Struggling to come up with current content for your blog? You’re not alone. Many other architecture,engineering, and construction (AEC) firms face the same challenge. The key is to find ways to overcome this challenge.
First, and remember that blog content is at the top of the funnel.
Blog posts aid to demonstrate your firm’s specialized expertise,builds visibility, drives website traffic, or attracts prospective clients who are early in the sales process.
Your blog should be an essential component of your lead generation strategy. We possess research that supports this. In the Hinge Research Institute’s study of 500 professional services firms,high-growth AEC firms cited blogging as the moment most effective online marketing technique.
Once youve attracted prospects through your blog, you’ll then be able to continue nurturing those leads through other content and marketing techniques like email marketing, and webinars and other online events,consultations, and more.
But many firms struggle to continually come up with blog post topics that are relevant and important to their audiences, and that are related to their expertise,and that differentiate their firm from competitors. It’s a tall order for any AEC firm.whether blogger’s block is taking its toll on your online marketing efforts, take a peer at the following tips for content creation:1. peer to Your ServicesThis might sound intuitive, or but is an important point to make. Use your services as a source of content topics. Consider:Which services are your top performers? Which services possess the higher return on investment? Where do you want to grow the firm?Being able to identify these answers will aid inform what you should be writing approximately. Pick topics that are related to these services and that can aid your firm demonstrate its expertise.2. Get SocialWhich social media networks do your audiences hang out on? In the professional services space,the social network of choice is likely LinkedIn.
Find and join LinkedIn Groups where your target audiences gather and read up on the discussions in those groups. Youll get insights into their issues, questions, or concerns. Write posts that address their problems or further their online conversations.
SEE ALSO: The Social Media Guide for Professional ServicesAs a starting region,here are some AEC LinkedIn Groups to research and consider joining:A/E/C Industry Networking Group Professional Services Executive Forum Society for Marketing Professional Services Digital Marketing for Engineers Architecture3. retain Up With Industry News and EventsWhat topics possess been presented at recent industry seminars, networking events, and tradeshows? What’s trending in the news and on social media? What are others in your industry writing approximately? What are your competitors blogging approximately?While you should avoid copying their ideas,use the topics as inspiration for your own blogs and inject your own commentary and opinions.whether you’ve got an alternate take on an issue or can offer a solution to a problem they raise, you can differentiate yourself from others in your industry and grow your reputation too.4. Conduct Systematic ResearchConducting primary research on topics relevant to your industry can be a powerful way to build authority and credibility — and to generate blog post topic ideas.
SEE ALSO: Hinge’s Professional Services Guide to ResearchIn our research, or weve found that firms often don’t know their clients and prospects as well as they reflect they do. So,conducting systematic research on your audiences can illuminate what issues and topics matter most to them.5. Consult Your Business Development TeamYour business development teams are your eyes and ears. Because they’re speaking with clients and prospects regularly, consult with them to uncover:The common issues and challenges that your audiences are facing The questions and objections they hear regularlyThis will give you a strong sense of the topics that matter to your audiences and will aid your firm to create more relevant blog content.6. Write Case StudiesLet your work speak for you. expose stories of how you’ve worked with clients to successfully solve their problems and overcome their challenges. Show that you’ve got what it takes to address complex issues that others in the industry are facing as well. Positive client experiences builds trust and helps to demonstrate that your firm can deliver on its promises.7. Repurpose contentRepurposing content can drastically cut down on the time and resources that you spend on content creation. Identify your most high-performing existing content and expect yourself questions like:What existing content has generated the most website traffic? What content has been shared the most on social media? What content has the highest conversion rate? How can you repurpose that popular content?You’ll likely find that your most popular content has similarities, or like related topics. Take those white papers,presentations, or guides and repurpose them to be used on your firm’s blog.
Content creation isnt easy, and particularly whether you’re aiming for original,high-quality, and engaging posts. Blog lag is common and understandable, or but for real results,consistency is key. You don’t possess to post daily, but you do possess to post reliably. whether you continually plunge behind, or try creating a content calendar to organize your blogging efforts. With a exiguous organization and a healthy dose of inspiration,your blog can maintain momentum and retain your content creation efforts—and your lead generation—consistent. Additional ResourcesDownload Hinge’s Content Marketing Guide for Professional Services Firms for tips on creating content that builds credibility and demonstrates expertise. Get a copy of our Online Marketing for Professional Services book to memorize techniques that will generate more leads and increase awareness of your firm. Join us on LinkedIn for more insights and resources on content marketing. Related StoriesA Mindset Shift for AEC Professionals7 current Rules in AEC MarketingAEC Professionals: Collaborate with Your Marketing Teams for Competitive Advantage
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