Instagram for Architects: How to Get Results for Your Business

What if your single best marketing tool was sitting in your pocket right now?

There is a myriad of ways as an architect you can get the word out about your firm but don’t overlook the most cost and time-effective marketing tool: Instagram. Yep. Instagram is a very effective marketing vehicle for architects.

Instagram helps you show off your architectural skills while nurturing the brand ambassadors that will spread the word about your company. Unfortunately, most architectural firms don’t know how to make the most out of Instagram.

That’s where we come in. If you’re ready to take advantage of Instagram for architects, keep reading to discover our best Instagram marketing tips!

1. Establish Your Goals

Want to know the best and worst parts of Instagram for architects? You can do almost anything with this social media platform. But that means you need to figure out what you want to do before you can really get started.

For example, ask yourself: are you more interested in raising general awareness about your firm? Do you want to build a dedicated online community? Or maybe you want to gain more customers?

It’s possible to pursue any one of these goals or even all of them at wants. However, you can’t achieve effective Instagram marketing for your architectural firm until you define your goals and objectives.

2. Optimize Your Profile

For many prospective clients, social media is the new business card. That means you need to optimize your Instagram profile to provide all of the information a prospective client might need.

On the most basic level, your profile needs to convey that you specialize in architecture. This is best done via a quick description that defines exactly what you do.

However, keep in mind that there are other firms taking advantage of Instagram for architects. If you really want to stand out, you need to convey the right tone for your intended audience. For example, if you wish to appeal to millennials, your tone might combine ethical values with a touch of dry humor.

Finally, don’t forget the basics. You’ll need to include contact information, including a phone number, email address, and website URL. Once your Instagram posts help win over a prospective client, this lets them know how to reach you.

3. Cultivate a Community

One rookie mistake many architectural firms make is thinking that their Instagram needs to only win over the occasional client. But to really be successful, you need to cultivate a dedicated online community.

Ever heard the term “micro-influencer?” This term refers to a simple truth: your firm doesn’t have to win over thousands or even millions of online followers to be successful. Instead, you just need a dedicated group of online followers that help to amplify your posts.

You can do this by creating posts that ask questions, offer polls, or otherwise encourage online engagement. For example, you could always ask followers to vote on which of your firm’s buildings they like the most!

Additionally, you should take the time to reply to your most dedicated followers and also like the posts of people who reply to you or reference your brand. This reinforces their passion for your work and encourages them to post more about it!

4. Understand the Metrics

If you’re reading this, it’s because you are interested in effective Instagram marketing. But how will you know if your marketing is effective? To do so, you need to understand the different metrics you should be tracking.

Some of the metrics relate to general brand awareness. For example, you should track the growth rate of your followers, the impressions your posts get, and how many different accounts you reach.

Another important metric is engagement. How many likes, shares, and comments are your posts receiving? This is vital if you are hoping to grow your business.

It’s also important to keep track of your click-through rate and your bounce rate. These metrics help you determine if you are winning people over or if they just don’t like what they see.

While your goals may inform the metrics you find most important, all of these metrics play an important role in creating effective Instagram marketing for architects.

5. Get Your Aesthetic “Just Right”

A solid visual aesthetic is more important to consumers than ever before. Just look at the number of people who now use “aesthetic” as both noun and verb! For an architecture firm, aesthetics goes far beyond just showing off your buildings.

For instance, you need a reliable color aesthetic. Do you want to use bright colors and a lot of contrast? Or maybe a font that pops off of the screen?

These may sound like minor things, but keep in mind how recognizable the logo is for companies like Coca-Cola. By getting a reliable aesthetic for your company and incorporating it into your Instagram, you can have audiences recognize your firm even before they read the company name.

6. Make Use of Brand Ambassadors

Earlier, we touched on cultivating an online community and responding to your most loyal commenters. In addition to achieving loyalty to your company, the primary goal of this is to create brand ambassadors.

Think of it like this: no matter how good your Instagram marketing plan is, there are only so many people that will engage with your post. If you want a post to reach farther and go viral, you need others who are willing to amplify your message.

These are your brand ambassadors. By liking and commenting on their posts and even reaching out to them via private message, you can help to encourage your most loyal fans to spread the word about your architecture firm.

7. Instagram Marketing Tips: Constant Content

It’s one thing to post great content that your audiences love. But it’s another thing to make those audiences come back week after week!

It’s best to post content at regular times throughout the week. For example, you may choose to post around lunchtime Monday through Friday and in the early evening over the weekend.

Posting regular content maximizes the odds that new people discover your architecture firm. And as for your existing brand ambassadors, constant content will keep them “constantly” coming back for more!

8. Align Content With Goals

It’s not enough to post constant content. Even if you are getting plenty of audience engagement, it’s important to make sure that your content aligns with your overall company goals.

For example, let’s say that your primary goal is raising awareness for your brand. In that case, your content should encourage users to contact you and show off your firm’s architectural work.

If you’re more interested in developing brand ambassadors, you should post a lot of online content that encourages user interaction, including polls and open-ended questions. By aligning your content with your goals, you can more consistently meet those goals each and every time.

9. Take the Best Photos

Instagram is the most visually-driven social media platform. As an architectural firm, it is important that you post the best photos online that help to showcase the skills of your firm.

When taking pictures of your buildings, we recommend taking pictures in the late afternoon. This helps you avoid harsh light that may spoil your image. And if you can take pictures on an overcast day, they will look that much better.

Try to experiment with different angles and create very dynamic photos. Even if the buildings look great, you can make the photos pop with a bit of planning and staging.

10. The Power of Hashtags

The basic goal of Instagram is to spread your message to as many people as possible. To do this, you need to come up with some creative hashtags.

On Instagram and other social media platforms, hashtags help organize users. Someone merely needs to click the hashtag in order to access all of the other posts using that tag. However, people are not likely to click unless the hashtag is interesting and engaging.

And remember, good hashtags can be reused in the future. It’s worth taking extra time now to come up with a great tag your architectural firm may use for effective Instagram marketing for many years!

11. Don’t Forget Reels

One of the biggest marketing mistakes you can make is sticking with only regular Instagram posts. In addition to your regular posts, you should regularly be crafting Instagram Reels.

Instagram Reels are short (60 seconds or less) videos in a vertical format. In other words, Reels are Instagram’s answer to TikTok.

Reels has become very popular among Instagram users because the Reels help bring their favorite influencers and brands to life. Why settle for a few awesome images when you can also fill your account with captivating Reels?

Instagram Reels also improve the odds of your content going viral. So if you want to expand brand awareness, this is one of the best ways you can do so!

Get the Best Digital Marketing Today!

Now you know our best Instagram marketing tips. But do you know where you can find someone who takes your Instagram marketing to the next level?

Here at Wingnut Social, we specialize in all things digital marketing. To discover what we can do for your business, just contact us today!