You are the best in the industry at what you do. In fact, you’re so good, you’re never not working. One project morphs into another and before you’ve had time to step back and reflect, admire your handiwork or show your latest project off to your friends, you’re back into the planning stages again. Business is busy, and that’s a good thing. But do you have enough to show for it?

The modern project manager constantly has responsibilities to juggle, fires to put out (mostly metaphorical), people to manage and above all, deadlines to keep. After all of this has been considered, there might just be some time to update the website, the facebook page or get a new advert made. Maybe. 

What if marketing could be more seamless with the day to day tasks of managing busy projects? What if, as you go along your critical path of vital tasks, great marketing materials find their way into your portfolio along the way? 

Ensure that everything you do that should be highlighted, is put to the best possible use. Put your future prospects in a front row seat, so they don’t miss an opportunity to understand what it is you do best. 

Here are just some of the ways the busy, hands on project managers in industry can stay on schedule and fulfil their marketing requirements at the same time. 

Photos

Today, most of us have an HD camera in our back pocket. It’s never been easier to make a visual record of everything we’ve achieved in our working day. If your project exists very much in the physical world, like construction, manufacturing or architecture, get into the habit of snapping a quick photo of each of your achievements. 

You don’t have to be a professional photographer. While it’s great to always be thinking from a brand perspective and aiming for content your customers would want to see, don’t aim for perfection. Too many photos of your project on your phone is much better than not enough. A visual record of your achievements in the palm of your hand is not only great for networking when the moment arises, but you can organise your collection at a later date and put the best photos into your portfolio, web design or social media campaigns.

Videos

This may take a little more time than a quick snap, but can be extremely valuable in the creation of highly engaging content. Video engagement boosts web traffic and keeps viewers looking at your brand. 

In addition to your slick, interview style videos, your well produced CPD training seminars and animated explainer videos, why not use some real footage of you and your team on the tools, doing what you do best. Give your marketing a layer of authenticity you can’t produce with a script or studio.

Testimonials

Whatever line of work you are in, you have your stakeholders, and they have theirs. Demonstrate your commitment to customer service by gathering testimonials wherever and whenever you can. This too can be in video form, or simply by handing over a business card and kindly asking for a few words via email. These powerful statements should be front and centre in your marketing activity.

The testimonial says more to new customers about your business than you can alone. By simply asking your stakeholders what they think, you’re ultimately making a good impression on the customers you haven’t even met yet. 

Stats

You can’t argue with the numbers! Even as you read this, your team are adding up figures, facts and stats that could form the basis of your next great marketing campaign: 

  • How long does it take to get your team on site?
  • How long did it take to go from initial concept to execution?
  • How many projects did you turn around last year? 
  • How many cities has your company worked in? 

However big or small your business is, you are already sitting on facts and figures you can really use to make a statement about where you are going as a business. Use them to invite new customers to join you in your future success.

Design 

Showing off a shiny final product, launching a new service or making that first big sale is great, but there is much to be said for the origins of your success.

Where are your blueprints, rough designs and sketches? If you hold on to all of your materials from the very early stages of your projects, you’ve already got some great marketing materials that can help tell your story. The construction industry is becoming a world leader in this area.

With the rise of BIM (Building Information Modelling), customers are able to see a fully detailed plan of their structures, weeks, months or even years before the final product is realised. BIM is helping Structural Engineers and Architects at companies like Hadley Group to collaborate seamlessly with each other. 

However, these accurate models also perform well as marketing tools, helping to communicate your business’ capabilities in ways the written word cannot, or to enhance business relationships at the early stage.

Marketing Your current project

You’ve already started! Gather your concept designs, some facts and stats about your team and a few photos of your work in progress and you already have the makings of a detailed, engaging and deeply meaningful marketing campaign.

Taking this raw material from the day-to-day and collaborating with content experts can really give your business a boost, with very little additional effort. Talk to Socially Grown about getting your marketing to the next level, without slowing down one bit.