You may already listen to podcasts. There is something in every genre, from BBC radio shows and comedy through to niche business or industry podcasts, as well as those in the health or self-improvement space.

Certainly, pre-lockdown, when we all spent a bit more time in our cars or on public transport than we might do today, podcasts were an excellent way to educate or entertain yourself during the course of a journey.

I’m more likely to be found listening to a business-focused podcast than an industry-focused one, but with a quick search I found that there are, in fact, a number of podcasts in the fields of structural engineering and construction.

If you’re interested, here’s a selection of the industry-specific podcasts I discovered:

The Structural Engineering Podcast

This one does what it says on the tin, though the focus is on the US rather than the UK.

Scaffold

This one describes itself as “interviews with emerging and established voices in the fields of architecture, art and design”. It’s partly supported by the Architecture Foundation.

Re:Construction from The Construction Index

Two UK-based construction industry journalists discuss the previous weeks events in the construction industry.

These three sound interesting, but rather than just listening to podcasts, how about flipping the script and considering being interviewed yourself?

I’ve spoken before about having multiple “marketing pillars” in your business – that is having a number of different ways to generate leads and attract prospects that you can turn into clients. This is particularly important now that we’re in a recession, as it may be difficult to predict which of your current marketing efforts will continue to work, and which may become less effective. Some – such as face-to-face networking – may not be happening for the foreseeable future.

So how about looking at podcasts? Not only are podcasts an excellent “one to many” way of attracting potential customers, in that you spend time being interviewed once, and then many different people can potentially hear that interview, but they enable you to connect with a wider circle and increase your authority.

If someone is prepared to interview you about your industry or business experience, that indicates that you’re someone worth listening to and helps you to raise your profile.

Of course, you need to make the most of the opportunity – perhaps taking time in advance to think through the topics you want to cover and the specific projects or experiences you want to share.

But it’s more than worth that time investment, as being a podcast guest can become a solid marketing pillar over time. It may be sensible to ensure you are being featured on podcasts that either your ideal clients are listening to, or that people who are likely to refer you are listening to. But regardless of that, you’ll still be building your authority.

Leverage each appearance by ensuring that you help the podcaster promote it by sharing it on social media, and taking the time to like and comment on their posts about it too.

From my perspective, guest spots on podcasts are only a small part of my marketing, and I imagine it may be difficult to track whether my appearances are bringing in new clients for Super Structure Associates. But as I say on Georgia Kirke’s Interview With Experts podcast, only 50% of your marketing works, but often you don’t know which 50% (the original quote was from John Wanamaker, talking about advertising).

If you wanted to listen, it’s only 18-minutes long, and you can access it here.

But more importantly, take some time to consider whether it’s a worthwhile strategy for you too. We all need all the marketing pillars we can get – especially as we don’t know what the rest of 2020 is going to look like.

In the meantime, if you need assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.