” said Su. “And Twitter is also about relationships between individuals. Everyone in construction works with people they know and gets introduced to people they know. And they recommend people they know. It’s a very networked industry.

“Many construction companies and individuals use LinkedIn to connect and talk to people they know, but it’s quite a closed network.

“Twitter, on the other hand, is much more open. It’s also important, because it’s such a large network. The last time they published statistics, there were 15 million active Twitter users in the UK.

“It’s a very useful tool for professionals to meet new people, to learn and carry out networking conversations more effectively.”

Who’s Your Audience?

Before you decide whether Twitter’s right for your building business, you need to work out who your audience is, where they are and which platforms they’re using.

“One thing I do with clients who want to know what type of social media to use is recommend they do an audit,” said Su. “This can tell you where your audience is and what they’re doing there, so you can decide what platforms to use.

“It’s also important to look at these platforms as part of an overall strategy for using the Internet – as everything is connected together.

“For example, people get hung up on Twitter only having 140 characters, but it doesn’t. You only need to include a link and you could connect to anything on the Internet. It has no boundaries.”

So what are the secrets of using Twitter effectively for construction companies?

For individuals

The first way of using Twitter is as an individual, rather than having a company or branded Twitter account. An example of an individual who uses it really well is Ming Cheng (@ArchitectMing). He’s an architect who works for a large practice in London and is involved in product specification. He uses Twitter to talk directly to product manufacturers. If he has a quick question about a product, he asks it on Twitter. It’s very convenient for him to do that, because he can just leave it with them and wait for a reply. He doesn’t have to sit there on the phone waiting for a response. Essentially, he’s offering product companies an opportunity to have a conversation. Some companies respond to this well – and some don’t. But when you’re on Twitter, you really need to be prepared to have the conversation. If someone asks you something and you don’t reply, they can get a bit miffed. And if you ignore people, they might go and talk to your competitor instead!

For companies to publish

Whilst individuals are the key building blocks of Twitter, there is a role for a company account. An example is publishing useful content; writing useful stuff should be part of your social media strategy. You should be making things that your target audience will be interested in talking about and sharing. An example of a client who does this well is SIG Design and Technology (@SIGDesignTech). A core part of their strategy is blogging about roofing to an audience that doesn’t know too much about the technical side of the subject. So they use Twitter to share blog posts and invite conversations about them. It also acts, from a brand point of view, as a place where people can ask questions. They’ve had a lot of success using Twitter to support their blog.

As a company hub

You can also use a company account as a hub for individuals on Twitter. A good example of a company that’s doing this is Celotex Insulation (@Celotex). Celotex use their branded account as a central hub for all things happening around the country on Twitter. It includes several of their staff, their technical people, their sales people and all marketing activities. If you look at the tweets and replies, you see they provide technical advice directly via their Twitter account. Equally, if you have a group of people trying to achieve something, such as promote an event, Twitter is marvellous for sharing information about it. You can tweet from the account leading up to the event, during it and after it, and if people have questions, they can come and ask you directly. The branded Twitter account acts as a beginning point for people to talk to you and your organisation.

Having worked with a broad spectrum of businesses, from one-man band architects, to SMEs and now much larger firms, Su has a great template for building an engaged following. It’s a blueprint that can generate new leads and deliver on business goals in a matter of weeks. Here’s her seven-point plan for getting the most out of Twitter.

Begin with your goals

If you’re going to have a social media plan, you need to decide where you want to go. Ask yourself what success looks like, and then try to measure it in something tangible. You can set intermediate goals, for example to have more followers. When people follow you, it suggests they like what you’re doing. But also think about what you really want people to do as a result of engaging with you on Twitter. This depends on what your business objectives are. Ask yourself what success looks like generally and this will help you decide whether Twitter is best place to be doing it – and where else you should be doing it.

Carry out an audit

Find out whether the audience you have and people you want to reach are using Twitter or not. Also work out whom in your organisation should be using it. Is it the marketing person or should it really be someone else? Small companies often think we’ll just give the secretary some PR and she can tweet it, but it doesn’t achieve very much because they may not be the right person to have the right conversations.

