The CFA has held its second Marketing Forum which was attended by representatives of a number of the major brands in our industry.
This time the focus was on CPD, with presentations from Joni Tyler, RIBA Head of CPD, and Kay Porter, Managing Director of Smart Marketing Works.
Joni talked about how CPD is now required in most professions and also how it can take many different forms beyond the traditional Powerpoint presentation, such as podcasts, videos and even factory tours. The best CPD presentations are colourful, engaging and creative. Companies which are offering CPD presentations are encouraged to join the RIBA CPD Providers Network, as this helps form a direct link with specifiers and architects. Joni also gave some very specific advice on how to generate the best CPD content, acceptable to RIBA and also impactful for participants.
Kay went on to talk about how CPD fits into a company’s overall marketing strategy, since it is an important part of creating a relationship of trust with your customers, and also establishing thought leadership within your market. The process of developing CPD content comprises three stages – feasibility, development and launch.
Although CPD has to be generic, the end goal of creating safe and informed specifications also enhances customer trust and should ultimately lead to increased sales. Kay considered in detail the process of deciding the correct format, developing engaging content, launch, promotion, follow-up and data capture – remembering all the time that this is primarily a learning opportunity, rather than a sales opportunity!
Copies of both presentations are available to view and download from the Marketing Forum section of the CFA website.
If you have marketing responsibilities as part of your role and wish to be added to the circulation list for the Marketing Forum, please email a written request to admin@cfa.org.uk with your contact details.
