Who we are
Guided Communications provides expert marketing consultancy services to businesses in technology, manufacturing, engineering and professional services. We bring more than 24 years of experience in PR, comms and marketing.
We specialise in distilling complex messages and making them simple to understand for a business audience. Many of our clients are engineers with PhDs in technical subjects, and our role is to guide them in simplifying their messages to reach the right business audiences.
Founded by Emily McDaid in 2008, Guided Comms has worked for international companies including Nokia, Deutsche Telekom, Verint, Doodle, MagiCAD, Huddle and Xtract – and local organisations including Catalyst, Liopa, Instil Software, Vertical Structure, Business Simulations and OptiMech.
Since 2024, we also offer one-to-one coaching on how AI can be used to kickstart the marketing and operations of a small business, making it more creative and efficient. Our coaching is transformative for small business owners in many industries, including financial services, wellness, fitness, hospitality and retail.
Some recent client projects
Without clear communications, your business may struggle to grow.
This is where Guided Communications can help.
Thought leadership: a widely successful LinkedIn strategy
Our client OptoFidelity is a global leader in a highly technical market, providing testing equipment for the glass substrate in AR/VR devices. In late 2024 I recommended that we begin a thought leadership campaign with a monthly LinkedIn newsletter. Despite our market being niche, we gained almost 700 subscribers in the very first week of launching the newsletter. The statistics have spoken for themselves about the huge value of this newsletter: more than 1,800 subscribers reading the content monthly, with more than 8,000 impressions, driving a surge in inbound leads. The newsletter provides market analysis that cannot be obtained anywhere else, and it proves a point: if there's a technical area in which you're a global expert, people will pay attention, listen, and look forward to your insights. Our creativity and talent in technical writing really shines through in OptoFidelity's Light Views newsletter.
Successfully navigating a total brand overhaul
Business Simulations is a valued client who needed to refresh their website, corporate messaging and branding, to better showcase the strength of their global market position. We came on board in early 2025 as fractional Head of Marketing, managing the whole rebrand process and working with local graphic designer Tiptop Creative on the visual aspects of the brand. The website required almost a total rewrite and overhaul of navigation to ensure the customer journey led to increased sales. So far, the statistics have shown a dramatic increase in impressions and qualified sales leads, and the brand now successfully communicates the company's strong leadership position in the business simulations market. Their LinkedIn activity has surged, leading to far greater impressions, followers and leads.
Modern, catchy explainer video
As Marketing Manager for Liopa, I produced this video in February 2019 to explain their groundbreaking lip-reading technology.I developed the concept, wrote the script, and liaised with a talented local video production agency to create the video.
In addition to the video, I direct all of Liopa's communications and marketing efforts. See what we're up to at www.liopa.ai and www.sravi.ai.
In addition to the video, I direct all of Liopa's communications and marketing efforts. See what we're up to at www.liopa.ai and www.sravi.ai.
An award-winning tech blog
From 2015-2019 I wrote and edited Catalyst's Award Winning well-known TechWatch blog. Under my direction, we won the Best Business Blog Award at the DANI Awards two years in a row. My articles were published in Silicon Republic and Sync NI, and our most popular articles went upwards of 10,000 reads - a big number for a regional technology blog.
Showcasing technologists
NearForm had a common problem: the biggest asset in the business was people - all technologists and engineers. They struggled to demonstrate this incredible human value. I came up with the idea of a "Virtual Coffee" series of interviews with some of the talented computer scientists that work for NearForm. The content was well received both internally and externally, and helped define why NearForm is an engineering consultancy worth hiring.
Creating a more secure world
As communications consultant for cyber security experts Vertical Structure since 2018, I have helped communicate their wares to a local SME audience.
My strategies have included the following.
- Modernising and rewriting the VSL corporate website
- Developing proactive commentary on global cyber issues
- Liaising with partners to develop joint communications
- Being a finalist at the 2019 Belfast Telegraph IT Awards
- Working with customers to develop a series of case studies
- Writing articles and social posts to explain the company’s offerings
- Advising on how to integrate sales and marketing
A series of technical whitepapers
As content specialist for the Finnish software firm MagiCAD from 2013 – 2016, I developed a series of whitepapers about BIM (Business Information Modeling). The content was pushing the frontiers in the construction modeling industry, as people did not understand what BIM was, or what impact it could have. By creating this valuable content, MagiCAD was able to build a vetted list of quality marketing contacts – and this helped inform their whole marketing strategy around BIM.
Click this link to read any of the whitepapers.
For example:
- Understanding BIM in the age of digitisation
- Using BIM to lower the lifetime cost of a building
- Using BIM to transform MEP design
