Social-media integration is an effective business strategy in industries like technology and entertainment, but what about the engineering industry where the online engagement may be a less organic fit?
From using Twitter as a real-time help desk to using web cams on project sites, engineering firms must find creative ways to integrate social media into their business models or risk falling behind the competition.
McCuaig & Associates Engineering Ltd., a civil, structural and mechanical engineering firm, has incorporated Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn into its business practice.
However, partner Andrew Leonard says that while the firm has put some initial effort into social media, it isn't a big component of their business model.
"Though there might have been engineers who played a role in developing it, Twitter wasn't set up with engineering firms in mind," he said. "I don't think there's been any financial return from our social media use at this point."
Leonard's assessment of McCuaig & Associates' social media use raises questions for engineering firms around British Columbia. While many companies have token social media accounts, how many Vancouver engineering firms are truly using social media effectively?
Traditional uses of social media haven't proved particularly effective for McCuaig & Associates, but Leonard still believes social media is valuable. He cites an example of a local engineering firm using a webcam so clients can log in to see developments on construction.
"What's interesting about all of this stuff is not so much what it was designed to do," said Leonard. "It's what people start doing with it."
Raymond Silva, a digital strategist at SmarttNet Vancouver, agreed. "In the future, we're going to see everything from video capturing to photo sharing. New technologies and media are going to touch every industry," said Silva.
For the engineering industry, the key to social media integration may be creativity. However, Silva argues that before integrating social media into projects, it is essential that engineering firms clearly lay out their objectives and create social media policies.
"You need to have a purpose and a plan when you want to integrate social media into your business," said Silva. "You can't just dive right in without doing the thinking.
"Everything on social media gets published. In order to maintain control of information, engineering firms need to instil a policy that is relatively regimented and followed."
Moreover, engineering firms need to set realistic objectives. According to Silva the key to social media strategizing is to focus on long-term as opposed to quarterly returns.
"In engineering, most projects are quite large," said Silva. "If one lead generated through social media pans out, it can be significant."
Even in social media, lead generation takes many forms, and according to Silva, it is important to maintain positive relationships with clients and other professionals.
"Relationships you build now can turn your client base into advocates," said Silva. "Your advocates will bring you business and talk about your firm."
Leonard reiterates this point. "I don't think the mass population will be overly interested in anything that we're saying unless they're somehow directly connected to us."
The connection is essential. "In the future, all business will become completely socially integrated," Silva predicted. "It's going to affect every piece of business and process." •
