The business of architecture
Late on Wednesday night, a colleague alerted me to a perturbing YouTube video uploaded by the Association of Professional Builders. Despite its official-sounding name, APB is in fact a marketing agency that "specialises in helping building companies to increase their leads, sales, profits and professionalism." Its goal is to assist builders to stay in business, which it facilitates through online training,... Continue Reading →
There are many residential architecture studios in Melbourne whose portfolios are concentrated within specific geographical regions: the south-eastern suburbs, the inner-north, bayside, the Mornington Peninsula, Ballarat. I live in Carlton North and seem to see Robert Simeoni signs on front fences everywhere. Zen Architects does a lot of work in and around Northcote. Jolson Architects has nailed the Toorak market. I don't... Continue Reading →
In August last year, Erica and I signed Mihaly Slocombe up to the Houzz Pro membership programme. This placed our sponsored project photos into the organic search streams of local audiences, increasing the visibility of our business in and around Melbourne. We were required to commit to the programme for twelve months, a huge financial leap... Continue Reading →
Marketing is a constant source of intrigue for the architecture profession. We don't understand it very well, so regard it with reverential awe. Marketing, we think, is the magic lamp that will make us rich. So we talk about it all the time, we ask our colleagues in hushed whispers for the secrets of their success,... Continue Reading →
What was it? Part one of an all-day seminar we attended late last month, presented by marketing guru Winston Marsh and held at the State Library for a group of 20 - 30 architects, mostly small practitioners. Beginning with the plain-spoken promise that good marketing will help us earn lots and lots of money, the seminar provided... Continue Reading →