July 30, 2012

Social Media Masterclass

Blogging Gets Respect

CHRISTINE ZAKRAJSEK

columnist

Before we begin, everyone who has been asked, “What is our Instagram/Pinterest/Square-strategy?” please raise their hand. Raise your other hand if this question was asked by someone who doesn’t know what your social media strategy is to begin with. Now, if everyone in the classroom can take a moment to hug those who have two hands in the air I think we’ll all be better humans for this experiment.

Okay, I’m being glib. However, a very similar scenario recently took place in a meeting room I’m very familiar with. And, I’ll also admit, most of what I was thinking and not saying is now contained in this column about one of the oldest forms of social media: blogging. So, if this comes across as more of a rant than a helpful “how to”, I apologize. Hug?

Blogging is Dead. Long Live Blogging.

Remember a few years ago when everyone had a blog? They wrote about their marathon training, pets, kids, favourite recipes and whatever topic they came up with. And, the great unwashed masses read these in spades. They were read because they offered information we needed or a perspective we found interesting. The information wasn’t boiled down to the essentials like so much of our mainstream media. A blog was an opportunity for the writer (and reader) to “go deep”. And, just like the lone runner starting his marathon journey can find a kindred spirit online, so can you.

Let’s turn this to more of a construction-related discussion, say you have an in-house expert about “smart buildings”. Why not create a blog that your expert can post his thoughts on the industry’s adoption of smart building technology, challenges with current methodologies and proven workarounds, and your expert’s opinion on “what’s next”? Then, utilize your distribution networks to spread the word about your expert’s recent blog post. And, if your expert is a bit hesitant to write a blog, ask him to sit for a video interview.

Mechanical Considerations

Before you go drumming up blog posts from your experts, there are some details you might want to keep in mind.

• HOSTING: Building your blog on a hosted third party site (ex: tumblr) can enhance your inbound links which is good for SEO. On the other hand, building your blog on your own website allows for more control on how it’s managed.

• COMMENTING: Blog visitors prefer direct commenting, so it’s worth having this functionality available. However, it’s important to moderate the comments in order to keep the spam off of your expert’s blog.

• POSTING: By coaching your experts to post directly to their blog, you will increase their sense of ownership (and thereby the likelihood of their posting regularly).But, if you would rather have more control over the process, posting for your experts allows you to better manage how and when things are posted.

It seems everyone wants to be a “Thought Leader”, nowadays. Leaders are defined by their point of view and commitment to communicating. Are your experts ready to assume this leadership? Are you prepared to help them step on stage and communicate their expertise? If so, get blogging. The world needs good leaders.

Great examples of blogging in the AEC (architecture, engineering and construction) industry:

http://hoklife.com/

http://thoughts.arup.com/

Social Media Masterclass is a collaborative initiative developed by Reed Construction Data and EllisDon. Christine Zakrajsek is EllisDon’s social media manager. Social Media Masterclass appears every Monday in the Daily Commercial News and the Journal of Commerce. Please send any emails to editor@dailycommercialnews.com or editor@journalofcommerce.com

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