I’ll take one last look at the Orlando trip, not as a travelogue, but as an example of how consistent blogging can lead to new opportunities. In addition to my posts here at Building Content, I also guest blog on the member site UPworld  and I am active on a few key social networking sites including Architizer, LinkedIn, and Twitter. These extracurricular online activities, coupled with blogging, form the framework of my story, presented here briefly.
 
Prior to the Coverings 2010 show, Architizer established a contest to send a guest blogger to the event. The entry itself was a blog of sorts; a 200 word self promotion pitch.  The selected entry (linked here) was a light-hearted, if not cheesy, take on the Disney’s What’s Next ad campaign “I’m going to Disney World!”
I was flown to Orlando, met some great people (Nicole, Mark, Ryan)  learned a lot and prepared this recap blog  (linked here)  after the show.
 
Meanwhile, back at UPworld, I had been conversing with Duane Craig  who was seeking a LEED AP architect to interview for a pod cast on his own blog, The Construction Informer. Duane contacted me based on my member profile and a few earlier shared comments. Although credentialed, I didn’t feel qualified to discuss the LEED process, but I was interested in expanding my network through Duane’s pod cast. Fresh off the WordPress, I suggested my Architizer guest post as content for our interview.
 
After a bit of coordination, we connected and produced this podcast (linked here). 

Image by State Library and Archives of Florida via Flickr

 The long and short of it is that social network connections can and should positively impact others. Your blog content can be shared and exchanged and formatted in new ways to enrich different audiences. Be open to opportunities, enter online contests, seek the opportunities that abound in your social networks. 
 
Take a first step and share your story here.

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.

From time to time I have the opportunity to contribute to the blog at UPworld, a unique online community for designers, builders and real estate professionals. As UPworld grew they chose to move to an invitation only model. Recently when tweeting a reference to a blog I’d posted there, a friend pointed out the simple truth – without access to the site she couldn’t get to my post. I’ve come up with a fix, in the form of this offer:

If any of my readers here at Building Content would like to join this global network of industry specialists, please contact me. I would be pleased to have you join and become part of my UPworld network. We can move from the traditional writer-audience relationship to a more dynamic paradigm within an industry-specific community.

Please leave a comment or email me at collier1960@hotmail.com.