Common Mistakes to Avoid When Marketing Your Firm’s Green Initiatives

“Sustainable” and “green” are the big new buzzwords, and many AEC firms are looking at their own marketing to see how they can better promote their own green or sustainable efforts.

Maybe you’re already pretty green and work with LEED^® consultants on building certification, whether it’s new construction or LEED-EBOM (LEED-Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance). Perhaps you are a contracting company that works under a LEED AP project manager. Or possibly you are really just getting started in the world of green. No matter where your firm is on the continuum, your marketing efforts need to reflect your firm’s reality.

Here are a few common mistakes I’ve seen marketers make when promoting their firms’ green efforts, trying to be “more green” in order to jump on that sustainable bandwagon.

Exaggerating your claims of being green
One small project or a single effort (recycling in the break room, anyone?) does not make you green. Don’t get me wrong: You should definitely promote your real, concerted green efforts. But don’t magnify them out of proportion or you will face the

Under-promoting your green efforts
Yes, this also happens a lot. A company that has been quietly “doing the right thing” in many areas all along just doesn’t showcase that on its Web site, in its materials, or even in conversations with prospects and clients. If your firm has a track record in being green, either in its day-to-day operations or with its client projects – or better yet, both – this needs to be promoted across all forms of media you use. It should be easy to find on your firm’s Web site and should be highlighted whenever possible in all materials.

Overlooking the obvious
So you have good green projects to shout about, and they are properly showcased in your materials and on your site. What about your internal operations? DO you have recycling in the break room? Is staff encouraged to ride-share or work from home? Do you reuse, reduce, and recycle everything possible in your office (paper, cardboard, toner cartridges, and so forth)? Do you unplug non-critical equipment when it’s not in use to save energy? (Did you know you can have your Web site hosted with a solar- or wind-powered ISP?) I have worked with many companies selling a green product or service, but not thinking about their daily operations or their own supply chain. Being green is about walking the walk.

Failing to differentiate
With all the other businesses out there clamoring about how green they are, it’s easy for your firm to get lost in the noise. Unless you are strategic in promoting your green efforts, you will come across as just another business trying – or worse, pretending – to be green. Really analyze what you’ve done better or differently, and use that in your marketing efforts. If you are consistent about that, it will pay off.

Copyright 2010, Linda McCulloch, Design That Works Communications Inc
Reproduction permitted with copyright line, author credit and author contact information.
linda@greatdesignthatworks.com http://greatdesignthatworks.com/

About Linda McCulloch and Design That Works Communications Inc.:
With many awards for her work and more than 20 years of experience, Ms. McCulloch helps small and large businesses with their branding and marketing efforts by focusing on their strengths to improve their position in the marketplace. McCulloch, whose green initiative is called Design That’s Green, is an active member of several green organizations, including the U.S. Green Building Council–Atlanta Chapter. She volunteers with these groups, providing marketing and communications advice as well as graphic design services. In addition, she composts and recycles just about everything, maintains her gardens organically, is a Legacy member of the Nature Conservancy, and her yard has been certified as a Wildlife Habitat by the National Wildlife Federation.

Key Business Strategies for Design Firms

The following major points come from the seminar “Maximize Profits/Minimize Risks” given by Ames & Gough:

• The art of design can coexist with the business of design.
• Conducting a survey of project managers reveals which tasks and responsibilities are viewed as being more important than others. The strengths and weaknesses identified through the survey become the starting point for in-house training and process improvements.
• Identifying the specific causes behind every account receivable write-off provides the project team with the necessary information to avoid those actions or inactions on future projects.
• Succession planning is an integral component of any business plan in that it creates the opportunity for senior firm leaders to redefine responsibilities and roles to evolve the firm. Thoughtful succession structures retain top talent at all levels and actively promote talented individuals into key positions, thus creating a future generation of leaders to support those seeking redefined roles in the firm or retirement.
• Operational processes may include strategies such as aggressively awarding stock bonuses to identified key future leaders to facilitate the accumulation of stock in their hands.
• Succession parameters can be incorporated into bylaws to provide a defined process and, thereby, a sense of continuity in the firm and its future.
• Externally led confidential 360 reviews allow a firm to identify misalignments and to reorganize when necessary to play to individual strengths, rather than focus on weaknesses.
• Consider dividing your firm into project teams that function as mini-firms, each supported by corporate infrastructure.
• Evaluate employees based on what the organization needs and how employee abilities meet those needs.
• Balance technical abilities with client-relationship abilities.
• Use Web-based training to replace more costly seminars.
• Keep up with industry software, such as building information modeling (BIM).
• Stay visible to clients and potential clients. One method is to offer “Lunch-‘n’-Learn” programs.
• Tune up your business-development strategy by trying to identify hot markets.
• Establish budgets, and stick to them.

