Introducing the Knowledge Exchange Module
CoLAB is designed broadly to bridge an area of interest between academic study and professional reality. It is our task to undergo a kind of analysis and formulate an area of the profession we wish to challenge or enhance. Throughout the process of this module we will require participation from our respected architectural practices in collaboration to help guide our focus topics, whether that’s a project based around the company’s marketing strategy for example. The biproduct of this unit will provide us with transferable skills for which we can utilise for our own knowledge in architecture as well as being a skill to resource in our careers.
Can small practices grow faster out of its infancy using social media marketing platforms?
This module offered me the chance to reflect and question some areas of professional architectural practise and explore certain elements of business bearing in mind the topic of knowledge exchange. I am particularly interested in the types of ways we create work for ourselves as architects. Branding is an element of business that many think is important when establishing a practise. But it is also important to maintain the momentum of a branded image and play to it using every possible tool as the company grows. It becomes almost an identity for yourself. Social media is a very effective way to get your ideas to reach a further audience outside of immediate local industry ties. Therefore in my project I would look at creating an architectural page on Instagram as a model for my company to inherit when there is confidence in the success of the page.
My first challenge would be to implement a clear strategy from the beginning in terms of what time is allocated to maintaining the growth of the Instagram page whether its content creation, commenting and engaging with other posts, collating a strategy of ideas for what future posts might feature.
What if using social media platform can unlock new clientele bases merely by sharing work content as well as pitching your brand creatively?
Repeat clients…. Can be like putting all your eggs in one basket, which is why most firms always welcome the idea of new clients for divesification. The thing I want to test
PHASE 1: Identify and Study Architectural Market Leaders in Social Media
Looking at other local architecture firms and their approach using social media inspired me to consider them as market leaders in our local field. I would study the content type, the frequency of posts, relevance, subject, promotion….I then began to form my own strategy for my own content creation and organisation.
PHASE 2: How do we create our own voice
Content creation is a challenge in itself but it is a great opportunity to think about how you might want to brand yourself. Perhaps as an architectural practise it would seem more traditional to post pictures of projects in progress or completion. This type of content would certainly be well suited for a platform like LinkedIn, but Instagram can have more flex in how strict the content has to be industry related. Instagram can be used to express your practise more creatively. There is the option to expose more about your practice whether that showing the kind office culture, what hobbies you all have as team members, just in general seeming more approachable to an audience rather than rigidly professional. Using Instagram gives us a chance to delve out of a professional image to a more expressive one.
PHASE 3: Test strategies on Instagram using professional account demo. FLIPBOOK DESIGNS
The more I spoke to my practise about the prospects of Instagram pages linked to the business and explained that it can be an effective way to market. They became more interested. As part of the negotiation I proposed an alternative test – I would create my first professional account called Flipbook Designs and implement all the strategies I learn about and gather insights to transfer into a company page at a later date.
- Indicate how much time and effort is put into the page
- will it bring tangible results
- more engagement with website through insta?
PHASE 4: Collecting Insights from posts to inform future posts and content
CONCLUSION
In conclusion to this ongoing live project which is now Flipbook_Designs, this unit has helped encourage individual in Practise to think about enhancing benefits of Knowledge Exchange. Flipbook is now a channel which I can further pursue my studies and practices of Knowledge exchange in my work place. During the course of this unit I have been more proactive to study deeper in maintaining a creative Instagram account. This often includes:
Liking posts daily
Compiling work to post
Commenting on posts (SELF PROMOTION)
Sharing others work (SHARED PROMOTION)
Editing content and captioning
Hashtag strategy
Checking insights
FUTURE FOR FLIPBOOK DESIGNS
Maintaining Flipbook will prove to be useful as part of the wider strategy once it has a larger following, I will then attract attention to my work place’s future Instagram page.
REFERENCES
Grozdanic, L., 2016. How Architects Can Use Instagram to Promote Their Work | Archipreneur. [online] Archipreneur. Available at: <https://archipreneur.com/how-architects-can-use-instagram-to-promote-their-work/> [Accessed 1 April 2021].
Hinds, R., 2021. 5 Key Characteristics of Digital Leaders. [online] Affinity.co. Available at: <https://www.affinity.co/blog/5-key-characteristics-of-digital-leaders> [Accessed 7 April 2021].
Instagram. 2021. [online] Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/flipbook_designs/> [Accessed 12 April 2021].
Instagram. 2021. Posts. [online] Available at: https://www.instagram.com/glennhowells/ [Accessed 3 April 2021].
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