Is this email not displaying correctly? View it in your browser. Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend BOOK NOW: Breakfast Events in Preston and Wrexham Due to the success of our seminars, run in conjunction with Sustainable Homes and Gardens Ltd, we wil be running ‘Understanding the Changes to Part L and the Impact on the Code for Sustainable Homes’ breakfast seminars on the following dates. Please note – these targeted seminars are ONLY open to developers, construction companies and architects. Click below for details and to regsiter. Preston: 26th Jan Wrexham: 7th Feb LIVERPOOL 24th JanuaryYou are invited to a FREE networking event, catering exclusively to high-level professionals from the property and construction sector. There are no formalities at Construction Pool, just a room full of relevant contacts and a team of experienced hosts to connect you. This month we would also like to introduce Tetra Marketing. Specialists in marketing for the Construction sector, Tetra will be assisting as co-hosts for the evening. Please Join Us for a Drink Come along to be introduced to other professionals from your sector - 6pm, Tuesday 24th January at Noble House, Heywood Building, 5 Brunswick Street, Liverpool, L2 0UU. www.thenoblehouse.co.uk  Space is limited so you must RSVP with your company details to confirm your place. Your primary occupation must see you work in property and construction for you to be elligible to attend. CLICK HERE TO BE TAKEN TO OUR REGISTRATION PAGE  We have implemented a new booking system for the new year. It’s straightforward – enter your details once and it will remember you next time – but if you have any problems send me an email or give me a call on 07764 487 284, Gill THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

You may have read this interview I did with at the beginning of December 2011 with Ayaan Mohamud from Pauley Creative, We’ve cross posted it just incase you haven’t read it yet.

Ayaan is the Digital Marketing Manager at Pauley Creative. She produces content for the blog and monthly MDI articles whilst also managing company social media accounts and developing social engagement strategies.

Pauley Creative have also produced a fantastic e-book so for more information on using Social Media you might like to download the free ebook. It explains how marketers in the construction industry can use various social media platforms for their business. Download it here > http://www.pauleycreative.co.uk/construction-marketers-guide-ebook/

To read the orginal post which We’ve reproduced with permission click the link http://www.pauleycreative.co.uk/2011/12/interview-with-a-uk-architect-practice-using-social-media/

This is the second post in our interview series with different members of the construction industry. Dave joins us from SNOW architects to talk about how his practice use social media to communicate with their audience, raise awareness of the business and generate leads.

I ‘virtually’ met Dave through Twitter over a year ago and then finally saw him in person at our digital marketing seminar in October. He has built up a large online following and often shares interesting articles on industry news and developments as well as blogging about how architects can use the latest technologies for their projects. Now, I will let him take the stage, so to say, and tell you a bit more about the company and how social media has helped him.

Introduction to SNOW architects

I’m David Cornett, Architectural Technician and Director of SNOW architects ltd. We are a trusted RIBA Chartered Practice based in Liverpool, employed locally and throughout the North West of England and North Wales by a wide variety of sectors. SNOW architects currently provide architectural services on projects with a contract value of up to £15m. Our current live projects range from extensions to client’s homes, new build residential properties, apartments, restaurants, hotels, industrial units, student accommodation and mixed-use city centre schemes. I run all the company social media accounts, my business partner doesn’t do marketing.

Why did you decide to start using social media, and Twitter in particular?

We’ve had a website since we started in 2003. I initially set up a personal Facebook account around 4 years ago which I started using to promote the business to other Liverpool based companies. I then joined Linkedin and Twitter later on and have been tweeting for around 3 years now. You can follow me at @snowarchitects505050.

What has social media allowed you to do that you couldn’t do before?

We are only a small practice so it’s an effective way of marketing. The Twitter account is connected to my Linkedin and Facebook account, as everyone has their favourite form of social media. People who are on Facebook are not necessarily on Linkedin or Twitter.

I’ve found that social media is a great way of networking and developing relationships and it’s always good to meet ‘tweeps’ (people on Twitter) in real life. The ice is broken which makes it a bit easier to get chatting, especially as I use my face as the avatar for all our social media accounts. When I attend a networking event, I often have people come up to me because they recognise me from my avatar. One such event is Construction Pool @constructpool111111 (Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds), the organisers have regularly made comments about how many people attend on the back of a tweet or Linkedin update that I’ve made whilst helping them promote the event.

Being a small practice, social media also allows us to see how other people run their business. Apart from having conversations with other similar architect practices and construction professionals, I also follow and speak to business coaches, PR, web designers, marketers, photographers etc. Through this I’ve picked up a few ideas which have grown and developed. I also attended BE2camp and TedX Liverpool this year, both of which have been very beneficial.

You have been using QR codes and Augmented Reality for a few months now. How have these new technologies benefited you?

We have had QR codes for a while but were not really using them to their full advantage so for the first time, we actually printed a large QR code for a site hoarding in November. We have also been using them in our printed brochure to link to additional information on the website, such as videos or additional photographs of the project. These have been well received but I think the technology still needs explaining as many people are not aware of what QR codes are and how to use them.