Moderator: Gregg Bundschuh, JD, Ames & Gough
Presenters: Susan Baker, AIA, LEED AP, LS3P
Greer J. (“Pete”) Pruitt, P.E., S.E., Pruitt Eberly Stone Inc.

Social Media: New Wave or Tsunami?

Blogs, Twitter, Skype, YouTube, Facebook, LinkedIn…. Social media are unavoidable. But whether and how you use them can either enhance your firm’s success or land you and your firm in court.

Many firms have a presence on Facebook and LinkedIn. Some include buttons for Facebook and Twitter on their homepages. To the extent that you use these and other social media for interactive communications with clients and prospects, your firm may be exposed to claims for libel, copyright infringement, invasion of privacy, and other causes of action.

For example, what if a client writes on your Facebook wall that your services make your competition look incompetent—and names those competitors? That compliment could have a downside. How long can that disparaging comment stay there before your firm “owns” it? And how soon after that will your competitor sue you for libel?

What if you tweet that you’ve just landed a big contract, and the information was supposed to be kept confidential for a while? What if the other party to the contract sues your firm for releasing the information prematurely?

The problem with social media is that they are so easy to use. There’s often not time, in a busy day, to think before you pull the trigger. And sometimes that can mean shooting yourself in the foot.

The other problem is that coverage for these and other gaffes is somewhere between slim and none under many insurance policies. For example, the standard commercial general liability policy excludes libel suits that result from an electronic bulletin board or chatroom if your firm hosts, owns, or controls the site. Unfortunately, the policy does not define either “bulletin board” or “chatroom,” but it’s not too much of a stretch to see your Facebook page as qualifying. While your firm clearly does not host or own Facebook, it certainly controls the content on the firm’s page. And if that’s the way your insurer sees it, any claim will most likely be denied.

There are other liability policies available. Some are specifically designed to cover such technology-related risks, and some professional liability (errors and omissions) insurance policies may provide some coverage as well. To be sure that your firm is adequately protected against claims arising out of social media, you need to raise the issue with your insurance broker and get answers specific to your insurance program. An insurance broker who specializes in risk management for design and construction firms can provide meaningful advice on identifying your social media risks, pointing out insurance coverage gaps, and procuring appropriate insurance coverage.

In the meantime, your firm should have a formal policy for using social media, including who is and is not authorized to make any changes to your Facebook and/or LinkedIn page, who is responsible for monitoring such sites to be sure no negative information is posted, who can and cannot tweet on behalf of the company, and so on. And the policy should include real penalties for disregarding the rules. The same insurance broker who helps you identify your firm’s risks should also be able to provide your firm with sample policies and procedures.

Meike Olin, CPCU, CIC, CRM
Director of Marketing
Ames & Gough

InDesign Tips and Tricks

SMPS Atlanta's Boot Camp Series has had great speakers all year long. The last Boot Camp session on InDesign Tips and Tricks was no exception. Attendees didn't want the session to end. Claudia McCue's content was information packed. She is proficient in InDesign, Illustrator, Acrobat, and Photoshop and also provides "Realistic Training for Real-World Applications".

Tips included:

• Setting up Paragraph and Character Style Sheets
• How to Effectively Use Master Pages
• Customizing a Workspace
• Text geekery: numbers, bullets, variables, easy fixes for common problems, and the hidden macro typing trick
• Anchored objects

For those that missed the session, check-out two tips she provided in PDF format: www.practicalia.net/SMPS/idtips.zip. Another great resource provided was www.indesignsecrets.com, which covers things you didn't even know were possible in InDesign.

Claudia can be contacted through her website at www.practicalia.net. Also, be sure to check-out her blog at www.claudiamccue.com.


Sarah Mackley Gonnella
Acumen Advisors
SMPS Atlanta - President-Elect

Program: Social Media Marketing - Useful Tool or Passing Fad

Do you tweet? Are you LinkedIn or on Facebook? According to Forrester Research, since 2007 social networking users have doubled. In 2009, 55.6 million adults or just less than one third of the U.S. population now visit social networks at least monthly. A breakdown from the study is provided to the right.

Jim Walton, Chief Executive Officer of Brand Acceleration, Inc. presented at the SMPS Atlanta program in February. The presentation provided an overview of different social media and how it is being utilized. The program stimulated questions from the audience, but left many more questions.