Time to connect

When you know who’s going to be using it, you need to start building your network. Everyone has a network of contacts, so start off by finding and connecting with those people.

Listen

The next step is to start listening to what your network is saying on Twitter. One of the really useful ways to do this is to use search. People often make the mistake of thinking they need to be on Twitter all the time in case someone says something you need to hear, but by using the right search tools you can get round all of that.

Have conversations

Once you’ve found out what people are talking about, start having conversations and joining in. You’ll feel more confident if you begin by having conversations with people you already know in the real world. But because Twitter is public, what happens is those people may then introduce you to new people. And in no time, the conversations will lead to new relationships.

Be useful

This is probably the most important part of the process. You can be useful in so many ways. For example, you can introduce people with common interests, or who are able to help each other. Or you can be useful through making and publishing useful content. By being useful, you will attract people with similar interests.

Measure and review

Every month, ask yourself whether you’re achieving the goals you’ve set yourself. Twitter has its own analytics system, which is free to use and you can also measure Twitter traffic to your website. The things that are working, you do more of. Those that aren’t working, you stop doing.

You can find more useful resources for Twitter on Su’s website. She also runs in-house training groups for groups of 3 or more people.

More Information

Follow Su Butcher on Twitter

Learn about Twitter in construction

Useful resources about Twitter

What Podcasting Has Done For My Business

27th July 2015 By Ian Winterton Leave a Comment

Mark R LePage, from EntreArchitect, explains how podcasting has given him a platform to be a positive force for change in his industry. And how having a ‘pod’ presence has brought big benefits for his business

With the right balance of personality, commitment and good content, podcasting offers those running businesses a great way of connecting with like-minded people – and can deliver significant business benefits.

One man who proves the premise is Mark R LePage, owner of EntreArchitect, an online platform for small firm architects that he runs alongside his own architecture business. Through the combined platform of a blog and podcast, Mark helps his audience of fellow architects build better businesses and better lives.

The platform started out as just a blog in 2007, but by 2009 Mark decided he wanted to do more with it. So he announced to his audience that he was going to relaunch as a blog and podcast – and turn it into something that could truly influence the profession.

Making Strong Connections

So what was it about podcasting that appealed to Mark?

“I’m a podcast fan,” he said. “I don’t watch TV or listen to much radio anymore, so much of my entertainment and knowledge gathering is through online tools and platforms.

“When I launched the new platform for EntreArchitect, I wanted to reach as many small firm architects as I could. And I knew that podcasting was a good way to not only learn and consume content, but also for listeners to make a strong connection with me personally.”

For many business owners, a lack of technical knowhow deters them from entering the podcast arena. But Mark says there are lots of resources out there to help you get started.

Getting The Basics Right

“Before you do anything, one of the hardest things is understanding how it all works, how to upload your podcast and all the other technical things,” he said. “But there are some great tutorials on YouTube – particularly by Pat Flynn of the Smart Passive Income podcast and podcast consultant Cliff Ravenscraft – which taught me everything I needed to do at a basic level to set it up.”

Among the early challenges faced by Mark were learning how to be an engaging presenter and simply finding time to do the podcast regularly. But with determination, perseverance and passion, Mark really began to build his community and assert significant influence.

“The first step was to have the mindset that you’re dedicated to doing it – that it’s influencing other people and benefiting them. You need to commit that you’re going to do the podcast on a regular basis and promise your public that you’re going to do it.

“In terms of hearing your voice and recording it, over time you just get used to doing it and get good at it. I’ve actually grown to like it and I’ve got better at it.”

Becoming an Influential Leader

Mark’s podcasts get around 7,000 downloads a month, and he’s seen some interesting developments as his community has grown.

“The main problem for small firm architects is that they’ve never really trained in running a business,” said Mark. “For decades we’ve suffered with the challenge of running a business without having the knowledge to do so.

“The podcast has helped me get this important message out there on a regular basis and it’s now having a real influence on our profession. I think the AIA (American Institute of Architects) are noticing what I’m doing. They’re recognising that small firms need assistance and they’re responding by proving more business resources.”

As well as giving Mark a platform to inspire and influence, it has also had indirect benefits on his own architecture business.

