Social media initiatives: Your observations

You can read my e-book about social media for the architectural, engineering and construction community and, if you've used social media at all in your business, share your stories, experiences, failures, successes, challenges, questions and visions. (Phew, that's a mouthful). Please feel free to comment about your social media initiatives. You can also connect through Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Google Plus.

Can you make social media work for your construction marketing?

The answer is "yes" -- though remember, social media is a process, not a magical cure or fix-all.
The key to successful social media application is to (a) be sociable and (b) to respect/communicate and listen to your current, former and potential clients.

I've written a book on the topic and you can purchase it from Amazon.com or other ebook retailers (just search by keywords social media, construction, or if you wish to support my vanity, my surname, buckshon!) The book is $4.95.

(If you've advertised in any of our publications or purchased my full-scale Construction Marketing Ideas book, please email me and I will send you a link where you will be able to download your free copy.)

Construction Marketing Ideas LinkedIn group reaches 5,000 members

The 5,000th member has joined the Construction Marketing Ideas LinkedIn group this evening.  James Roselle, owner of Innovative Elec in Baltimore, MD, joined shortly after Denny Johnson, general manager at Nebraska Brick and Supply became the 4,999th member.

The group focuses on marketing issues for the architectural, engineering and construction community.  There is no cost to join.

As moderator, I try to avoid intervening in the discussions except to remove self-promotional advertisements, spam and the like.  You can ask questions, share successes, and seek solutions to marketing challenges.

The group is by invitation. Here is a graph showing the group's growth.

Social media and construction marketing: How effective, really, is it?

In today's email, I received at least three e-letters suggesting ways architects, engineers and contractors could make more effective use of social media in their businesses.  We can be overwhelmed with the amount of advice flowing here.  However, the question we need to ask is: "Does this stuff really work?"

Here, I have some painful challenges.  In researching my social media e-book Social media and marketing for architectural, engineering and construction companies: What you really need to know to achieve profitable results, I have found it difficult to quantify success.  Sure, there are some great examples, such as Tim Klabunde's success in generating upwards of $2 million in business through the Design and Construction Network.  But how replicable is his success -- few of us will be able to be early enough in the game to start 40,000-member LinkedIn groups.  (My Construction Marketing Ideas group is growing at 10 to 15 members a day and should reach 5,000 members within a few days.)

The Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association renovators' council

Today, at the Greater Ottawa Home Builders' Association (GOHBA) renovators council meeting, I took these observations to a practical level.  The association represents renovators/remodelers who care enough about their work to belong, and some are reasonably large and successful businesses -- who can spend tens of thousands of dollars a week on marketing.  After my presentation, the largest renovator in town invited me to provide some one-on-one (fee-paid) consulting on social media best practices.  He tracks and measures everything and knows (for example) that the printed magazine we publish, Ottawa Renovates, generates useful leads.  He couldn't say the same for the various social media platforms.

It seems the biggest social media successes are consultants selling social media services or extreme early adaptors who combine their first-to-market advantages with some luck and general marketing/business development skills.

With these observations in mind, how would I recommend anyone approach social media?

The answer, it seems, is that you should do this stuff if you enjoy it. If you have "office staff" who would like to connect in the social space, then you could assign your employees to help out.  Set some controls -- obviously you want to make sure your interactions are appropriate -- but social media allows some "non sales" employees to actually help out in marketing and business development.

I have some other ideas in my social media book, which you can purchase through Amazon.com or the IStore, and other channels.  For Amazon, you can link here.  For other services, just key in the words "buckshon" and "social" and you'll find the book soon enough.  It is only $4.95.

Online media's size limitations . . . a challenge

Bigger is not always better.  This statement is relevant to a trend I've noticed with online discussion groups.  At some point, (I venture about 200 to 500 members) the group risks losing the magical formula and relevance of a smaller community.  Then, the choice is heavy moderation and control -- or the degradation of the group into a useless collection of self-serving junk postings and advertisements.

I've seen this in the Design and Construction Network's LinkedIn group, now with more than 37,000 members.  Some years ago, in much earlier stages, you could read some really interesting discussions.  Now . . . well, the site is full of cross-posted crap from employment agencies scouring for candidates, and junk promotional messages.

I don't fault the group or its organizers.  Voluntary moderators could spend hours clearing out the junk and, well, the junk reappears.  As the group grows in size, the cohesion and specific relevance to its participants declines.  In essence, it becomes something of a very large ghost town.

The Construction Marketing Ideas LinkedIn group is experiencing these challenges.  I visit once or sometimes twice a day for a bit of housecleaning, clearing out the self-serving garbage and hopefully encouraging useful discussions.  These are, alas, relatively few and far between.

Probably the group would benefit from some proactive moderation and leadership, encouraging discussion, debate, and active networking.  But I have a day job, too.  How would you handle the situation?

Construction marketing and social media: Save 80% and tell it like it is

In preparation for the August 15 publication of

Social media and marketing for architectural, engineering and construction companies

What you really need to know to achieve profitable results

you can receive the book for .99; that's right, 99 cents, instead of the regular $4.95.

The book can be downloaded in a diversity of formats for virtually any e-reader or computer screen at Smashwords.com.  (I know...I didn't come up with the name).  

All you need to do in return is review it on Amazon.com when it goes online there (in about two days).  

You'll need this coupon code ZF46H.

If you've already ordered the Construction Marketing Ideas book or are an advertiser in any of the Construction News and Report Publishing Group of publications, you can receive this e-book FREE, simply by emailing buckshon@cnrgp.com with your request.

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The LinkedIn Construction Marketing Idea group is growing

The Construction Marketing Ideas LinkedIn group has started to grow rapidly. Some days, more than 20 new members join.

You can participate in the group by requesting to join it.

Once a year, we host a "best construction blog" competition. Since the next competition is a half-year away, please feel free to share your blog URL to the group and, if you wish, buckshon@cnrgp.com.

If you email, I'll do my best to set up a free hyperlink for your blog here.  (Your blog obviously must qualify for relevance and quality.)  No reciprocation is required.