I am quite excited about the possibilities of Augmented Reality (AR) and its use in the industry, especially with the majority of people having some sort of smartphone or tablet. We’ve done some image based AR in the #architectmap  and some 3D models to show clients. It’s again a bit of a gimmick, but clients have been impressed when I pull out my iphone and guide them through their building.

At SNOW architects we have also been looking at Geo Located models, which are superimposed over a phone’s camera as you look at the site. We’ve had a lot of Twitter interest in this from all over the world, which is something I didn’t expect. I think the main thing disadvantage is that there isn’t a single app which can do all the things I would want so it’s a case of switching from app to app.

Who do you follow on Twitter and why?

I follow people who I think might inform me or entertain me. Most importantly it helps if they have an avatar and a bio filled in. Generally I follow people in the UK (especially local companies who we can work with or refer work to) and who are construction or property based. I regularly unfollow people who I think don’t suit me or constantly send me to a paywall website.

I follow a few product manufacturers but I don’t like people doing the hard sell to me. This is especially the case if we tweet about getting planning permission on a job, sometimes you then get spammed by lots of companies. I like to form a relationship with people first, I’m not going to recommend someone because they spammed me. I like to see informative tweets about how the product helps overcome a problem.

Do you think social media has allowed you to increase brand awareness of SNOW architects practice?

Most definitely, it has helped promote the company name so at least most people have actually heard of us when we go to industry events in Liverpool and Manchester. We have also had several job enquiries via Twitter, Linkedin and Facebook on the back of a tweet or status update which jogs someone’s memory.

Have you got any advice for other businesses who are still unsure about using social media?

I think a lot of people assume it takes a lot of time, but it doesn’t have too. I tweet whilst waiting for someone to turn up to a meeting or at the train station etc. I also automate some tweets in advance using the Buffer App. So my advice would be to just do it, you’ve nothing to lose and everything to gain!

Summary

A big thanks to Dave for sharing this information with us. He made some interesting points about how valuable social media can be for small businesses who don’t have huge marketing budgets. Through their presence on social media, SNOW architects have been able to raise their profile and make local companies aware of what they do and how they work. Attending networking events to meet people you have been tweeting with in person is a chance to strengthen relationships with industry peers and prospects, which could lead to future business opportunities. Dave is always keen to try out the latest technologies and evaluate how this can improve the business and benefit his clients. I look forward to seeing how he continues to use Augmented Reality on his future projects.

If you would like to ask Dave a question or have anything else to add about how architects can (and are) using social media then please leave a comment below.

I’m sure you all know the tune so sing along in your best crooner voice ……

SO as the weather outside is not delightful,
Some architects  are “so awfully frightful”,

If you don’t know where to go,

Just Call SNOW…. Just Call SNOW….. Just Call SNOW….

If your property show no signs of subsiding,
There is always extra space that is hiding,
There’s potential there you know,
Just Call SNOW…. Just Call SNOW….. Just Call SNOW….

If your planner is sitting on the fence,
You need someone with experience,
We will keep our fees way down low,
Just Call SNOW…. Just Call SNOW….. Just Call SNOW….
 
I’m looking for people with property – large or small
Could be a house or even St Georges Hall
We’re looking for people in the know ,
Just Call SNOW…. Just Call SNOW….. Just Call SNOW….

If you know somebody thinking of renovating ,extending,
then its your ear that we’ll be bending
WHO are the people to know ???
The guys called SNOW…. Called SNOW….. Called SNOW….

SNOW would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your support throughout 2011 and wish you a happy, successful and prosperous 2012 and have a great Christmas too.

Regards

Dave and Kevin
Directors
SNOW architects ltd

SNOW architects are a trusted RIBA Chartered Practice based in Liverpool employed locally and throughout the North West of England and North Wales by a wide variety of sectors.

Whilst the technology has existed for many years on desktop and laptop machines there did not appear to be a way of presenting a 3D model of a project using a smartphone or tablet. The whole idea was to produce a free or cheap way of presenting models to our Clients. Quite a lot of methods of this involved a knowledge of code or programming or a large investment to purchase or develop an app. So after testing a few apps and ideas we came across daQRi which uses QR codes as a trigger image to host the 3d model.

Below are a few screen shots of the models used, for the purpose of testing the performance of the Iphone 4 we did exported three projects and produce a low polygon, medium polygon and high polygon model, one for each project.

To explain the process we produced the following video which shows the app in action.

If you would like to view the models yourself then simply scan the following QR Codes

See the full gallery on Posterous

I’ve also been testing some Geo Located models so look out for my next attempt.

Hope you enjoy and thanks to tech support at daQRi for their assistance.

