information and stories from the best sources on the Internet. These examples of content

curation will be easily recognized by the “CC:” prefix in their titles. Please read these for

your own enjoyment or to incorporate, with proper citation, into your own blog.)

Simply enter the name of your favorite blog serving the AEC community… and describe why you think it is special. You can nominate anyone other than the Construction Marketing Ideas blog.

We spend a lot of time connecting with people online; some of them we get to know rather well. On a rare occasion, an industry conference for example, we get to meet these contacts “IRL” – in real life. These live encounters are always a highlight because, sans the familiar online platform, we get to experience the each other in a new dimension (well actually, in an age-old dimension).

Image via Wikipedia

My two recent encounters were not “IRL” in the handshake-and-pat-on-the-back way, but they were blessings nevertheless. These two meetings were over the phone.

Last Monday night I joined in on Philippa Burgess’s regular Media Brand Workshop conference call. I first came to know Philippa through a LinkedIn Group; Screenwriters and Hopefuls and I introduced you to these calls in my first Learning from Hollywood post.

I have enjoyed many of these workshop recordings, but I had never joined one in progress. Because I was new and because I’d joined the discussion late, I kept myself on mute for quite a while. When the discussion focused on some participants who were questioning the purpose and effectiveness of Twitter, I had to chime in. It was great speaking directly to Philippa and the other callers.

The following evening as I was completing my workday I received a call. My iPhone screen was filled with numbers – it was an international call. On the other end was the pleasant accent of another connection from the screenwriters group, Jonathan Stuart-Brown. Jonathan had taken the initiative to follow-up on a discussion thread I began in that group. (You can follow it all here.) Jonathan called to encourage me to begin writing a novel based on architects and architecture. He offered more of the knowledge and insight he’d shared online, but this time it was live and two-way. By the end of the conversation I was committed to start such a work – and finish by years end.

More of my novel news to come in my next post.

I want to publicly thank Philippa and Jonathan for taking our LinkedIn interactions to the level of an interactive phone call. If my plans take shape, I’ll eventually meet both of these friends “IRL”.

The selected blogs will come exclusively from members of the Architectural Bloggers’ Twibe, a Twitter-based group that’s free to join. The members of this Twibe are also the content generators for the Architectural Bloggers’ Daily. The Daily gleans members’ current architectural content and presents it, with citation, each evening in a newspaper-style format. Inclusion in the Daily is a free (and automatic) benefit of Twibe membership.

Any Twibe member who would like to be promoted here at Building Content, either as a Guest Blogger or in the Featured Blog series, is welcomed to contact me. Comment below with your idea or request, or e-mail me directly at collier1960@hotmail.com.

Image via CrunchBase

Image via CrunchBase

Image via CrunchBase

Our first Featured Blog was Church That Moves by Architect (and early adopter of Twibe membership) Ron Geyer As with Ron’s blog, I will leverage LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to promote our Featured Blogs to the desired audience.

As I’ve said before, I’m excited about letting the world know what we have going on in the architectural blogging community. I believe we have the ideas and insights that will endure the current recession and usher in a new Golden Age of our profession!

The Architectural Bloggers’ Twibe and its benefits (The Architectural Bloggers’ Daily and the Featured Blog Series) are just the beginning.

Please, share your thoughts.

This anniversary snuck up on me. I didn’t plan a big promotion for it. I didn’t spend time reflecting on it.

Image by NCReedplayer via Flickr

 However at some deep level I must have been processing the raison d’etre of this blogging enterprise because on or about the anniversary date a concept and a defining term sprung to mind:

Meta-marketing

Now, I must report that the term “meta-marketing” is not unique to this blog. I know this because the Internet is the repository of all great ideas and I found it already residing there.  But rather than getting sidetracked in its other uses, let me tell you how I will employ the term.

Meta-marketing, for our purposes, is the collective promotion of architecture to the society at large.

Each of us already networks to promote our individual practices or firms; this is standard marketing. Meta-marketing is bigger and easier. I see it as profession-wide, as a collective endeavor of individual efforts. Through meta-marketing we will provide a ”window in” for society at large (and potential clients in particular) to witness our value. Actually the window already exists – the meta-marketing is what takes place on our side of the glass.

Meta-marketing will transpire through the thoughtful use of Twitter and LinkedIn, through creative professional blogging and through new media platforms yet to be developed. I see this taking place now. Architects share among themselves the common struggles and victories of our field. The discussions, the exchanges and the original content are amazing to me.They are revealing glimpses into the world of architecture.

Image via CrunchBase

 This inward focused networking is the genesis of meta-marketing.

Correct positioning of the “window in” will transform our current online networking into a transformative view of our profession for the rest of our society. I believe the world will see aspects of architects and architecture that have been long-concealed within the profession. Our value as problem solvers, idea generators and cross-discipline data brokers will become a matter of cultural awareness. The mystique of The Architect (the caricature we’ve all snickered and scoffed at) will be replaced in the public eye by the actual value of an architect (the character we’ve always had, but have seldom revealed).

Who’s with me? Who sees the potential to meta-market our profession through new media? (Or is this the mad musings of a recession-era mid-lifer who fears he’ll never reach his potential?) Let me know. Comment below.

In the few months since I launched this blog (dedicated to encouraging and equipping fellow architects to start their own professional blogs) I have seen several developments that are worth noting. If launching your own blog seems daunting, you may find solace in numbers. Here are three blog communities you could affiliate with or just visit to see what other professionals are producing.

The industry-specific networking site, UPworld, which is built around the global Real Estate, Design and Construction fields began its blog feature last year. Selected UPworld members agree to provide one publish-ready post per month. The site administrator regulates the posts so there is a fresh flow of new content for member-readers.  UPworld is free but it has moved to ”by invitation only” enrollment; please let me know if you’d like to check it out and I’ll email you the link. My series of blogs explores netgiving, a term I use for enlightened online interaction beyond mere networking.

There is a new industry-based blogging venture that I just encountered through one of my LinkedIn groups. It was initiated by a young Engineering Marketer named Curtis Lewis. The site is called AecPress and serves ”interior designers, architects and builders (who see) the benefits of engaging in social media” and seek an audience of peers for their blogs. This audience aligns with my target niche, so I’m right in there with Curtis. Membership is open, so please take a look at AecPress.

I have one final example of industry-directed blogging - and along with it a humble request. Mark Buckshon at Construction Marketing Ideas has established one of the finest construction blog networks. To showcase the quantity and quality of the blogs, he has established the Best Construction Blog competition. Follow this link to the official ballot; from the titles alone you can see the array of specialty niches within the construction industry. There really are some fine examples of professional blogs that you can peruse for information and blogging inspiration. Why not vote for one or two? (I’ll tuck my request in here: While you’ve got the ballot open, please vote for my blog, “Building Content“. It is seventh on the list. Soliciting votes like this is okay, it’s actually approved by the concert rules. Thanks!)

I invite you to access these different blogging communities. If you have any specific questions, please let me know. And as always, feel free to leave your comments here.