How to prepare for a broadcast interview (even when you’re dreading it)

July 26, 2024

“This isn’t going to be on TV, is it?”

I can’t count the number of times I heard that question from someone I was about to interview — even though I was holding my clearly branded TV news microphone up to their face and my photojournalist colleague was pointing a professional-quality video camera lens at them. Sometimes I felt like saying, “Um, yeah. What else would we be doing here?” (But I didn’t.)

It speaks to some people’s deep-seated, all-encompassing fear of speaking in front of the camera (or a webcam or a podcast microphone). I’m here to tell you: you can do it — even if you don’t think you can at first. As a former broadcast news anchor and reporter with two decades of experience, I’ve got some thoughts on how to make that dreaded on-cam interview easier for yourself.

Read more »

 
 

July AEC firm rankings, lists, awards and PR opportunities

July 12, 2024

In my neck of the woods, it is back-to-school season. 

I know!

This heat begs for pool days and popsicles. But alas.

I’ve always loved back-to-school vibes. The freshly sharpened pencils, the rainbow of highlighters, the color-coded binders standing at attention. It’s no wonder that, in adulthood, I found my way to a role that allows me to treat each month as a fresh start.

At Rep Ink, we keep monthly tabs on the brightest opportunities we think are worth your architecture, engineering and construction firm’s time. And while things tend to slow down in the summer, rest assured that we will continue to send all relevant awards and rankings your way. 

Read more »

 
 

Maximizing visibility and impact: how to effectively promote your AEC firm’s projects

July 9, 2024

Effectively showcasing your architecture, engineering, and construction firm’s projects is essential for attracting clients, skilled project partners, and top talent. But no one likes a show pony. If you’re going to draw attention to yourself, it better be worth it, and you need to know how to capitalize on your audience’s curiosity in a way that leads to new business opportunities.

From innovative designs to sustainable solutions, each project represents your firm’s expertise and creativity. However, promoting these projects requires a strategic approach to ensure maximum visibility and impact. After all, you don’t want to spam potential clients with fluff. 

Read more »

 
 

June AEC firm rankings, lists, awards and PR opportunities

June 13, 2024

The temperature isn’t the only thing rising these days.

Many of our architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) clients are experiencing busy seasons. Whether your team is working to attract talent, generate proposals or pursue new business opportunities, it can feel like proactive PR efforts are something you just don’t have time for.

We know someone who can help (gentle wink).

Below are a few proactive initiatives we keep our eyes on year over year. We know your inbox is filled with promises of fame and fortune by pay-to-play options, but these are the few we think are worth your valuable time this month:

Read more »

 
 

Interacting with reporters at conferences: a guide for legal and AEC professionals

June 5, 2024

With your program in hand and trusty lanyard around your neck, you’ve exchanged business cards and enthusiastically nodded along to the keynote speaker’s most compelling points. You’ve nibbled the finger sandwiches, raided the coffee carafes and spent an obscene amount of time looking for “Ballroom 3F.” Hopefully, you’ve also remembered to bring a good jacket for those frigid caverns they call meeting rooms. 

But there’s one other thing you might have overlooked.

You know those writer types who report on the issues and trends affecting your industry? Maybe they’ve even covered your firm before. Well, conferences are a fantastic place to spot them out in the wild. 

Read more »

 
 

May AEC firm rankings, lists, awards and PR opportunities

May 14, 2024

Q2 is halfway over. I know!

Historically, this is the time of year when we get a bit more breathing room. The start of summer is often when things slow down a little…

Not this year!

When things are very busy, it may feel too overwhelming for your architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firm to seek out proactive PR opportunities.

No fear! We are here with the strongest opportunities for AEC firms to get the most mileage from their time spent on submissions. Here are a few of our favorites:

Read more »

 
 

Social media video matters: why and how to do it at your AEC firm (with examples)

April 30, 2024

For better or worse, today’s marketers need to keep the beast we call “Social Media” well-fed. The problem is that the beast’s palette keeps changing.

What’s the optimal post time on each platform? How many posts should I make per week? How is my audience responding? Why are impressions down? Oh wait, they’re up again. Feed? Threads? Stories? Reels? Shorts? Hashtags? What do you mean Congress wants to ban TikTok?!

If you want to keep the social media algorithm happy — and more importantly, your audience engaged — you should consider working video into your strategy.

Read more »

 
 

April AEC firm rankings, lists, awards and PR opportunities

April 15, 2024

Happy Earth Month!

Whether you’re building green or repurposing content, April is a good time to think about recycling. 

But how to recycle when you don’t know what you’re starting with?

One of the best ways to have an encyclopedia of knowledge about your firm’s work and past projects is to submit for industry awards. These submissions provide a great opportunity to mindfully curate all the reasons why your firm is top tier.

While we keep an eye on AEC awards all year long, below are a few of our favorites for this month:

Read more »

 
 

How AEC firms can craft a winning DBIA awards submission

March 26, 2024

The fields of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) are incredibly competitive. Securing a bylined article in a reputable industry publication isn’t the only way to capture the attention of your desired clients. The prestige associated with winning certain AEC awards (I know, I know, you don’t do it for the recognition) can also bolster your firm’s reputation. But not all awards are the same.

Clients won’t be won over by a participation prize, much less one you paid for! If you deliver design-build projects and you’re going to invest money in an annual award submission, the Design-Build Institute of America’s national or regional Design-Build Project and Team Awards, similar to the organization’s leadership awards, are a great place to start, as they’re incredibly competitive and highly esteemed. They also recognize a wide scope of projects, from vertical construction to various infrastructure sectors like aviation, water/wastewater and transportation.

Because the DBIA Awards are so competitive, they require a lot of diligence and documentation to verify design-build best practices were used to improve the project outcome, a process the DBIA dubbed “Design-Build Done Right®.” Like high school algebra, it’s not enough to show the end result; you actually have to show your work. I know, I know. I’m full of good news today.

Read more »

 
 

March AEC firm rankings, lists, awards and PR opportunities

March 13, 2024

Mid-March can be a time when luck is top of mind. 

And while we love a found penny and the random four-leaf clover, we see time and again how architecture, engineering and construction firms never luck into coverage. Instead, they proactively seek out opportunities, and we have the best ones for you this month:

Read more »

 
 

Get INKsights in your inbox

Archives