At its best, social media is never the work of a single person. In order to be effective, social media relies upon consistent authenticity, new content, mindful planning, and savvy expertise—and all of that is best achieved with multiple perspectives and multiple hands on deck. That is, your firm must be working together, All In.
What does working as an entire team for social media look like?
- ADVISE: See the Big Picture. AEC Principals, communicate directly to both your teams and your firm how social media marketing is beneficial. Identify its purposes, its limitations, and your vision. If you cannot see it, neither can they, and your efforts are unlikely to be effective in the long run. Social media marketing is not just the marketing team’s arena—everyone can play a part, and the entire firm should know that it exists, why it exists, and how it works for you.
- LEAD: Prepare the Plan. Marketing leadership, make sure your plan balances both consistency and variety. Your content should be reliable in its expertise, branding, freshness, and posting schedule. Generate ideas across the team and be aware of everyone’s role. You should have content that followers can expect weekly and an overall vision that feels self-assured.
- ENGAGE: Lend Your Authenticity. Technical professionals, for social media marketing to work, there needs to be content—much of which comes from you. Not only that, but your firm’s social media marketing is a direct opportunity for you to network. Be proud of what you do and confident in your expertise! You are the core of knowledge and authenticity.
- EXECUTE: Curate by Platform. Marketing coordinators, understand the nuances of each social media platform so that your firm’s expertise is professionally displayed. Each network is different, with different audiences, resources, and lenses to offer. Do not skimp on your creativity when taking advantage of platform particularities!
As social media gains ground—and followers—in the AEC industry, keep your entire firm involved in planning and executing your social media strategies. Think of it as a tool for online networking. Everyone at the firm should like and share new content, garnering attention from their networks and building your brand.
