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Social media is a buzzword in almost any industry these days. Twitter and Facebook use is seemingly everywhere 鈥� except to a lesser extent among architecture, engineering and construction firms.

鈥淥ur industry is a late adopter,鈥� said Penny Williams, marketing coordinator for Harper Houf Peterson Righellis Inc. 鈥淲e will finally be on board by the time something new comes along.鈥�

Williams has been working for more than a year on a social media plan for HHPR. The plan is the most important part of the process, she said, because then expectations can be established and concerns can be addressed.

鈥淭he number one question is return on investment,鈥� Williams said.

But that can be difficult to measure. Use of Facebook, Twitter and other social media services can boost a firm’s relationships with clients and show that it is relevant in the information age. Social media’s moneymaking potential is tougher to demonstrate, however.

Williams suggested that success could be measured by the amount of interaction on a firm’s Facebook page, or the amount of in-person feedback to a firm’s online posts.

鈥淭he ultimate goal, of course, is to win a project,鈥� said Alison Stiven, senior marketing coordinator with transportation engineering firm Kittelson & Associates Inc. But that can be difficult if only social media is used.

A year ago, Kittelson & Associates launched its , a site it updates regularly with news, trends and research about the transportation industry. The goal of the blog, and the related , is to develop relationships in the industry, Stiven said. The blog often features work being performed by present or former clients.

Kittelson & Associates’ blog has helped recruitment. Many of the firm’s interns learned about it through social media pages, Stiven said.

Stiven and her colleagues also are watching closely as their Twitter posts are passed along through other accounts. One message could reach thousands of followers if it were re-tweeted by certain clients or partners, and that is a much bigger audience than a standard mailing or networking event.

Williams added that a good social media plan should establish how different forms of interaction will be used. This can help reduce the amount of time marketing staffers will need to use social media, when they might otherwise be writing proposals to win projects.

鈥淭he good news is that it can take only minutes,鈥� Williams said. 鈥淎nd it’s the quickest way to get information out.鈥�

A social media plan also should address issues that may come up when personality 鈥� particularly from executives 鈥� is expressed, Williams said.

鈥淧eople respect when firms have a little personality,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e’re seeing that principals that tweet will look like experts to a certain demographic.鈥�

But issues can arise when staffers are given too much freedom. Williams recommends at least establishing guidelines prohibiting individuals from bringing negative attention to a company on social media. The degree of personality may vary significantly among companies.

Kittelson & Associates, for example, includes a lot of personality in its marketing. Every staffer’s photo is published on the company’s website, and its focuses on people.

Some firms use Facebook to post project pictures and keep communities abreast of ongoing work, but Kittelson & Associates uses the service as a way for staffers’ family and friends to participate. New employees are welcomed, award winners are congratulated, and new babies are celebrated.

鈥淲e’re pretty open, and we like to share our information,鈥� Stiven said. 鈥淚t makes us more accessible.鈥