An important question we’re often asked is whether architects engage in social media or not. The answer is an unequivocal yes. But if we go to the depth of this question and analyze it, from a manufacturer’s perspective is really; “how can we be a part of an architect’s conversation on social media, and leverage it to meet our goals.” Herein lies the complexity, and if properly executed, the chance.
It’s impossible to imagine life today without social media, and it seems increasingly impossible to play our part in society without constantly communicating online. We are networked – digitally, globally, constantly. And yet flash mobs, Facebook parties, and the Occupy movement all show that social media are at their most effective in the context of individual, physically-affective experience and social interaction in real places. No other technology has infiltrated the rituals of our daily lives to the same extent as social media, which are now starting to rival the very cultural technology – architecture – that has traditionally provided the physical conditions for human socialization.
Social media have given rise to new models of socialization, and these are changing our concept of space and time and our sense of the public and the private.
Based on analytics from client campaigns, our team’s in-depth analysis, and industry mind-share, it is evident architects engage on social media channels both for business and for private use. An architect has many use cases for social media that are only getting to grow. Social media promotes dialogue among peers, something architects value, thereby providing a platform for showcasing images and visual inspiration, which architects also prioritize.
A primary criterion for planning is community participation, which can be very easily facilitated through these social networking sites as they are very popular amongst people of all age groups. Genuine surveys can be conducted in the least amount of time involving less manpower and costs, thus the huge amount of money saved from this can be used in the provision of better infrastructure facilities for people.
If planners and architects form a habit of blogging about their work and putting forward the genuine issues on planning in public forums for people’s suggestions, then it would help in better planning because it is the people who know what is the best solution for them which only needs refinement by architects and planners. Thus, the job of a planner becomes easy and cost-effective.
Besides taking suggestions from the public itself, through social media, architects and planners can inform the general public about what efforts should be taken on public’s part to enhance the habitat of the settlement by demonstrating examples from all across the world and by talking to architects and planners of other parts of the world as social media is the easiest and most economic mean for people to attach across the globe.
Not only awareness, but social websites like LinkedIn have helped in providing a convenient relationship between professionals- not only architects but for professionals of the other fields as well.
An architect has the power to debate and share thoughts on the built environment and can self-promote on a worldwide scale through social media. All of the social platforms have an architect’s presence including Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. These platforms are all compatible with visual, technical, and intellectual sharing, something architects intrinsically value.
Social media also can be a platform of research and have conversations about the recent trends that architects find important to understand about building materials like performance, reliability, manufacturing processes, support, and who else is using it and how.
They typically share photos of architectural interests but also private snapshots of their lives. And according to Architizer, “If you want to find good architecture on Instagram, you can’t go to the big names. Indeed, the simplest Instagramming architects aren’t the Bjarkes, but rather the young, anonymous designers, programmers, and builders performing at firms that aren’t their own, who labor for hours over a plan on BIM, who spend their days researching building materials.” These are the young, Millennial architects who in many cases make decisions on specifying products.
Instagram culture is redefining architectural design across the country, in both commercial and residential spaces. In recent years, architecture and style firms are introducing a replacement concept mentioned as “Instagram spots” in their designs to stay up with the growing social media trends.
Social media also features a place with architects looking to expand awareness of their passion projects.
Social media provides a perfect platform for connecting professionals to exchange trends, inspirations, developments in architecture, and the opportunity to gather research. But architects are more likely to share content associated with the finished product, the built environment, inspirations around cityscapes and buildings of the longer term, versus building materials.
the top use cases for using social media to excel as architects:
- Platform for outreach, lead generation, education and engagement for connections
- Drive them to your website
- Promote your upcoming events
- Build a community and customer loyalty through engagement.
Hence, social media should be used as a platform to give a knack to the digital era and take and uplift architecture in a way that no one has ever seen or witnessed.