How does it apply to the AEC industry? What type of guidelines should a company have related to social media? Which media should I use personally and professionally? I have a profile, but what should I be doing with it?

How does it apply to the AEC industry?
There are firms in the AEC industry utilizing social media, but it is still new to the industry. Some resources to find out more include blogger, Markitecture Consulting, who discusses how his firm utilizes social media. Ingrid Ricks provides a presentation on SlideShare (another social medium) of why social media marketing has the potential to differentiate the successful architectural firms of the future. Social media isn't just a fad, but rather a tool for innovative firms that are ready to embrace new ways to capture attention.

What type of guidelines should a company have related to social media?
If you are involved in LinkedIn, you will find groups you can join related to you and your client's industry. These groups have discussions where you can ask questions or just read what others are posting. This exact question was asked on one of the forums I'm a part of. There are many social media guidelines that have already been developed by companies. So why create your own when you can borrow? Social Media Today answers this question and probably many others you might have on social media.

Which media should I use personally and professionally?
There are many other social media avenues. Most people utilize Facebook for personal relationships and LinkedIn for professional relationships. However, that is not true for all services. If your service is geared towards residential users for example, you might create a group on Facebook or even pay to have your ad appear. Blogs, Youtube, Twitter, and Flicker are some that can easily be used for both. To the right are some social media icons. How many do you know?

I have a profile, but what should I be doing with it?

Most of those that attended the SMPS Atlanta program indicated they had a Facebook account and LinkedIn page. However, many people don't realize how you can boost your Search Engine Optimization (SEO) so searches on the internet find you and your company more easily. I found a YouTube clip that discusses just a couple of these items. You can do a search on Google or YouTube to find others.

These are just a few items to help you begin your journey into social media. Please post comments to let SMPS Atlanta know what else you might want to know about this subject or if you are an expert on the matter and have other suggestions, post those.

Sarah Mackley Gonnella

Acumen Advisors

SMPS Atlanta - President-Elect

Business Lessons We've Learned from Dogs

For those of us under stress this morning from a weekend of holiday shopping and massive traffic on the way to work…a little humor from MyBUSINESS Magazine on secrets your dog won’t tell you:

1. “Always greet customers with excitement and enthusiasm even when you just saw them three minutes ago. They never grow tired of thinking they’re the most important thing in your life.
   
2. Don’t confuse you tail with a goal worth chasing.
   
3. Sleep as many hours a day as possible, but always be ready to play when the chance arrives.
   
4. Don’t be afraid to get dirty; in fact, relish it.
   
5. When the big folks are feasting, if you know how to work things, you’ll be able to feast, too.
   
6. Barking a lot is annoying; don’t do it often. That way, when you do bark, people spring to attention.
   
7. Don’t bark at the mailman. He’s been known to have a dog treat in his pocket.
   
8. The more you show that you don’t need a leash, the less you’ll have to wear it. Conversely, if you’re always tugging on your leash, you’ll always have to wear it.
   
9. The joy is in digging the hole, not in hiding the bone. But it’s also reassuring to know there are a few bones hidden.
   
10. Biting someone never leads to anything good.
    
11. Continuously learning new tricks keeps you young.
    
12. Fool your masters into thinking they are in charge.”
    

Ronald D. Worth, CAE, FSMPS, CPSM
CEO
SMPS National

Getting Started with Google Analytics

In order to set up your website with Analytics, you will need to have the capability to edit your website. If you do not have access, you will need to contact your webmaster. This is necessary so you can insert the code that allows Analytics to track the activity on your website. Once you can edit your website, just go to the Google Analytics page and create your account. There you will be taken through the steps and provided the code you will need for your site.

Setting up your account will take anywhere from 5 - 25 minutes. And once you have updated the pages that you want tracked, you will start to receive Analytics report information within about 24 hours.

Now there are many, many modifications that can and should be made to your Analytics account and how your site is set up to track traffic flow. So once your site is coordinated with Analytics, you may want to do some research into how you can best customize your strategy. Here are some links to get you started.

Beginner Tutorial
http://www.youtube.com/profile?v=_qfG2d9etvk&user=googleanalytics&hl=en

Campaign Tracking
http://www.google.com/support/googleanalytics/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=55540

Quick Tricks: Going A Little Deeper
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=85CE2D27BC6FD84B&hl=en

If you haven’t already, take a look at the “Tools of the Trade” article featuring Google Analytics in the fall edition of SMPS Atlanta’s Inspiration newsletter.

Michael Rouse, Business Development Coordinator
Draper & Associates
SMPS Atlanta, Communications Committee Member