The Journal: Telling a Company’s Story
Image: HERMÈS
Storytelling is at the heart of marketing, especially in the design and building industries. Each firm has its own unique narrative, and that narrative grows with each project it completes. There are various platforms to convey these stories, but COUPAR finds one of the most impactful is through a company's journal on their website. A Journal functions as a more refined blog, delving deeper into a firm's background, expertise, inspiration, and projects. This long-form content is valuable because it allows potential clients, collaborators, and employees to understand a company's specific positioning and perspective.
Image: Grassi & Associates Journal
The layout and content of these journals vary, which allows each firm to showcase its individuality. Companies can profile a specific vendor they collaborate with or reflect on a historic designer or architect who has inspired their work. Also, as the press moves more toward digital and securing print becomes more challenging, writing a detailed backstory about a recently completed project in a journal post provides creative control and confirmed exposure. Once crafted, these journal posts go on the website, are strategically pushed out in an upcoming newsletter, and then funneled through social media platforms.
Image: EJA Lighting Design Journal page
The journal posts create a range of tailored content shared for some time after the blog is published. Linking to journal content on social media or in newsletters is beneficial for SEO, as it drives traffic back to your website. Firms can appeal to wider audiences as each journal post may resonate with a different demographic. The journal increases overall visibility and cultivates a dialogue with like-minded industry members. This long-form content can serve as an opportunity to facilitate connections with current and potential collaborators. Relationships are a crucial component of the design and construction worlds, and celebrating long-term partnerships is essential.
Image: Amplified Lifestyles Journal page
Highlighting well-established collaborators also suggests the high caliber of projects a firm may work on, without explicitly stating it. Tagging these partners in social media posts then spreads more awareness around your firm and curated content as other companies reshare. Not only can you cover interests in your journal, but spotlighting the internal team is a beautiful way to give employees deserved recognition and provide an inside look at who's working directly on client projects. Interviewing team members, from the CEO to those in the field, demonstrates the range of talent and varied experience within a company.
