Social media has become a foundation in the way architecture firms connect and communicate with existing and future customers. Generating social media ideas for businesses in the architecture industry can be a challenge. It’s easy to get caught up in the beautiful imagery of your projects… but don’t forget that people came to your social channels to see the people and culture of your company. If they want to see your projects, they are looking at that on your website. We’ve compiled the most comprehensive list of social media ideas for businesses in the architecture industry below. Enjoy!
1. A Day In The Field:
People love to see what goes on behind the scenes of a project. Post a picture of your team tackling the task at hand.
2. Show Us Some Internal Competition:
Everyone loves to witness a little friendly competition…plus it gives your viewers a bit more insight into your company culture and what it’s like to work with/for your firm. We love what Perkins+Will did with their gingerbread houses between two offices…not to mention their use of the hashtag #ediblearchitecture
3. Show Progress
Don’t just show touched up images of a project once it’s complete, show your followers the steps it takes to get there. Progress is fun to watch and keeps viewers engaged in your company. does a great job of showcasing on-going projects, always providing a few design details in the caption to educate their audience.
4. Your Team With Their Families:
Photos of your team with their families are some of the most engaged posts that businesses share. Showing the people behind your brand and their lives outside of work gives your current and past clients insight into your business! We love what Populous did with this post…tying in architecture, family and the holidays, all in one post! Well done!
5. Show Your Project Being Used After Completion:
What better way to showcase your completed projects than by providing images or videos of them in use! We love what Perkins+Will did with this post, highlighting the mini-ballerinas enjoying a recently completed Recreation Center!
6. Give Inspiration For Dreamers
Part of the allure to social media is the transformation into a world that some people will only see through their screens. We love what Brandon Architects does on their Instagram, perfectly showcasing projects everyone wants…not to mention their captions are always on point!
7. Share Party Pics
Take some photos at your next office party and share them with your followers. It’s great for past, current and future clients to gain an understanding into your company culture. It sure looks like Oltmans has a great team that likes tacos on Cinco de Mayo!
8. Candid Team Photos:
Post a picture of your office staff collaborating or having fun together. Don’t forget, your audience came to your social channels to see the people behind your brand, they can see your projects on your website! DLR nails it will this gallery of 5 images of their team members in fun and casual environments.
9. Give Industry Insight:
If you want your past, current and future clients to view you as the expert in the industry, you better act like it. Consistently posting industry insights with great graphics or imagery shows your followers that you know your stuff.
10. Share “On The Boards” Projects
Showcasing upcoming projects on social media is a great way to show your audience that you’re still relevant. CannonDesign did an awesome job with this project announcement… the video is a great touch that humanizes the company and keeps the audience interested.
11. Share The Details:
Give the little details to your audience with some background information on why your team chose to do things the way they did. Gensler does an awesome job showcasing these types of fun details on their Instagram page, this post being our favorite!
12. Show A Work/Life Balance:
From sunrise to sunset, contractors are known for working their tale off. Showing a work/life balance helps to humanize your brand and connect with people in their own struggle to find the balance.
13. Provide A Link To Your Most Popular Blog Post:
Blogs for contractors are important. Sharing them with your market is even more important.
14. Quotes:
Motivational or funny quotes get tons of engagement.
15. Statistics:
Share statistics on the amount of construction underway in your market or information on the rising cost of construction materials like Turner has done recently on their LinkedIn profile.
16. Food
Food posts are the most shared posts on social media. Share photos of your team lunches or when you have a special desert brought in to celebrate a retirement. I know, you’re wondering how this helps your business. Social media is all about showing the human side of your business. Studies show it makes you more likable and trustworthy.
17. Link To Another News Article About Your Project:
Some of your projects get major press. Put links on your social media to those projects to drive awareness and buzz about your company.
18. Post A Branded Image:
Your brand is your identity. Push your brand through social media platforms by adding your logo to engaging images.
19. Infographics:
This is the hottest trend in 2017 for contractors on social media. An infographic is a quick visual snapshot and provides customers with a unique way to understand your message. The best infographics for contractors tend to be those about employment trends. Check out an example of an infographic we did on the Influence of Colors in Marketing.
20. Use Kids To Your Advantage:
Your audience loves kids…everyone loves kids! NBBJ ties this adorable image of kiddos into a super cute quote from Walt Disney. The image was taken at the site of a completed project.
21. Unrelated Photos:
Though you are always thinking like a contractor, your customers are not. Post a picture of a family, a puppy, or a child doing something humorous. These posts get a ton of shares and help to humanize your company.
22. Share A Company Value
Your company values help define how you interact with clients. The more insight you can paint into the inter-workings of your company, the better!
