When you’re a small but ambitious business, marketing looks a little different. It’s not about huge budgets, slick campaigns or being everywhere at once; it’s about being strategic, focused, and intentional. Every decision has to work hard. Every piece of content has to do more than just fill a feed.
For us, it’s about visibility with purpose. As a specialist engineering practice, we put our energy into building genuine relationships, showcasing our expertise, and making sure we’re in the right conversations, not just the loudest ones. We’re not chasing numbers or reach for the sake of it. Instead, we’re asking: who do we want to connect with, and what do we want them to understand about us?
That mindset shapes how and where we invest. We focus on content that has a long shelf life: project stories that go deeper than the headlines, thought pieces that add value to industry conversations, and environmental impact narratives that reflect what we stand for. It’s not about churning out constant posts; it’s about creating content with real depth, substance and purpose.
And being a small team? Honestly, it’s an advantage. We’re nimble enough to experiment, learn quickly and pivot when something isn’t quite hitting the mark. If a new idea doesn’t land, we move on and try something else. No bureaucracy. No lengthy approvals. Just quick decisions and faster action.
Of course, marketing a structural engineering practice comes with its own set of challenges. Let’s face it: engineering isn’t always a “sexy” sell. When we do our jobs well, our work often goes unnoticed. It’s invisible by nature, and that means the real challenge is making something highly technical feel human, creative and valuable.
Our answer? Storytelling. Instead of focusing on the nuts and bolts (literally), we talk about why we design the way we do and the impact that has on places, people and the planet. We dig into the thinking behind the structure and the value it creates, not just the finished product.
We’re also competing with some big names out there, global consultancies with big teams and even bigger marketing budgets, and that’s okay. Because our strength isn’t in size, it’s in authenticity. We lean into who we are, what we care about, and why we approach projects the way we do.
One of the trickiest parts is translating the technical into something that resonates. We do a lot around carbon reduction, circular design and responsible engineering, but explaining those ideas without jargon, in a way that actually lands with clients and collaborators, is an ongoing priority. It’s a balance we’re always working on.
At the heart of everything we do is storytelling. It’s the thing that helps us cut through in a crowded market. We’re not just talking about buildings; we’re telling stories about how structures shape communities, reduce carbon and stand the test of time. Through behind the scenes content, collaborative features and sharing the thinking behind our projects, we’re bringing engineering out from behind the curtain and into the spotlight.
A big part of that story is our Impact//Duty manifesto: our commitment to building environmental responsibility into every decision we make. It’s not a slogan; it’s a reflection of our purpose and the principles that guide our work. Leading with those values makes our message stronger, more meaningful and more memorable.
Marketing as an SME will always have its challenges: tighter budgets, smaller teams, bigger competition. But those constraints also drive creativity and innovation. They push us to focus on what really matters: telling stories that resonate, building relationships that last, and creating impact that goes far beyond the technical, and in an industry built on trust and long-term thinking, that’s exactly what makes small businesses like ours stand out
