Video Marketing for Design Firms
I must give credit where credit is due. I have an in-house marketing team that produces all our videos and social media content. We didn’t have much of an online presence pre-Covid, but once in-person contact was not possible, they quickly shifted their efforts to digital media and have done a tremendous job in growing our online presence through video marketing.
Making content for a business that serves high-end clientele isn’t as easy as shooting things on your phone and posting as you go. “It takes a lot of planning, a deep understanding of your audience, one’s brand, and current trends in the luxury residential market,” said Karla Rodriguez, Marketing Director of HartmanBaldwin. “Like everyone else during the pandemic, we worked fast to find ways to stay connected to our audiences and clients. We started simply by recording design webinars on zoom and posting them with little editing to our YouTube channel.”
Image: HartmanBaldwin Design/Build
Quite often business owners make the mistake of cutting marketing budgets or staff during economic uncertainty; this is not something we have done even during the toughest downturns. Instead we continue to bet on our trusted marketing team. We’ve been in business for 42 years and they are an integral part of our growth strategy.
Digital media evolves quickly and waits for no one. It became clear simple videos were not going to be enough. The team quickly saw the need to create more compelling content and with a higher production value. “We began by creating virtual experiences, wherever we could, converting a lot of our in-person events into a virtual experience via video,” recalled Rodriguez, “On-demand viewing became more of an opportunity for us to provide a well-branded peek into our work and our design/build process.” With each new video, the bar for production quality rose. For our video marketing, we invested in more compelling content, sharper visuals and a more intentional approach to storytelling that reflected the caliber of work we do.
Image: HartmanBaldwin Design/Build
At the heart of that strategy, there is a deep respect for the audience. Homeowners embarking on a luxury custom build or whole-home remodel are making one of the most significant investments of their lives, and they’re looking for guidance, clarity and reassurance. The HartmanBaldwin team delivers all three through content that goes beyond the surface: educational webinars with our team members as panelists, impressive before-and-after transformations, 3D renderings coming to life on screen and project spotlights where our architects take viewers behind the scenes of their work.
Adding Special Effects
The quality of the visuals is everything, especially for a design/build firm. We use both professional photography and footage from site visits, along with architectural drawings from our architects and interior designers, that comprise a curated collection of images that reinforce the quality of our brand. With that approach, effects are kept purposeful rather than flashy.
“When it comes to effects, we choose to include subtle motion on static images to add dimension. The music selection also leans toward modern and contemporary tracks to suggest sophistication without competing with the narration,” explains Danielle Doster, Senior Graphic Designer at HartmanBaldwin. “For Reels and Shorts especially, pacing is everything and the first three seconds are crucial at grabbing a viewer’s attention. Because of this, we edit videos to hold attention at a pace that feels dynamic but never rushed.”
Image: HartmanBaldwin Design/Build
Production, however, is only half the equation. HartmanBaldwin’s marketing strategy is built around meeting homeowners at every stage of their decision journey. “Our YouTube content is longer educational content such as project spotlights, process breakdowns, and recorded webinars, where search intent works in our favor,” explained Cristina Ramos, Marketing Coordinator at HartmanBaldwin. “Instagram Reels drive awareness and brand recognition among an engaged audience, while also reaching viewers who may not yet be searching for a builder but are beginning to imagine the possibilities in their own homes.”
Across every platform, the visual identity and voice remain consistent. Whether someone discovers HartmanBaldwin through a ten-second Reel or a forty-minute webinar, the experience feels unmistakably the same: professional, knowledgeable and trustworthy.
—Bill Baldwin is CEO and principal of HartmanBaldwin Design/Build
