The Future Is Now and It’s Online: 3 Marketing Strategies for Winning with Digital
Posted by Communications Committee on Nov. 4, 2021 / Guest Blog / Subscribe 0
The Future Is Now and It’s Online: 3 Marketing Strategies for Winning with Digital
by Ida Cheinman
The Only Constant in Life Is Change
Although the pandemic did not start the Digital Transformation, it accelerated it. Our increased reliance on digital – professionally and personally – has brought many changes to how AEC firms will approach marketing and business development moving forward.
The two critical factors driving demand for better digital experiences are the generational shift and the rise of the “business consumer.”
- Changing Demographics
Millennials are now 50% of the workforce, and many have moved into positions that make executive and purchasing decisions. The generation coming behind them, Gen Z, is the first fully digital generation.
AEC firms will have to shift their marketing and business development strategies to accommodate how these generations prefer building relationships and conducting business.
- An often-quoted statistic from SiriusDecisions states that 70% of today’s prospect’s journey is self-directed
- A 2020 McKinsey survey found 70% to 80% of B2B decision makers now prefer digital self-serve and remote engagement over face-to-face interactions and they don’t plan to change their habits post-pandemic
- According to a recent FocusVision study, B2B buyers consume 13 pieces of content before making a decision
- Changing Business Buyers’ Expectations
Business buyers of all generations expect their business interactions to be on par with what’s available to them in their personal lives. Today’s AEC customers want everything online, available, accessible, convenient, seamless and fast. They are impatient with disjointed, slow, clunky or generic experiences and will quickly move to the next firm that does better.
AEC has always relied heavily on highly personal business relationships. As a result, the industry-wide adoption of digital and social channels; investment in SEO and online lead generation strategies; and implementation of tactics such as personalization and omnichannel have lagged behind.
Catching Up to the Future of AEC Marketing
Given the growing importance of digital experience in business decision making, the AEC firms best positioned to thrive despite the disruption are the ones that can retool their marketing and business development strategies and practices for the digital age.
Strategy 1: Search – Make Sure Your Firm Can Be Found Online
With the Millennials’ increased role in the decision-making process and Gen Zers entering the workforce, online search has become the number one source for making informed decisions.
Studies show that these new generations of business customers trust digital sources (such as search engines, corporate websites and social media) significantly more than advice from a firm’s representative or a sales professional when making important decisions.
This means your firm must be easily found and seen as trustworthy online, including web, search, social, voice, video, industry blogs, webinars and podcasts.
Strategy 2: Personalization – Create Personalized, Customer-Focused Online Experiences
Personalization means presenting tailored content and experiences to specific segments of your audiences. For example, think about how online retailers provide recommendations and customized content based on your shopping history or search patterns.
In B2B, personalization is central to creating a better experience.
- Begin by segmenting your audiences based on roles, industries, geographies, stages in their journey, geographies or any other criteria appropriate for your firm
- Identify what messages, information and content are relevant to each segment at different stages in their decision-making process
- User data, personalization technologies, AI and machine learning to help your prospects find relevant information faster and more efficiently
Strategy 3: New Channels – Meet Your Prospective Clients and Employees in Channels of Their Choice
Although it may be challenging for AEC firms to leverage channels traditionally perceived as highly youth- or consumer-focused, you have to meet your audiences where they are.
Learn where your audiences are and keep an eye on where they move next. Understand that each social channel is better suited for specific communications and has its own rules for engagement and types of content to share.
LinkedIn is a must! Both Millennials and Gen Z fully leverage LinkedIn’s power to make connections and build business relationships.
Learn More
Join me on November 17 at 1:00 PM for an educational program that examines the top drivers of “what’s next” in digital-first strategy, marketing, and business development and explores what AEC marketing can borrow from other industries to get ahead.
About Ida Cheinman
Ida Cheinman is Principal and Creative Director of the brand strategy, design and digital firm Substance151.
Ida uses her 20+ years of experience as a brand strategist, designer, marketer and educator to help AEC business leaders and marketing professionals make sense of trends, tools, and best practices in order to position their firms to win in the 21st century’s fast-changing and extremely competitive marketplace.
Website: https://www.substance151.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/idacheinman/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/idacheinman
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