23. Your Company Swag In An Odd Place
Showing your company logo or branding in an unsuspecting location is sure to grab attention. NBBJ totally nails this post. Their Managing Partner climbed Mount Kilimanjaro and held a branded flag at the top…pretty classic.
24. Share A Trending Google Search:
This is one of the more simple but effective social media ideas for contractors. Visit Google’s Top Charts on Construction to find out what people are currently searching.
25. Get Into The Community
Share photos of your team in the communities in which your followers live, doing the things they are also doing in their time away from work. Anything to humanize your brand creates a deeper relationship with past, current and future clients.
26. Share A Picture Of Your First Office and Staff
People love to see where you came from, especially if your company is over 50 years old. This photo from NBBJ is spot on, showcasing the original founders of their now mega-architecture firm in all of their wool suit glory.
27. Show That You Support Women In The Construction Industry
19 out of 20 professionals in the construction industry are men. Show your followers that you value a diverse working environment and value the women employees of your company.
28. Share Renderings Of Upcoming (Or Past) Projects
People love renderings…a lot! They look so cool, and the coloration always shows extremely well on the web. ZGF Architects nailed it with this rendering of an upcoming project. Their caption does a great job of hooking people to read more, not to mention they put additional information on their website via a “link in bio” on Instagram.
29. Share Regular Updates On Projects People Care About
Are you doing a project at a local hot-spot or a high trafficked area? Don’t just show before and after photos, keep your viewers updated on the progress and show photos each step of the way.
30. Highlight Material Palettes:
Outside of humanizing your brand, your social profiles should showcase what your firm does different. If you took a unique approach with materials on a project, let’s see it. Woods Bagot nails it with this post. They used a photo to showcase their unique material palette…so much more effective than words!
31. Link To Company Documents or Publications
Social media is a great place to share your company documents and publications that act as resources to past, current and future clients, as well as employees and vendors. Remember, you can’t share links on Instagram, so post the link in your profile while the post is live.
32. Get Your Employees To Guest Post:
Do an interview with your people in the field. Ask your staff to share posts about how their experience (positive we hope) working at your company.
33. Share Random Tips:
Give customers the secrets to getting what they want out of a contractor. Hint hint….they want a reliable, efficient, and honest company to complete their job.
34. Show Projects From Your Angle
Chances are, most of your followers will never get to see your projects from the vantage point that you do. Show your followers what it looks like at the top (or bottom) of one of your job sites.
35. Be Historical:
The history of your company is important. Whether you started in a pickup truck with $20 or you’re a Fortune 500-construction company that came out the gate with millions in investments, show your customers where you came from.
36. Be Real:
Post a picture of you and your dog or your family. Post a picture of a mistake. Customers like to know their contractor is a real person with real substance.
37. Post A Video Testimonial:
Ask a happy customer to put together a one-minute video about your service. Simply use FaceTime or Skype to record the interview and post in on social media.
38. Get Outside Of Your Work Clothes:
Your clients and employees are used to seeing you in the same thing. Show your audience a more fun and playful side by switching up the most obvious sign the photo was taken at work…the clothing! DLR nails it with this photo of two of their team members playing volleyball.
39. YouTube:
Use a construction related video or better yet, share a video of something inspiring like a military family reunion.
40. Latest Company News:
Construction companies tend to change daily. Push the latest news to your followers and keep them informed on all the happenings, from the receptionists birthday to new ownership, its all worthy!
41. Weekly Round Up:
Post a list of the ‘must read’ articles for the week. As the top contractor in your market, your relevance is crucial to the perception others have of your business. Follow blogs on construction and stay on top of trends.
42. Share Predictions:
Americans love their sports. Stay on top of the biggest sporting events and share a prediction for the big game.
43. Show Interior Angles
Think outside the box with your photography. Try taking an image from a unique angle or of a unique project detail that is on the interior of a project. So many architects just showcase exterior photography on their social sites. We love this post from ZGF of the new UCLA Football Center, the staircase is breathtaking and provides insight into their unique design capabilities.
44. Share “Top Secret” Renderings and Project Details
Sharing project details and renderings before, during and after a project is completed gives your social media followers the inside scoop on your business and projects. The feeling of inside knowledge and information is enough to keep your followers engaged on your social media sites.
45. Share Industry Research:
Set up a Google Alerts account for keywords like: Contractor Industry, Construction Trends, or Construction Regulations and repurpose the information throughout the week on your social media.
46. Showcase An Employee:
Insight into the human aspect of your business is important to humanize your brand to current and future clients. Give a little insight (key being “a little”) into the mind of one of your employees…not your partners or leadership team, we are talking about the people behind the scenes who have truly unique stories to tell. We love what ZGF did here with this employee spotlight!
47. Reinforce Your Company Branding
Consistently reinforcing your company branding can keep your brand top of mind with your audience. Rather than just sharing this image as a highlight to a past project, Populous took the opportunity to tie in their messaging #DrawingPeopleTogether…love it!
