Marketing To Architects Through CPD Presentations

Building product companies face a significant hurdle when marketing to architects. Connecting with architects is vital as they hold the key to shaping architectural projects and specifications, but they aren't easy to reach through traditional marketing channels.

This is where CPD comes in.

In this blog, we explore how marketing teams should own Continuing Professional Development (CPD) presentations just as much as the sales team.  These presentations offer a unique opportunity for companies to engage architects directly, showcasing expertise and establishing credibility, both in person and through digital delivery.

We will also touch upon the significance of RIBA approval and provide insights on creating compelling CPDs that resonate with architects.

Keep reading to discover how to create memorable learning experiences that engage your audience and generate specifications.

The Benefits of CPD Presentations as a Marketing Tool

CPD presentations offer many benefits:

1. Direct Engagement with Architects: CPD presentations provide a platform for direct interaction with architects. This interactive format allows companies to address architects' specific questions, concerns, and interests, fostering a deeper connection.
2. Showcasing Expertise and Industry Knowledge: Through CPD presentations, companies can demonstrate their expertise and in-depth knowledge of industry trends, innovative products, and best practices. This positions them as thought leaders, instilling confidence in architects.
3. Building Credibility and Trust: Architects highly value continuing professional development. By providing informative and valuable CPDs, companies establish credibility and trust, showcasing a commitment to the architectural community's growth.
4. Tailored Content for Architects' Needs: CPDs can be customized to address architects' pain points, focusing on relevant topics and solutions. This personalized approach enhances the value of the presentation and resonates with the audience.
5. Strengthening Brand Awareness: Successful CPD presentations create a lasting impression, increasing brand awareness and recognition in the industry.
6. Lead Generation and Conversion: participants are more likely to inquire further about products and services, leading to potential leads and conversions.

Getting Your CPD Approved by RIBA

Obtaining approval from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) or accredited by other certification bodies for CPD presentations adds a significant layer of credibility and trust, amplifying the marketing impact for building product companies.

For architects, RIBA signifies a level of quality which aligns with their professional standards. Members of RIBA also benefit from undertaking accredited CPDs, as it contributes to their minimum annual requirement of personal development.

Whilst attaining RIBA approval for your CPD can prolong the process, in order to meet their exacting standards, the reward is higher levels of exposure on your CPD, as it is promoted throughout RIBA’s network and housed on their catalogue, making it easily accessible for interesting architects.

By pursuing RIBA approval, building product companies can amplify the marketing impact of their CPD presentations, enhancing credibility, attracting a wider audience of architects, and solidifying their position as trusted authorities in the construction industry.

Creating an Effective CPD of Value For Architect Marketing

Crafting an effective CPD presentation that resonates with architects and delivers real value is essential. Often companies looking to create their own CPD, go into the process with the wrong intentions.

Remember, whilst CPD can be an effective marketing tool indirectly, it should never become a sales pitch or a biased exposé on your products and services.

Here are 5 tips for creating an effective CPD for architects:

1. Identifying Architects' Pain Points and Interests: Research architects' current challenges, trends, and interests to tailor the CPD content to their specific needs. Framing your content around the specification process and its challenges is essential. Building regulations, specification limitations and non-biased information will all benefit the architects taking the CPD.
2. Crafting Engaging and Valuable CPD Content: Structure the presentation with a clear flow, engaging visuals, and interactive elements to maintain architects' attention. Using high quality imagery will not only help to better reflect your content, but also you brand and company.
3. Utilizing Interactive Elements and Case Studies: Incorporate quizzes, polls, and Q&A sessions to promote active participation and knowledge retention. Real-life case studies showcasing successful implementations of products or design solutions resonate well with architects.
4. Dos and Don'ts Checklist for CPD Creation: Ensure the presentation adheres to RIBA's guidelines, avoids sales pitches, and provides unbiased and informative content. Focus on delivering valuable takeaways that empower architects in their projects.
5. Delivering the CPD Effectively: Engage architects through both in-person and virtual platforms to accommodate different preferences. Digital CPD has the potential to reach a mass audience, removing the limit of total participants. Hosting multiple CPDs in a learning academy can further bolster your position as an expert in your company’s industry.

By creating a compelling and valuable CPD, building product companies can deepen connections with architects, establish authority, and position themselves as valuable resources, ultimately driving business growth and success in architect marketing efforts.

Putting Your Company in Front of Architects With CPD

Digital CPDs present an array of advantages over traditional in-person presentations, allowing building product companies to effectively engage with architects on a global scale. Unlike in-person CPDs which are often limited by physical locations, digital presentations circumvent these barriers, enabling companies to reach countless architects worldwide.

This broad outreach maximizes exposure and impact, creating opportunities to connect with a wider audience of architectural professionals.

Moreover, digital CPDs offer enhanced interactivity compared to their traditional counterparts. Through the use of interactive elements such as quizzes, polls, and live Q&A sessions, architects can actively participate and engage with the content. This interactive nature fosters better knowledge retention, as architects become more immersed in the presentation.

With digital CPDs, architects can access the content at their convenience, accommodating their schedules and increasing the likelihood of full engagement.

Alternatively in-person CPD presentation allow businesses to come face-to-face with their target demographic, whilst delivering an informational presentation that showcases their expertise.

The ability to speak with these architects directly during in-person presentations remains a clear benefit over digital.

The solution?

Combining digital and in-person CPD offerings, your business can reach the widest range of architects, giving your company the best of both worlds.

Whilst Digital CPD should be a priority for most building product businesses in the modern day, to ensure they are staying up to date with architects specification processes, it doesn’t mean they have to forgo the more traditional methods of delivering CPDs altogether.

Conclusion

In the quest to connect with architects effectively, CPD presentations emerge as a powerful marketing tool for building product companies.

The digital landscape offers unprecedented advantages over traditional in-person presentations, enabling companies to reach architects worldwide, foster interactivity, and accommodate busy schedules.

By harnessing the potential of CPD presentations, building product companies can bridge the gap, placing themselves in front of countless architects, building credibility, and nurturing lasting partnerships.

About Insynth

At Insynth we deliver a predictable flow of leads, customers, and specifications for building product brands through our inbound marketing approach, proven to connect with a technically demanding audience.

The latest marketing techniques such as construction inbound marketing, help building product companies to grow sustainability.

As the only HubSpot-certified agency to major in construction marketing. We have a proven formula of bringing a variety of functionalities together including CRM Implementation, Web Design, SEO, and Content Marketing to achieve your ultimate aim: Growing your business and gaining new specifiers and customers.

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