Construction Marketing Ideas

More construction-related blogs?

Bernie Siben, publisher of BuiltEnvironment and a well-known AEC marketing consultant, has graciously sent me his own reference blog list. The last entry in McGraw-Hill Construction's Diggin' Deeper blog is dated Nov. 10 2006. Red Vector's AEC Sector blog's last entry is September 12, 2005. This sort of thing is a reality in the blogosphere. Blogs are started but not updated.

Some of Siben's listings relate to relevant topics not specifically within the AEC community framework, including Seth Godin's classic and highly useful blog. You may enjoy A Daily Dose of Architecture which is obviously relevant here.

Notably, while many blogs are updated monthly (and even more are not updated at all!) there aren't too many that maintain daily frequency -- at least within the AEC environment.

I think there are two reasons for this limitation on blogging within the sector. First, the people most capable of blogging intelligently are also very busy and quite successful -- and they aren't going to (immediately) earn any billable hour time by writing in their blog. Second, many people who might have the time to blog don't have the authority. Junior marketing specialists within architecture practices or construction companies might have inspiration -- but I cannot see their bosses letting them blog freely!

One paradox here is the frequency/time/value framework. Seth Godin sometimes blogs several times a day -- almost always with useful information -- and thousands read his blog, in part because of all the useful information and frequent updating. So he achieves a virtuous circle for his own marketing objectives. Lots of visitors, lots of eyeballs, lots of referrals, even more traffic, and even more business.

If on the other hand few people visit, the temptation is to reduce frequency -- this of course means because there is little updated content, there is little reason to return, and so traffic does not increase. The blog dies.

I will be able to maintain daily frequency, not because the blog is enjoying very high traffic now, but because I enjoy writing it -- and the time it takes to maintain the blog is limited (and the work can be applied for other projects). For example, the research into AEC blogs is providing material for an article for SMPS publications and my own websites. It all adds to the big picture.