Maria Vrondas, Archivore
Photograph supplied
ARCHITECTURE MARKETING 360: CASE STUDY #11
Maria Vrondas, Archivore
Maria Vrondas of Archivore in Sydney, Australia, completed Architecture Marketing 360 in May 2022.
She said:
“I want to thank you, Rachael, for helping me understand my service offering and its value and uniqueness, and to appreciate my work history from your expert point of view. It helped me strategise future directions for my business, get more objective, business oriented and client-centric - all key things to get my business to the next level.”
You can find more details about Maria’s experience of completing the Architecture Marketing 360 CPD course below and visit the Archivore website here.
“I'm new to marketing concepts so I found the content very educational and well-aligned with the concepts discussed in my business network.
I appreciated all the links and articles. I could not get through all of it though, it was like an intense crash course. I wanted to know where to start with my marketing, and have basic steps forward.”
— Maria Vrondas, Archivore, Australia, 2022
1. How were you feeling about your practice marketing before and after taking the AM360 course?
Before: Not sure how to seek more work, and from where. Unsure about what marketing strategies would work for my type of business. Stuck in all the day-to-day projects, and no time to work on the business, so I needed some broad direction.
After: I feel like I have a better understanding of how to frame my words, messages and marketing content.
2. Did you have any initial hesitations about committing to the AM360 course? If yes, please describe them.
None, when I saw the email about it, I thought 'oh this is exactly what I need'.
3. What helped you to overcome those concerns and decide to enrol?
Not applicable
4. How satisfied were you overall with the AM360 course?
5 out of 5 stars
5. In relation to the course delivery, were you happy with the 3-week duration?
No, I would have preferred the material to be spaced out over a longer time frame.
6. In relation to the course content, what were the main marketing topics or problems you wanted to learn more about in the course?
I'm new to marketing concepts so I found the content very educational and well-aligned with the concepts discussed in my business network. I appreciated all the links and articles. I could not get through all of it though, it was like an intense crash course. I wanted to know where to start with my marketing, and have basic steps forward.
7. Did the course address those topics or concerns in sufficient detail for you?
The amount of information was very generous (if not too much) on all topics. The workbooks made a huge difference to consolidating the knowledge I learned. In particular the 90-minute session with Rachael addressed most of my concerns and the steps forward.
8. Did you find the suite of materials suited your learning needs? Please provide details, including any suggestions for improvements in future iterations.
Yes. The modules were packed with interesting links and a good flow from one topic to the next. However the links and workbook created additional hours of work, which I underestimated all the way through. I would suggest a time guide to be included or spreading the course across a few weeks. I found it hard to squeeze it in my schedule.
9. Did you find the Facebook group and live Zoom sessions useful to gain additional support?
yes, especially the facebook questions. I enjoyed meeting other architects in the live zoom.
10. In relation to Rachael's presentation style, do you have any suggestions or recommendations for future improvements?
You are very clear and easy to understand. Your pace is just right, and slow enough so I could take notes when I needed to. Your videos could quite easily be a podcast, to be listened to in a car, on the train etc.
11. Which of the 9 course topics did you find most beneficial?
Before we begin - set up your metrics
ICA (Ideal Client Avatar) and Marketing Budgets
USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
Channel 1 - Referrals
Channel 2 - Email
Channel 3 - Social Media
Channel 4 - Publishing
Channel 5 - Awards
Channel 6 - Website
Implementation plan
12. Were the Website Review sessions helpful - including an overview of website metrics and performance, and reviews of participants' websites?
I missed the website reviews unfortunately. The metrics are still confusing to me, so I got my website designer to do this part.
13. Which architecture marketing topics would you like to learn more about in future?
How to create a lead magnet and the automated emails to deliver it
How to improve my website's visibility and appeal to future customers
How to improve my awards entries, and repurpose them as marketing materials
How to create a media kit and pitch my projects to publications
How to create a referral feedback loop to appeal to future clients and use testimonials in my marketing
How to enhance my social media presence and use social media attract new customers to visit my website
How to set up a pre-paid initial consultation on my website
14. Have you already implemented - or do you plan to implement - some of the marketing ideas and concepts from AM360 in your practice?
Yes, I have already implemented some ideas and concepts
Yes, I plan to start implementation soon
Yes, I plan to implement, but not straight away
No, I need more time to digest the materials before I think about implementation
No, I didn't find any of the ideas useful, so I won't be implementing them
15. Would you recommend the AM360 course to other architects and designers? Why or why not?
Yes, so they can hone in on their unique value and use that to plan all their marketing strategies and messaging.
16. Did you think the course was good value for money?
Excellent value because it exceeded my expectations.
17. Do you think the allocation of 6 Formal CPD points is commensurate with the training? If not, should the course be worth more or fewer CPD points?
I think it may be worth more points. I probably spent more time on it than 6 hours (on average about 2-3 hours each module) completing my workbook, reading all the articles, writing down my thoughts and planning my business development as a result of the learnings etc.
18. Is there anything else you’d like to add about your experience, the course delivery, materials, the presenter, or suggestions for future iterations?
I want to thank you, Rachael, for helping me understand my service offering and its value and uniqueness, and to appreciate my work history from your expert point of view. It helped me strategise future directions for my business, get more objective, business oriented and client-centric - all key things to get my business to the next level.
The amount of information was very generous (if not too much) on all topics. The workbooks made a huge difference to consolidating the knowledge I learned.
In particular the 90-minute [Acupuncture] session with Rachael addressed most of my concerns and the steps forward.”
— Maria Vrondas, Archivore, Australia, 2022