Success story: developing IAGV’s branding and digital marketing strategy
In this case study, I will take you through how I transformed IAGV’s digital presence so that this Bavarian Vermessungsbüro (Surveyors) developed a stronger connection with its customers while raising awareness about its services to prospective customers and help recruit the future generation of Vermessers.
If you were to search now for “Vermessung Regensburg” on Google, you’d be greeted by approximately 621,000 results. Depending on your location in Bavaria, you’d find IAGV among the top five. Just type “IAGV” into the search bar, and you’ll find its website, showcasing its services, along with LinkedIn, Facebook, Xing, and Instagram profiles among other results.
That was not always the case, so let’s see how we got there:
Step 1: Defining IAGV’s core values, needs & identity
Step 1 of my branding strategy was to identify and confirm what IAGV truly represents - core identity, mission, and vision - and what were IAGV’s needs, namely raising awareness about their services in Regensburg and Bavaria to reach out to new clients, solidify their on-going customers’ partnerships and appeal to future employees.
I also needed to understand what sets IAGV apart from other Vermessungsbüros, precisely who their clients were, and what they needed from IAGV. The company had already existed for 5 years, so there was a lot of existing useful data to delve into.
IAGV emerged as a dynamic, innovative Vermessungsbüro with a friendly, human-sized approach. As for their clients, architects, private customers, building companies, and their prospective employees, I was able to develop Personas based on my research and the existing information, which enabled me to get a better understanding of their needs.
Now, with innovation and friendliness being core to IAGV’s DNA, I had to reflect those qualities digitally, not just on their website (See the 2nd part of this article) but also through social media.
Step 2: Developing & implementing Social Media strategies to raise awareness
The digital world of social media is vast and constantly evolving. My choice was clear - to focus on selected platforms that align with IAGV’s goals. I opted for Instagram, which attracts millennials and offers a visually captivating platform, easy to find and scroll through. Simultaneously, I utilised Facebook, which is a dying platform at the moment but, Facebook and Insta being both part of Meta, you can kill two birds with one stone, and with Facebook, you do reach more of Generation X and benefit from the platform’s presence in Google search results.
Xing and LinkedIn were also added to the strategy. While Xing was initially a go-to platform for Germany, it’s clear that LinkedIn is gaining prominence, even among a Germany-based audience. Both platforms offer as well the benefit of being discoverable in browser search engines, a powerful tool. LinkedIn, in particular, is an official and professional portal that allows one to stay up-to-date with the Vermessungs industry and maintain IAGV’s innovative flair.
I even gave TikTok a go, not for dance videos, fear not, but to connect with the Gen Z audience. After all, to find the future Vermessers, IAGV needs to meet them where they are. Who says TikTok says short videos, that I repurposed for Instagram’s Reels and interactive content on the website.
Throughout all these channels, I gave IAGV a presence and used these spaces as an interactive contact platform to reach out to existing customers, prospects, but also future employees. Indeed, recruiting for Vermessung engineers is tough in Bavaria these days, and I’ve leveraged those platforms to raise awareness about the open positions, both through organic content and paid (LinkedIn recruiting campaign, Meta campaign over Facebook and Instagram). The key KPI? They enabled IAGV to actually recruit new Vermessers, and get over 1300 qualified visits to our recruiting pages in 2023 (Calculated in October 2023).
All these channels are also instrumental in helping understand how the Vermessung industry evolves, and therefore better meeting clients’ needs and keeping IAGV innovative. They extend IAGV’s digital presence beyond just a website, offering that all-important first digital impression, and showcasing the core values and identity.
Step 3: Beyond Social Media: Revamping the Website and Creating a Blog
Social media is powerful, but the website couldn’t be overlooked. Innovation is part of IAGV’s DNA, and that needed to be reflected on the website, while still keeping true to its human-size feel. Assisted by Infomatik’s website development skills and together with IAGV’s direction, I opted for a WordPress theme that could showcase easily the services and key selling points, while creating a strong visual presence with a lightweight video. I also gave the website a comprehensive SEO makeover (H1, H2 titles, meta titles, and descriptions, alt-text for all images, etc.), including the addition of a blog. This latter decision was rooted in a multitude of reasons, not just SEO.
IAGV’s team boasts a wealth of knowledge and experience that they’re eager to share. A blog provides also a fantastic medium to showcase the company’s services through case studies and answer questions within their area of expertise. The valuable content from their blog can also be repurposed and shared across their social media platforms, creating a harmonious synergy.
The organic Google search ranking for ‘Vermessung Regensburg’ in Regensburg has climbed from position 8 to position 3, leading to increased website traffic. The content is also relevant to our readers, as the bounce rate went 21% lower in 2023 compared to 2022’s average. The IAGV website now averages 200 visits per month, with an average reading time of just under 3 minutes, a significant improvement from the past (0.30 seconds before the revamp).
Step 4: The IAGV Newsletter: nourishing trust with existing customers
While the website and the social media care for multiple goals: raising awareness about IAGV’s services, being findable on search engines, converting prospecting clients, convincing future employees, etc, IAGV also needed a way to care for and communicate with existing customers. We therefore opted for a monthly newsletter, but, unlike the typical sales-focused newsletters, these are non-commercial and very informative. Their aim is to keep the customers up-to-date on the latest news and innovations. It’s also designed to entertain and provide an open door into their business. The feedback has been lovely, and the open rate averages 28%.
Now the aim is to keep on growing IAGV’s audience across all platforms, and adapt the content strategy as platforms evolve!
Relevant Metrics:
The website now averages 200 new visits per month, with an average reading time of just under 3 minutes, a significant improvement from the past (0.30 seconds in 2021).
Job applications for open positions have doubled since before the branding strategy.
The organic Google search ranking for ‘Vermessung Regensburg’ in Regensburg has climbed from position 8 to position 3, leading to increased website traffic.
The bounce rate decreased by 21% in 2023 compared to 2022’s average.
Interested in developing your branding and social media strategy? Then don’t hesitate to reach out!
