You often hear companies SAY they focus on the people who work there, but we know that isn’t always the case. TREKK Design Group, a woman-owned, Kansas City-based civil engineering firm, focuses on IMPROVING LIVES – especially that of their employees and those affected by their work.

Because of this focus on PEOPLE, we decided to visit their social media accounts to see if they practice what they preach. Yay! We were impressed by what we found! They’re a fantastic example of how a company can #ActHumanOnline, which is why we are featuring them in this month’s “Who’s Acting Human Online Showcase!”

Here are a few things we love about them online….

1. They Understand The Difference Between Business Development And Marketing

When you visit them online, particularly on Facebook and their company’s blog, you can see they are committed to showcasing their people. We reached out to Melissa Thomson, the company’s business development manager, to learn how their strategic plan comes into play on their social networks.

Thomson has a journalism degree from the University of Kansas and worked in marketing for several years. The company doesn’t have a dedicated marketing team, so part of her role is to manage their social media and the website. According to her, the roles of marketing and business development go hand-in-hand and people are at the core of both.

“Our goal is to showcase the personality of our company and how our people enjoy working here,” said Thomson. “We know clients are going to be doing business with those people so we want to make sure to post things that are relevant to them. We want to be viewed as leaders in our industry and in the Kansas City community so it’s important for us to collaborate with those we want to have in our business circle.”

Thomson said they have a fun company culture, and their Facebook page certainly reflects it! Whether it’s pictures of their “No Shave November” competition, the ribbon cutting for their new facility, or enjoying a ride on the streetcar, they aren’t afraid to give us a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes in the office.

They also do a fantastic job posting about projects they are involved in, with links to stories, pictures, and updates. They always make sure to tag other companies involved in the project, which sends a notification to that company so they know TREKK Design Group mentioned them. Now that’s #SUPERSOCIAL!

2. They Know Who They Are Talking To

So who exactly is their audience? Thomson said it ranges from clients, companies they partner with, and city leaders who have an interest in their projects. They have also discovered there is another group who pays special attention to what they do online…

“We found that our social media is an asset for recruiting new talent to work here,” said Thomson. “Younger generations look to see what we do on social media, how active we are in the community, and that we are up-to-date with current trends in the industry. Our social media has had a major impact on hiring outstanding employees.”

3. Everyone In The Company Blogs

One way they show off their expertise is through their company blog. It’s awesome to see how many of their posts were written by actual engineers who work there! That means the entire blogging workload doesn’t fall on Thomson’s shoulders, and she said it’s part of their overall plan to showcase the people who work there.

“Our team has so much knowledge to share, and we found it to be much more authentic when blogs come directly from them,” said Thomson. “People have been approaching me with ideas of blogs they want to write, which helps spread the work of marketing and business development to different people in the company!”

Awesome job Trekk Design!

TREKK Design Group committed to improving lives, and we love their focus on the people. They use social media as a tool for business development, not just marketing, and always stay true to their value of PEOPLE. After all, we do business with people, not buildings, so they are definitely on the right track!