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Use the Timeless Power of Storytelling to Market Your AEC Firm

August 28, 2014 by Brian Fraley

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We live in changing times. In fact, we may be living through some of the biggest structural changes witnessed since the start of the 20th Century due to the increasing prevalence of technology and its impact on the way in which we communicate. But as much as things are changing, some fundamentals remain. Storytelling is one such example. In fact, the popularity of storytelling as a marketing vehicle is regaining popularity.

Storytellers: The Original Thought Leaders

This unique skill been around since human beings learned to speak. Before we had such amenities as electricity and heat, people would gather around a bonfire to listen to master storytellers. Storytellers were the original thought leaders. They had the unique ability to attract and maintain the attention of the audience. Isn’t that the Holy Grail of every business? You can still find master storytellers today throughout marketing, politics, media, and even among the leadership ranks of corporations.

In fairness, today’s storytellers have a much greater challenge. Instead of competing for attention with the crackle of a fire, or the hoot of an owl, they must now compete with millions of messages from innumerable sources. And the hoots have been replaced with tweets. Marketers today have been reminded of a valuable lesson. The brand that masters the art of storytelling increases is ability to attract the business and loyalty of its target market.

The Rich History of the Built Environment

Every company has a story. The good news is that the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) market is filled with incredible stories: stories of great companies formed by scrappy immigrants with empty pockets, passion, and barely enough money to buy a bulldozer; stories of war veterans that replaced heavy memories of combat with sheer grit and determination to build great companies; stories of engineers and architects that innovated new ways to make structures bigger and stronger; stories of innovators that opened up the fourth dimension by developing new technologies such as Building Information Modeling (BIM); and stories of women and minorities that saw a window of opportunity opening and launched new firms.

While our history is rich, your storytelling must incorporate the past, present, and future and it must evolve and be retold consistently over time. It may be a product application story in a trade journal. Perhaps it’s a white paper on how your firm exceeded a project deadline by reducing downtime. Or maybe it’s a case study depicting how you exceeded the expectations of a client.

Great Storytelling Requires Passion

The greatest storytellers shared a common element. They had passion for the stories they told. Fraley AEC Solutions can tell your story because we’re passionate about the construction and design industry. I grew up hearing dramatic inspirational stories about my great grandfather, an Irishman and an immigrant, that founded an excavation company at the tail end of the Great Depression. That legacy inspires me to this day. As kids we heard about tales of gunplay with the unions, firebombed equipment, and shredding and burning tires to stay warm. Telling the story of your firm and the legacy of our industry is not just business. It’s personal.

What is your company’s story? What is your personal story? Are you using it to build your brand? If not, you’re missing an incredible opportunity. Let us tell your story.

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Categories: Branding, Construction Marketing, Content Marketing, Writing

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No Spam. No Sales Pitch. Just Ideas for Growing Your Construction Company.


We knew Fraley Construction Marketing had some larger clients and we are much smaller in terms of revenue and operations. However, Brian welcomed us as a client and we’ve never felt any less important than the big companies. We are good at delivering our construction services, but not so much with marketing them.  Brian’s advice is always sound and from the heart.  We consider him an equal part of our operation.
Jeff & Kelly ShannonMission Critical Operations
The services Fraley Construction Marketing provided to us were top notch.  We’ve hired photographers across the country to obtain photos of our equipment in use on various job sites, but Brian’s talent shined in this particular project.  He went above and beyond, was very informative and did a great job scheduling and coordinating with the jobsite.  We are very happy with the quality of his photos!  We would be more than willing to use his services again in the future.
Gretchen TremmierSecretaryPile Hammer Equipment
Fraley Construction Marketing has achieved incredible results in our company’s marketing efforts. Brian has taken our social media and press releases from zero to overwhelming. This is due to Brian’s industry knowledge and exemplary communication skills. His skill and guidance have led us beyond our expectations.
Ben DuttonPresidentEquipment Corporation of America
Brian was there for us when we had just a few days to put together a complex proposal for a P3 bridge replacement project we were bidding that involved detailed technical and financial plans. As a contractor, we had no experience in putting together the marketing and narrative pieces that the proposal required. Brian not only walked us through the process, he helped us put together a complete and professional looking proposal. His extensive experience and knowledge of construction and engineerin…
Mark EckmanPresidentJ.D. Eckman Inc.
Working with Brian on this project was such a positive experience!  He guided us, kept us on track, and incorporated our ideas. Because of all these things our project was a huge success. We now have a Mission and Vision statement that is true to who we are and what we want to be. Thank you Brian for such a successful outcome!
Tammy ClaycombHR AdministratorFaddis Concrete Products
We are very happy with Fraley Construction Marketing’s services. Brian helped us get into key industry trade publications and did a fantastic job writing the story of an unconventional project we performed. His experience and understanding of the construction industry is inherent. We continue to work with Brian, whose knowledge and hard work has raised our online presence!
Kay MiluskiPresidentCompaction Grouting Services
We were on the verge of rolling out a residential building product and needed a logo that would properly represent the brand. We needed a firm we could trust. Fraley Construction Marketing sat down with us to learn about the nuts and bolts of our product and our long-term objectives. They ultimately designed a logo that we felt properly reflected the brand. We look forward to working with Fraley to introduce this innovative product to the marketplace.
Rich McManusPresidentFROG Systems, LLC
Fraley Construction Marketing was informative, patient, and great to work with! The construction industry knowledge proved to be invaluable during the development of our website, not to mention the potential publicity for our towers because of its strong trade media connections.
Gary M. Dinmore, P.E.Co-FounderBDB Bridge
I was looking for an effective and precise way to market my new Black Splitter log splitting products to potential customers and that’s exactly what I got with Fraley Construction Marketing. Brian exceeded my expectations by suggesting a project application story instead of a standard new product press release, and identifying and getting it published in at least six industry trade publications. I will be doing more marketing projects with Brian in the future.
Eric RansomeOwnerRansome Attachments
LA Holding Group owns three construction businesses and we needed a website that would tie them all together. Fraley Construction Marketing delivered.
Kris LombardiPrincipalLA Holding Group
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