“My businesses are both very separate,” said Mark. “There’s no overlap other than the fact that my clients see me as a leader in my profession.

“When they search my name, it’s clear what I’m doing. So the leadership part influences clients. But it also benefits my EntreArchitect business as I run an academy as part of it, so the podcast helps me get the message out about the products I have to offer which support the platform.”

More Than Just a Podcast

Mark is proud of his podcast and the impact a niche broadcast can have. But he thinks anyone who’s looking to influence a community needs more than just a podcast to be effective.

“If you really want to influence a community then as well as the podcast, you need a place for that community to come together and comment,” he said. “It could be a blog that you can tie everything back to or a live Facebook page or other social media.”

Social media also plays a big role is helping Mark maintain momentum and ensure the content he puts out there is relevant and engaging.

“I’m very active online and on social media,” said Mark. “I interact with my community every day. I also have a newsletter that goes out once a week which is very popular and I get a lot of response from that. So I’m constantly getting follow ups or responses to the things I’m publishing on social media or my newsletter.

“So there’s a constant generation of ideas just responding to these comments. On social media, people have a question and I answer it, so there’s always a topic for a podcast and new content to share.”

Mark’s Tips For Making a Podcast That Benefits Your Business:

In addition to your podcast, you need a blog or other platform where you can communicate with your community – whether it’s a blog or an active Facebook group. It’s no good pumping out content to the world, but offering no way to respond.
Audio quality matters. I don’t have the best equipment, but I do the best I can with what I have. I’ll invest more as I grow. The same goes for presenting. I’m intentionally practising and getting better at being on the microphone. You can have great content but if you don’t present it very well, no one will listen.
Having a focused niche is important – you can’t talk about everything all the time.
You need to interact with your community. You need to get out there and communicate with the people you’re trying to influence in order to gain information about whether you’re doing a good job, for content ideas and to promote what you’re doing.
Build relations with other people who are doing similar things, such as other podcasters that are in a similar niche to you. Don’t see them as competitors, see them as collaborators. By helping each other you’ll both grow and the whole group can be more powerful and influential.

Mark R. LePage, AIA, is Partner in Charge of Operations at the New York-based residential architecture firm, Fivecat Studio. He is also the founder of EntreArchitect.com (Entrepreneur Architect), an online resource inspiring small firm architects to build better businesses. Mark writes a weekly blog, hosts the EntreArchitect Podcast and has recently launched EntreArchitect Academy, a private online community for architects seeking success in business, leadership and life. Learn more at EntreArchitect.com.

10 Lessons I’ve Learned in my First Year as a Blogger

13th July 2015 By Ian Winterton Leave a Comment

Architect Elrond Burrell launched his lively, plain English blog on Passivhaus last year. So what has he learned from a year in the blogosphere?

Elrond Burrell is passionate about designing buildings that are affordable, comfortable and healthy to live in – and which have the minimum impact on the environment. It’s a passion he puts into practice at the firm where he works, Architype. They’re one of the UK’s leading Passivhaus and sustainable architecture companies.

He’s long been an active and outspoken participant on social media, interacting and commenting regularly on matters of environmental and sustainable design. It was this evident passion that saw his peers prompt Elrond to start his own Passivhaus blog.

“Because I was active on social media anyway, establishing relationships with others in the industry, I found myself commenting on Passivhaus and sustainable building a lot,” he said.

“A couple of people said to me that it was unusual to have someone who was so knowledgeable and outspoken about Passivhaus and suggested I do something for myself. That was what really prompted me to think about blogging.”

Conflict Resolution

Elrond loves to write. In fact, he goes as far as saying that if he had an alternative career, it would be as a writer. But if you think that made starting a blog any easier, you’d be wrong.

“There was a lot of deliberation when I started thinking about writing the blog,” he said. “It took me a long time before I published anything.

“My main concerns were about what I could and couldn’t write about in a personal capacity. The blog is a personal project, so I have to be careful not to write specifically about Architype, clients or projects I’m working on.

“That conflict between work and personal opinions was a tricky line to tread – and there are still some grey areas. It took a few months of thinking about that before I got the guts up to publish.”

