Lorna Parsons
Practice Manager
We started looking into creating a blog last year. It finally became reality in February. You’ll find us microblogging on Twitter and you’ll also find some of us on LinkedIn and other online networking sites. But why do so many Architects dismiss incorporating social media into their business? Why is there a general feeling of scepticism? Have they really got “more important things to do!”? Or do they simply not see the benefits?
Perhaps Architects need to be led by example. There seems to be little understanding of social media and its benefits from the top of the industry. Did you know that the RIBA have a blog? I only found this by scrolling down to the very bottom of the homepage at architecture.com so it’s not exactly widely publicised. You don’t find many (any?) ‘Starchitects’ using their iPhone to microblog – I still haven’t stumbled across Zaha or Norman on Twitter.
What’s the big digital mystery? To answer this one, I will simply (and perhaps a little lazily) refer you to a very informative blog post by Redcube Marketing which gives an overview of Social Media and its benefits.
There’s no proof that there’s an age divide between those who are embracing social media and those who don’t, in fact quite the opposite. Ofelia, aka ‘Granumentally’ on Twitter, is a Grandmother and Great-Grandmother. Age is clearly no barrier. Some of the most famous Twitterers include Barack Obama and Stephen Fry, so celebrity or political status has no bearing.
There seems to be a general concern that it’s deemed a bit arrogant, or egotistical to write about yourself and assume that someone will be interested in it. Though many may find this hard to believe, some Architects are very modest and don’t like to show off. That’s why writing our blog is definitely not an opportunity to spout off about how great our latest scheme is, or how many awards we’ve won in the last 3 years. We see it as a chance to give an insight into who we really are and why we do what we do. It’s a place for discussion, comment and debate. It’s a way of communicating with clients and friends – getting them involved in conversation as if they had just popped into the office for a coffee. Of course there’s still a marketing and profile-raising benefit, but this is more of a happy coincidence.
If you’re an Architect or if you work for an Architectural practice, my advice is to firstly take your sceptical hat off, read Redcube’s blog post, and then give it some thought. But not for too long – things move very quickly in the world of digital media!