Download the ebook - Twenty ways to collaborate that benefit you and the rest of the construction industry
1 in a series of 9 ebooks - Download all 9!
Call it what you will, building partnerships, collaborative working or helping each other, the construction industry relies on strong connections to get things done.
With this in mind, we thought we better put our expertise where our mouth is and create some sort of guide which documents the most successful ways to collaborate within construction away from the obvious contractor/sub-contractor type relationship and give focus to reciprocal gains rather than direct payments for services.
Why? We believe this is the only way the industry will not only survive but thrive;
- Creating a more collaborative construction industry
- Engaging and helping others within the industry, for the good of the industry and reciprocal gain
Want more? be part of what we are building!
Aside from this ebook, we’re building a network, a database if you will, of individuals and organisations that genuinely want to build a collaborative industry by getting involved in each other's projects.
And we’d like you to be part of it! All you have to do is:
Step 1: Go here: https://www.builddifferent.marketing/become-collaborative-partner
Step 2: Complete the form and click submit.
Step 3: You’re done actually. Nice1. We’ll assess and add you to our database.
We're always on the lookout for amazing people and amazing companies to join this collaborative effort. So, do something amazing and sign up!
2-wenty ways to collaborate that benefit you and the rest of the construction industry
Trade Shows and Exhibitions
Joint Content Creation
Collaborate on creating blog posts, articles, or videos that showcase both companies' expertise and promote industry-related topics. This can be really powerful if both parties have a prominent presence on other platforms to encourage engagement.
Podcasts and Webinars
Co-host podcasts and webinars where clients can share knowledge, present case studies, and engage with a broader audience. Alternatively, outreach to see if the podcasts/webinars in your specialism or industry are looking for expert guests.
Cross-Promotion on Social Media
Share each other's content, events, and achievements on social media platforms to reach a wider target audience.
Guest Blogging
Invite each other to contribute guest posts on respective websites to tap into each other's audiences and use your expertise to both build your own brand and educate an audience that is yet to discover your talents.
Infographics
Create visually appealing infographics together that highlight industry statistics or trends. This can be a great way to get more value from other content such as blogging, reports and surveys. If you or your collaborator have a top-notch graphic designer in your mitts then you already have the skills to create this kinda magic.
Co-branded Marketing Collateral
Designing and distributing co-branded brochures and flyers isn’t just another way to get your name out there in some shameless promotional way, it can support other organisations that are part of your network and provide services that complement your own as well as enhance the brand awareness of both parties by association.
Thought Leadership Panels
Participating in joint panel discussions as thought leaders in the construction industry is not only a great way to collaborate, but it’s also an opportunity to network amongst other panellists and impart your industry knowledge to a wide range of stakeholders (especially if the discussion is being filmed or it’s at a live event such as a seminar or exhibition.
Networking Events
Organise joint networking events or industry meet-ups to foster relationships and generate leads through other people or organisations' networks. It’s best to provide something of value to get the most number of people attending these things and rather than calling it a networking event, it’s best to be delivered as an opportunity to learn and, er, mingle with like-minded people.
Workshops
Whether you’re searching for or actively pushing that you deliver workshops, they can be a great way to impart your knowledge by focusing on a specialism to individuals if it’s an open workshop or entire organisations (ran behind closed doors) in the construction industry. This could be reciprocated allowing your organisation to learn from others as well.
Market Research, Industry Reports and Surveys
Conduct joint market research to identify emerging trends and customer preferences. Collaborate on producing annual industry reports or surveys to generate media interest.
It’s important to note here that there are A LOT of industry reports and surveys and this should only really be done if you know and understand the market you are aiming to assist, the importance of what you are doing and you and your collaborators are skilled at conducting/creating a report or survey.
E-books
Co-author e-books or whitepapers on relevant topics, positioning both clients as industry authorities.
It’s important to note here that there are A LOT of e-books on particular topics (you’re reading one right now) and this should only really be done if you know and understand the market you’re serving and what you are doing has some importance or significance to this audience.
Trade Shows and Exhibitions
Trade shows and exhibitions have always come at an eyewatering cost and sometimes feel hard to justify as the ROI can be difficult to measure unless you are simply focussing on sales. Sharing exhibition space is not only a great way to reduce the cost of attendance it can increase visibility, pool costly resources, build on or develop stronger relationships.
Joint Press Releases/Case Studies
Issue joint press releases/case studies for major achievements, partnerships, projects or events to maximise media coverage and benefit from a wider pool of contacts. There is also the opportunity to benefit from the wider internal skill sets such as videographers, graphic designers, animators, copywriters and other creative roles which may not be part of your own organisation.
Social Media Takeovers
Social Media takeovers can be great as long as you have value to give to a different audience and the socials you are temporarily taking over have an audience that is engaged and participate in the conversations you are starting. You can also reciprocate this offer and allow your own followers to benefit from someone else's expertise (even join in with this conversation to ramp up the engagement)!
Cross-Industry Collaborations
Partner with companies from complementary industries to expand market reach and offer different services and information to your audience. This works particularly well when the products/services are complimentary to your own offering and provide your audience with a way of saving time, money or resources. For example, an architectural firm could cross-industry collaborate with project management software allowing other organisations to benefit from a seamless transition from conceptual drawing to the management of the build.
Resource Sharing
When looking to collaborate for the betterment of the industry, it doesn’t have to be a service, skill or expertise you offer, it can be other resources that create value for others such as sharing office space, meeting rooms, and other facilities as well as offering any surplus equipment, machinery, or tools that are not being used. This can work particularly well with organisations that work remotely or with smaller contractors that don’t have the capital to invest in new technologies.
Community/Local Business Engagement Projects
Team up for community-oriented construction projects to give back and enhance the industry's reputation. This can be related to your line of work or unrelated. As it is localised the connection between what you do and what you support doesn’t have to be cohesive. It’s the localisation that counts here.
Knowledge Sharing Events
Organising your own events can be time-consuming but can be a great way to collaborate with multiple organisations in one go. It provides them with a platform to share best practices and industry insights with each other. You can run knowledge-sharing events both open to others to attend or behind closed doors and make them more exclusive.
Training and Skills Development
Collaborate on training initiatives or provide your services to other organisations in order to share your wealth of knowledge across the industry in a structured way. This can really help to upskill a workforce and improve overall industry standards. You name it, there will be a team out there that needs to know more about it - Marketing, Health and Safety, IT, Design, Trade Skills, BIM, Management, Processes, Data Analysis, the list is kinda endless.
Industry-wide Data Analytics
If there is one thing we need to get better at in the construction industry it's managing and analysing the mountain of data we are producing. This can be a daunting task for an individual or even a single SME. Plus (without getting too psychological about it) the perceptions and internal bias that is created could present problems with the final analysis. In collaborating on collecting the data you will have a broader scope of information to work with and analysing this industry data in a collaborative way can result in identifying trends and opportunities that individual analysis may not uncover. If you are sharing this information industry-wide, collaborating also makes the output more authentic and less self-serving.