48. Promote Another Business’s Specials or Features
Connect with other businesses on your social media and spread the love.
49. Top Fan:
Give a shout out to your top customer, whether it’s a business or person, each month. If you did some construction work at a local celebrity’s home, a popular restaurant or for a college football stadium that fans love, let everyone know.
50. Share Pictures From Industry Events:
You want to be careful not to toot your own horn too much. Let’s face it, your audience doesn’t care…they want to see what you’re all about, your people, culture and how much fun you could be to work with/for. Woods Bagot used their Instagram to showcase a recent award, but they did it the right way! They showcased their team that was in attendance, and used the caption to provide all the deets. Well done!
51. Hold A Sale:
Residential Contractors: Rather than posting a special on mass-sites like Groupon, why not offer 50% off through your social media to attract more customers and shares?
52. Celebrate This Day In History:
Did you know June 17 is Apple Strudel Day? Just do a search for Today in History and you will come up with a ton of great items.
53. Promote Awards Your Construction Company Has Received:
Winning awards is an awesome feat. Let others know you are a credible contractor in the market.
54. Promote A Free Download:
To do this effectively, it takes time to develop information content that your readers want and need. The best downloads are often “Do it Yourself” cheat sheets or a “Beginners Guide To…” that save your clients time and give them insights into a sector of their business. Get your cheat sheet by inquiring with us.
55. Talk About Safety
Safety in every line of the construction industry is important. Showing what your company does to keep your employees in the field safe is a great way to provide insight into how your company is run.
56. Show A Before And After Photo
Show your viewers a completed renovation project by pairing the photo with an original of the same building or location.
57. Celebrate All Holidays:
Show everyone that you’re a well-rounded contractor that respects all cultures. From Hanukah to Independence Day, be sure to celebrate them all by taking a few moments to put them on your social media calendar.
58. Support A Cause:
Giving back is important to all people and businesses. Encourage your followers to support the causes you hold dear to your heart.
59. Post An Excerpt:
Reading the news on construction and blogs, you will find tons of intriguing excerpts that are worth repackaging in your social media.
60. An Expert Quote:
Ask the owner of the most well established business for a quick insight into his or her daily life. Better yet, seek out the top contractors or clients you work with and ask them to be featured in your post.
61. Offer A Sneak Peek:
Give your followers a quick snapshot of what construction projects you have on the horizon.
62. Show An Entire Project Team
Getting a project done, large or small, takes a team. Show your past, current and future clients the entire team that is involved in getting a project from start to completion.
63. Parter With A Local Company For An Event Benefiting A Good Cause
Partnering with another company outside of the construction industry for a good cause is a great way to give back to the community and engage your employees outside of the office.
64. Promote An Event:
Whether its your local technical school hosting an open house to attract newcomers to the industry or a ground breaking at a recent project, promote it for weeks in advance.
65. Photo Collage:
There are many free and easy software’s out there to help you put together a collage. Make one of your projects, your staff, or your customers.
66. Take Your Branding To A Job Site
Take your branded coffee mug or notepad and snap a photo of it in the job site.
67. Make A Construction Related Prediction:
Think the housing construction market is going to pick up? Make your prediction and let the world know you’re an optimistic person.
68. Show The Beautiful Side Of Construction
Construction isn’t always dirty. Take a moment to show your social media followers the beautiful side of your business, like a stunning sunset behind one of your projects.
69. Be Opinionated (Carefully):
Share your opinion on the local bond measure or the lack of labor in your local market. Always be mindful of others opinions and leave yourself room to make your point.
70. Show Your Patriotic Side
Patriotic posts are a great way to show you love of America and let people know that you care about more than just your bottom line. Uniting your company under one flag is powerful on social media.
71. FAQ:
Is there a common question you hear from customers? Write it down and answer it in your social media campaign.
72. Show What’s On The Horizon
Share ground-breaking photos for every new project. This keeps people informed on what is going on in the marketplace and let’s past, current and future clients know that you’re busy working in your field!
73. Go Live:
Utilize Facebook or Instagram live to promote an interview with employees in your business, a job-site construction project inspection, or a Q & A with a customer.
74. Share Funny Commercials:
The Super Bowl is historically known as the prime time commercial viewing event. Capitalize on this event and share your favorite commercials from the Super Bowl as a way to connect with your customers.
75. Tell A Story:
The best construction stories don’t always happen on the job site. For your social media, perhaps you want to share an anecdote from a funny or motivational time in your life or growth of your construction company.
76. Humanize, Humanize, Humanize
When in doubt, post pictures of your people. In the digital age, face-to-face meetings are often replaced with emails. Do anything you can to show the humans behind your brand! Remember, people buy from people!
