Architects & Designers! I see you over there juggling a million things at once.

Kudos for the effort, I know first-hand that the hustle to capture the attention of your prospective clients in a short period of time with your social media content, IT’S REAL.

That’s why making your next photoshoot a marketing success is vital. So, let me share with you my 4 Essential Tips for making your next project photoshoot a social media win!

1. HIGHLIGHT YOUR AESTHETIC & ARCHITECTURAL SIGNATURES

Let’s start at the beginning. 

What is your architectural signature?

If you’re wondering what your signature is, it’s that defining element that you find running through the majority of your designs. Those one or two inclusions in each of your projects that define the character of the spaces you design. 

Is this a particular floor plan, a sense of flow through the different spaces from the front to the back of a home, the layout of a primary suite? Is it the inclusion of certain textures in key living areas – a favourite material that cohesively brings your spaces together on a project? Whatever it is, it can help to go back through your projects to date and see how your architectural signature is manifesting.

Having a clear sense of what your architectural signature is helps in the forming the backbone of your USP (Unique Selling Point) as an architect or as a designer.

2. HAVE A CLEAR & CONCISE PURPOSE FOR YOUR PHOTOSHOOT

Although it might sound blatantly obvious, putting in a little time to figuring out the purpose(s) of your project photoshoot helps a great deal, right from the get go. For the best possible outcome, having one or two distinct purposes for the end-use of your images can come in different combos. Having a chat about your brand and your architectural signature with your architectural photographer will help you put together a clear strategy and approach to your photoshoot, and help clarify what your main purposes are and therefore the must-have images to include on your shot list.
The main purposes to always consider are; 

      • Attracting the attention of new & prospective clients: It’s probably best to always make this the priority purpose of your shoot, keeping your focus on your ‘ideal client’ and what aspects of your completed project will draw those prospective clients to your post with the outcome to send a project enquiry from your website.**Having an enquiry page with small amount of questions about their enquiry is crucial in your customer workflow
      • Strengthening your connections and relationships with contractors & suppliers: It is a falsehood that this is a ‘vanity’ purpose, as it is equally valid as drawing in new clients. Careful consideration of including particular supplier products in your photoshoot can afford you the opportunity to bring in one or two contractors, trades or suppliers to share the cost* of your photoshoot.Not only can this be a cost-effective way of cross-marketing (for all parties), but can be a great way to garner a larger audience for your project, putting your work in front of a larger number of eyes beyond that of your own platform. Successful share cost photoshoots can even lead to collaborations with your exisiting suppliers and catch the interest of other aligned contractors.*Cost-sharing is when you invite your main builder and another main trade or two (ie. cabinet maker, floor supplier) into partaking in the photoshoot allowing them the ability to purchase images for their own purposes and lowering the cost of the shoot for all involved.

3. PITCHING YOUR PROJECT TO PUBLICATIONS TO BE FEATURED:

Choosing to pitch your project to publications is a great purpose for your photoshoot, and is something to consider long before a project is completed; the earlier the better. Careful consideration of the publications you choose to pitch to, really can help in tailoring your photoshoot to provide you with images that give you the best possible chance of seeing your work in an online feature, or even better, published in print! For example there are a few publications that lean towards including images of the homeowners moving through spaces, captured interacting with design elements you have included. So take this into consideration when having your content strategy meeting and planning out your shot list with your photographer.

4. HOW MANY PIECES OF CONTENT WOULD YOU LIKE CREATE FROM YOUR PHOTOSHOOT?

There are two main considerations when commissioning your shoot; showing off your project but also capturing it in a way that allows you to have a broader conversation with your audience (prospective clients, current clients, suppliers & contractors etc.) and to extend the reach of your architectural voice. Make sure that what you select to shoot, you can use to prep and educate your prospective clients BEFORE they reach out. Make them feel acquainted with your aesthetic, your architectural signature and voice by the time they engage your services.

Extending the range of your reach, making sure it is as multi-purpose as possible, is key in maximising the impact and investment of your photoshoot. Being able to re-use and repurpose your bank of images will take the hassle out of putting together website posts and the promotion of your project across your chosen social media platforms. The key is having longevity of your project and that is helped greatly by having a healthy variety of visuals that cover your design’s highlights as well as your architectural signature.

Taking a little bit of time to work through this checklist of considerations will help you greatly in removing the stress of promoting your architectural projects moving forward!

If you would like to have a chat about how to proceed with your social media content needs for your projects moving forward, drop me an enquiry here. 

Much Love