Avalanche of Ideas

Elrond’s second concern was what to write about. So he embarked on the ambitious task of scheduling ideas – one blog every two weeks – for the entire year. Each one would be based on questions or challenges he encountered around Passivhaus and would provide a few key answers.

“What always interests me is when you work with clients you hear the misconceptions and misunderstandings people have about adopting Passivhaus. So these were a great starting point.”

With the planning in place, Elrond stepped into a brave new world of blogging. And here are 10 key lessons he’s learned:

Tone down your perfectionism

It always takes much longer to write than I anticipate. I’ve had to learn to tone down my perfectionist streak. Early on, I was drafting something, then editing it, then worrying whether I should have done it in a different way. What I’ve learned is that at some point, you say ‘it’s done, it’s good enough’ and you hit publish.

Your schedule is sacrosanct

I decided early on to publish a post every two weeks. And having a schedule for this was important for two reasons. Firstly, it meant I did it – otherwise it was too easy to put it off. Secondly, reliable, regular posting helps people get engaged because they know something is coming. The most important thing is to keep going. Regularity is as important as the quality of your work.

Collaboration is key

Working with other people is beneficial in terms of generating different quality of content. I’ve done two interview-type posts with a structural engineer and builder. I use their comments to reinforce my message, help flesh out my own ideas and get a good synergy between their words and mine.

Controversial titles are good for traffic

I wrote a piece called, 10 Things I Hate About Passivhaus. It was kind of tongue in cheek and based around the film 10 Things I Hate About You. In that film, through hating each other, two characters eventually fall in love. The blog was similar. It said that in order to adopt Passivhaus, you need to get to know it first and change your mind about a few things. It caused a massive stir, with triple the normal traffic. But I’d be cautious about being too attention-grabbing. I’d rather get people who want to get involved in the subject rather than those just looking at the blog because of a controversial headline.

Be clear on your ideas

I find it easier – and I write better – if I spend time getting a clear idea of what I want to say before I start writing. I’m also a fan of writing in small chunks and then checking they all fit together at the end. So I’ll tackle the intro, make sure I’m happy with that, then each key point, and then the summary. Then I’ll give it a final proofread to check it flows well.

Short is sweet

It’s really important to write shorter sentences. With technical subjects, it’s easy to have a long, in-depth style. But actually, in terms of getting people to read what you’ve written – and feel it’s fast paced and easy to understand – it’s better to write punchier sentences.

Define your target readers

At the beginning, I tried to establish who my target readers were, which helps me to keep my posts relevant and engaging. I established that my readers would be either self builders, architects or design professionals looking for information on Passivhaus, or corporate clients keen to find out more. I’m also trying to provide resources that take Passivhaus back to basics to see what response I get. I want it to be an evergreen resource for people new to Passivhaus, to try and extend the blog’s reach.

Book reviews boost traffic

I had the idea of reviewing Passivhaus books quite early on, where I’d take out the key points and get people to think about them. So I wrote to authors who had published an English language book on Passivhaus and asked for a review copy. It’s been great on a number of levels. You establish a relationship with the author, who’s an influencer in the sector, you get a free copy of a book you’re interested in, and you bring a new audience to your site.

Ideas flow once you’re up and running

I found that once I got going, I was overflowing with content ideas, so I’ve barely referred back to my original list. It’s important to make a note of good ideas when you get them – or you’ll forget them later! I’ve got so many things to write about now, that I can’t possibly fit them all in. I’ve also learned to borrow ideas from other disciplines. Lots of Passivhaus writing is quite insular, but I want to push the boundaries of understanding Passivhaus and get it out to a wider audience.

Fresh ideas grow your audience

I recently added a pop-up to the blog, which displays when it looks like you might be leaving the site. It gives people an easy opportunity to subscribe and has increased my number of subscribers considerably. I’m also using MailChimp to send a newsletter out when each post gets published. While the mail used to just be a summary of the blog and a link to it, I now write a few paragraphs of original content that share my thoughts on various conversations I’ve had or my thoughts on projects I’m working on. I refer to it as ‘insider information’ – although I don’t share any specific details – and it is an experiment to see if it entices more people to subscribe and feel privileged as a subscriber.

You can read and subscribe to Elrond’s blog at elrondburrell.com