77. Share Breaking Company News
Sharing news about your company right as it comes out keeps your social media sites relevant to your past, current and future clients. Share information about awarded projects, new hires, community involvement or any shift in the business as soon as it’s okay for word to spread. Don’t wait until the news is “old news” to post on your social media.
78. About Us:
Most contractors have an “About Us” tab. Capitalize on this by featuring one person a month within your company and share the link back to your website.
79. Show Your Fun Side:
Your social channels should be focused on highlighting the people behind your brand. Would you have ever expected that Corgan had this much fun at their annual meetings? We sure wouldn’t have…but this photo shows us that they are a fun company that cares about company culture and their employees.
80. Use A Drone:
Use a drone to get a unique vantage point of your project. This photo from Swinerton combines the human element that is so important in social media with the vantage point of a drone. Awesome post!
81. Chart It:
One thing many established contractors do is chart their successes and failures. Open up the curtain a bit for your social media audience by sharing a chart on your social media with insight into your business. Utilizing software and websites to help put a visual chart together is highly recommended unless you have a marketing department that is up to the task.
82. Post A Link To Old Newsletters:
Recycle your newsletters and gain new subscribers at the same time. Don’t have a newsletter in your content marketing strategy? Contact us now.
83. Use A Local Celebrity:
Invite a local celebrity to your next job site launch to generate more buzz around the event.
84. Show Something Dirty
People love to see “behind the scenes” photos from your business, not just the finished photos of projects once their complete. Post photos of your team doing the dirty work behind getting a project completed.
85. Did you know?:
Share a “Did You Know?” post on social media of famous contractors. For instance, did you know George Clooney, Harrison Ford, and Rodney King were all once construction workers?
86. Show Your Team In The Field
Construction site walks are a perfect time to showcase your team outside of the office and also pay homage to an on-going project. We love this photo of the DLR team taking a selfie, it shows personality, fun and lots of smiling faces.
87. Share Your Successes
Trumpeting on social media about your successes – like awards – has two benefits. It shows existing fans that they are investing in something positive and inspirational, and it’s social proof that shows potential fans that your brand it worth a look at.
88. Liven Up Construction Topics By Paring Them With Light-Hearted Stuff
Not many people really WANT to read posts about the paving industry on social media, but if your construction topic with something more light-hearted, you make it something that people are much more likely to pay attention to.
89. Publish A Cartoon Strip
Whether you’ve got an idea for an original cartoon yourself, or have found something funny to share relating to the construction industry, cartoon strips can be fun and eye-catching content.
90. Challenge Or Ask Your Fans To Take A Pledge
Everyone loves a challenge, or the chance to show that they are “in” with a cause, so why not set a challenge to your fans that relates to your company.
91: Create Custom Artwork, Graphics and Photos
Custom art and graphics are more labour intensive, but the results are great! We love what Corgan did after NeoCon…showcasing what each of their Interior Designers liked most about the conference.
92: Share Something Cute
There’s nothing like making someone say “aww” that is going to tempt them to hit the Share button. Whether it’s cute animals or humans, experiment with how cuteness can work for your brand.
93: Create A Product or Service Diagram
Offering a new service or trying to expand a section of your business. Diagrams are quick, easy and digestible snapshots for your fans.
94: Tell Your Fans To Come Back And Visit
The way social media news feeds are, chances are that most of your fans will not see all of your posts. So, if you’re running a series or sitting on some exciting news, actually reminding people to come back and visit might just be what they need to come back.
95. Create An Explainer Image
If your service you offer can be explained in a few simple steps, than a “step” explainer image can be a quick and fun way to break it down for fans in a much clearer way than text alone.
96. Share User-Generated Content
Nothing pleases a fan more than to see their images re-shared on one of your social feeds. Encourage fans to take photos at a job site and highlight the best photos on your profile.
97. Ask Fans How They Are Feeling
Sometimes a simple “how are you?” is all you need to kick-start some engagement on your pages.
98. Share Something From EVERY Company Gathering
Your audience wants to see the people at your company doing normal things…things that they can relate to. Populous does an amazing job of showcasing the fun, employee centric culture of their company…and it shows in posts just like these:
99. Show Your Brand Giving Back
Showing that your brand reflects the ideals of your fans and has a compassionate side it very endearing.
100. Show The Individuals Behind Your Brand
Nothing helps to bring the “social” side of social media out more than showing the faces of the people behind your brand. We love seeing the smiling faces of these Perkins Eastman employees after meeting a deadline in the office!
101: Be You:
Be real, transparent, and realistic in all of your posts allowing customers to see a side of you they only get when doing business with you. We love the funny side of the seemingly very “corporate” Perkins+Will that they showcase in their Instagram. How fun!
