5 Reasons Your A/E/C Firm Should Consider Instagram for Social Media Marketing

Why? The platform prioritizes high-quality visuals ­— making it easy to showcase projects, products, and culture in an easily digestible and engaging way — perfect for hands on industries such as architecture, engineering, and construction.

Here’s why Instagram is the next big channel for the (A/E/C) industry.

1

Showcase your quality of work

Instagram is the hallmark visual platform, placing all emphasis on eye-catching images and videos. Viewers scroll through their feeds searching for visually-stimulating eye candy, making Instagram the perfect platform for hands-on industries like architecture, engineering, and construction to share their everyday experiences.

The A/E/C industry is ripe with opportunities to capture a plethora of interesting, captivating images that give exciting glimpses into the day-to-day evolution of projects. Think before-and-after shots, time lapse videos, drone videos, and details that only an on-site member of the team gets to witness. If it’s interesting and visual, it’s a good candidate for Instagram.

2

Engage your audience

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. It’s scientifically shown that people prefer to gather and interpret information visually and on average, posts with images see 2-3 times more engagement than posts without images. Not surprisingly, Instagram is the best platform for engagement. So why not give your followers something to talk about?

The A/E/C industry is full of interesting facets of the job site that the common user doesn’t have access to — video of the evolution of a blueprint, demolition of a structure, or pouring of cement. Give information about the products and techniques available to make a structure different from all the rest. Sometimes sharing behind-the-curtain information is as interesting as witnessing the final product itself.

Because of the authentic, friendly, and relatable nature of Instagram, the platform lends itself well to showing your customers, prospects, vendors, subcontractors, and partners a glimpse into the inner-workings of your company.

3

Create community and collaborate with partners

There are few platforms that encourage sharing and collaboration like Instagram does. Tag your project partners, share images and comment on each other’s progress. Build relationships with clients by interacting with their content and simultaneously sharing your own. Follow industry peers in different geographical areas and learn something new. As John F. Kennedy said, “A rising tide lifts all boats” — by creating a community of collaboration on Instagram and lifting the boats of others, you’ll concurrently lift your own.

4

Attract the right talent

It’s no secret that top talent in the A/E/C industry is in high demand and competition is fierce. How do you stand out? Share the inner workings of your day. The best way to attract the right talent is to give prospective hires an accurate picture of what working for you is like. By displaying authentic moments of your company’s inner-workings, Instagram can act as a talent magnet — drawing attention to your firm as an employer — and attracting people that are intrigued by your culture and excited about the prospects of working for you.

5

Set your firm apart from the rest

Building products, equipment manufacturers, and publications for the built environment are all over Instagram. And yes, the biggest players in the A/E/C industry are adopting Instagram (just check out AECOM, Skanska, and HDR as a few examples). What started as a largely consumer-based platform has expanding into B2B as a great place for firms to distinguish themselves, and to display their people, products, and culture in an authentic way.

Create goals and measure metrics that support them

Take a strategic look at how Instagram might fit within accomplishing your company’s goals, and then choose to measure the metrics that matter. And keep in mind that the best Instagram content is engaging, relevant, and timely to your audience.