Dave

Being a bit of a techie, I like playing with gadgets and software, I’ve been doing 3D models in CAD since 1988 and did my first website in 1996 so I do like to jump on the next big thing and have a play. So when I viewed articles about Augmented Reality I started getting excited about the possibilities, I’ve done some research and had a few twitter chats then on 30th Sept 2011 Mark Schumann (@MarkSchuey) posted a blog post Attempting Augmented Reality which I read with great enthusasim and promptly followed the instructions and downloaded the app. I was impressed and had a little play with it.

Today Mark posted a tweets about using AR on the #Architectmap (which is curated with Su Butcher)

“I’m looking to test out some #augmentedreality with the #architectmap community. More details on FB page”

“If you want to join the #augmentedreality action, download the @aurasma app and search for the ‘ArchitectMap’ channel”

Always up for a challenge, I made my first attempt at a piece of AR. I wanted to test something which was relatively easy for a first attempt, so am simply used an iPhone app which can recognise an image and then display a video on the device being used.

I have therefore created what is called an ‘Aura’ in the Aurasma App (@aurasma). It’s not clever or flashy, and there are plenty of other people out there doing much cooler stuff, but we all have to start somewhere. If you fancy giving it a go then follow the instructions below. This should work if you have an iPhone, iPad 2 or Android Smartphone.

1. Install the Aurasma app from the iOS App Store or Android Market
2. Search for the “ArchitectMap” Channel and Subscribe to it.
3. As soon as the sharing is complete, hold your device up to my Twitter profile (pasted below for convenience but will work on Twitter itself).
4. You should then see my first bit AR come to life.

Architect Map is on Google Maps http://t.co/VJng4EbS and Facebook http://www.facebook.com/ArchitectMap to get yourself on the map follow Su Butchers instructions on her blog http://www.justpractising.com/construction-on-twitter/how-to-add-yourself-to-…

I’ve also been testing some Geo Located models so look out for my next attempt.

Hope you enjoy and thanks to Mark Schumann for his assistance/challenge/blog post.

Dave

Follow on Twitter Forward to a Friend NEWS: Our first event in Leeds 5th October We’re expanding again! The first Leeds Construction Pool event will take place on Wednesday 5th October at Prohibition Bar, Greek Street, Leeds. If you have colleagues in the area feel free to pass on the information and if you would like to join us do let me know by return email. For the full Leeds invitation click here.  Thanks Gill LIVERPOOL 18th OctoberYou are invited to a FREE networking event, catering exclusively to high-level professionals from the property and construction sector. There are no formalities at Construction Pool, just a room full of relevant contacts and a team of experienced hosts to connect you. Please Join Us for a Drink Come along to be introduced to other professionals from your sector - 6pm, Tuesday 18th October at Noble House, Heywood Building, 5 Brunswick Street, Liverpool, L2 0UU. www.thenoblehouse.co.uk  Space is limited so you must RSVP with your company details to confirm your place. Your primary occupation must see you work in property and construction for you to be elligible to attend. Email Gill - gill@diddid.co.uk (if you have any problems with the email, call me on 07764 487 284) THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS:

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photo cropped from threadless tshirts

I was recently overwhelmed by somebody, a potential Client, who claimed they would not employ SNOW architects as all they do is twitter and Linked-in all day !!!

So I’ve written this small blog post to explain how and why SNOW architects use social media.

SNOW architects are appointed for the majority of work by recommendation or by word-of-mouth marketing, SNOW very rarely get any positive leads from advertising and the occasional lead from its website. SNOW use social media to keep our contacts and friends updated on what the practice is doing, the projects it has in the pipeline or projects which have just obtained planning permission.
 
SNOW regularly keep its followers updated, and it doesn’t have to take up hours of the day, most updates are done via Hootsuite or buffer, which in turn sends the updates to the Facebook page and Linked-in accounts. Updates, or tweets, are generally done whilst waiting for someone to turn up at a meeting, sitting on the train whilst commuting, or notice an interesting article on the internet. By using Twitter’s micro blogging, 140 character limit, keeps the message short and sweet, by linking the update across the various social media sites you can reach more followers as not everyone is on all of them at the same time.
 
Social media however, its not solely a one way activity, anybody who uses these services do need to interact and engage with others by asking and answering questions or referring businesses, the majority of our followers would like to find something you’ve said as interesting, engaging or entertaining. This twitter feed is then linked back to the SNOW website under the news section.
 
SNOW architects regularly update their status on Facebook, Linked-in and Twitter order to maximise business referrals. We were recently commissioned for a Student Accommodation feasibility study by an Engineer who had seen an update on Linked-in about obtaining planning approval for a student scheme in Liverpool City Centre. A recent photograph of our ECO Homes, which were on site at the time, was viewed by over 300 people within 24 hours.

This approach has seen SNOW get recognised in the various league tables that have been published recently by the Architects Journal, BD and the TCN/Construction News.

So as you will ascertain we do use social media but its well managed and we still offer our clients a high quality service, our portfolio of projects can be viewed on our website.

twitter – http://twitter.com/snowarchitects404040
linked in – http://www.linkedin.com/in/davecornett
buffer app – http://bufferapp.com/r/aaaf9