4 minutos
Not long ago I wrote in my blog (¿Arquitectamos locos?) that writing on that platform had brought about a number of very pleasant circumstances in my life (invitations, acknowledgements, etc.).
Actually, I’m very happy with my “attractive presence” on social media. In my case, the reward is almost exclusively personal, intimate and, I must admit, rather narcissistic. I know there are people who get to make money via advertising, and others who push their profiles to win work contracts. Apart from little exceptions that are very nice but hardly affect my overall finances, that’s not the case with me. At the end of the day, and one way or another, you end up finding what you’re looking for. That’s what I’ve done, and what I still do. In other words, my social media results are very positive.
It’s not for me to give advice, but what I can do is tell you my own experience and try to extrapolate that to other circumstances. For me, everything began with a blog in which both the themes addressed and my treatment of them were very irregular. I tried to express my own impressions and opinions on topics more or less related to architecture, but I also touched on other subjects, letting myself get carried away with my own loves and hates, personal concerns, obsessions and tomfooleries. After the blog came the social networks, where my initial reason for creating a profile was to be able to tell people when each new blog post had been uploaded.
All this came about without any planning, without any analysis, and that’s the way it still is. From then on, it got out of control and all kinds of comments began to be included.
So I’ve managed to achieve a high profile and an “attractive presence” on the social networks without ever having had any clear starting criteria. I don’t know if I would have achieved anything better if I’d thought about it more beforehand, but I’m also aware that it’s precisely that rather irreflexive, spontaneous, unpremeditated element that has made my posts appealing to some readers. There are people much more interesting than me who do have a clear project in mind.
I write my blog the way I feel, putting down what I have inside me. I write and write and write… I post a new article on average one day a week, although the frequency may vary. There are people who say I’m good at it and, assuming that were true, I’d venture to offer a couple of tips. If you write well, I’d obviously encourage you to start a blog. But I’d also encourage you to start one even if you don’t. Some people are not particularly good at writing but can draw very eloquently. Others are good at taking or finding photos of magnificent buildings, or very bad buildings, or construction details, or examples of poor urban planning, or… Everyone has his/her own personality and strengths. They should exploit them. Talk, or draw, about what you like, about things you’re comfortable with, things you feel good talking about. And be persistent. Don’t throw yourself into it enthusiastically at the beginning and then let your activity fall off until one, three, six months have passed without your having offered anything new (that happens a lot).
As for the social media, we’re now in an unprecedented era. Technology allows every one of us to reach the whole world from the intimacy of our own home or studio. Anyone who has anything to say can say it to a potentially endless number of “followers”, “customers” or “friends”. And if you manage to connect with them, you can find yourself in a position of huge strength which, if handled well, may help further your professional career or, as in my own case, provide you with hours of sheer enjoyment, relaxation and joy. And that’s not bad at all.
We’re not alone. We have something to say. If we persevere and post regularly on subjects that are in some way interesting, there are a lot of people willing to listen to us and look at us. I encourage you to give it a try.
