It’s in the (camera) bag: creating an in-house video program

January 29, 2024

Using video in your marketing strategy stacks the odds in your favor — and research proves it!

Multiple studies into buyer behavior demonstrate that people like to see companies use video. It helps them digest information faster and builds brand credibility and authenticity, translating to ROI at a much faster pace. Plus, 91% of businesses are already using video in their marketing strategy, according to one report.

So whether you are an architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firm encouraging your employees to grab more footage in the field or a law firm looking to demonstrate thought leadership with video content, it’s time to jump on the bandwagon, friends!

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Going for gold: how to build a reputation as an AEC industry safety leader

December 21, 2023

The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is becoming more competitive than the Olympic games. There were 3,919,352 businesses in the United States in the construction field alone as of 2022. Building a reputation as a safety leader is a highly effective way to set your company apart from the competition. 

A strong safety record can determine if you win gold (are awarded a new contract) or are sent back to the training room. But if maintaining excellent safety metrics is how a contractor walks the walk, how they market those metrics is how they talk the talk. Both are vital to business development, and each requires a strategic approach. 

I’m no expert at establishing a winning construction safety program, but I can offer eight marketing and public relations tips to get you to the winner’s podium. 

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Shutting the revolving door: how AEC firms can leverage marketing for employee retention

November 28, 2023

Labor woes have the architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industries in a chokehold. A decreased interest in the trades has caused the pool of skilled workers to dwindle, while the number of AEC professionals entering retirement is threatening to drain the pool altogether. 

The U.S. construction industry had 374,000 job openings in June of 2023, according to a recently released report by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. These dire statistics underscore the importance of retaining skilled labor and should motivate AEC firms to leverage marketing to combat the exodus. 

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Looking for a marketing and PR agency? Consider niche AEC specialists

October 23, 2023

If your company or firm’s marketing team needs a little extra help, or you’re starting from scratch and want to build brand awareness and credibility for your business, hiring a marketing and public relations agency can be a game-changer. 

Maybe you’ve already decided to hire an agency and have begun your search, but how do you find one that is right for your firm? Instead of turning to a jack of all trades who reinvents the wheel with every new client, consider hiring an industry specialist agency. 

This kind of agency (you may already know one!) focuses on one or a few particular sectors, such as the architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) industry (we work with legal clients, too). Because these agencies typically represent clients in only a few focused industries, they offer a level of insider knowledge and experience compared to one representing a grab bag of clients with various needs and nuances. 

So, what are the benefits? 

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Do’s and don’ts of podcast interviews

September 14, 2023

I love a good podcast. The ones that make me feel like the host and guest are standing in the same room are instant favorites — doesn’t matter what genre it is.

Personal entertainment aside, they’re also a fantastic business opportunity for B2B companies. Not only does running a podcast enable you to build brand awareness while creating content for your business and your guest’s, it’s also a great way to build relationships and have meaningful conversations with industry leaders and potential prospects.

But how do you do good podcasting?

I didn’t think this question would be so hard to answer when I first started producing our agency’s podcast, “Spill the Ink.” After all, I’m an avid consumer of plenty of great podcasts and have a background in production and storytelling as a former TV journalist. Why wouldn’t it be easy? While a lot of my skills were transferable, I had to come to terms with the fact that podcasts are unique pieces of content that require their own skillset. 

In my opinion, one of the most important skills you can develop is learning how to conduct an interview. I won’t lie and say that this isn’t going to take a lot of trial and error. But I can at least help get you started on the basics.

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How AEC seller-doers can build relationships, drive revenue through podcasting

August 28, 2023

When our Principal and President Michelle Calcote King began Reputation Ink’s “Spill the Ink” podcast in November of 2020, she wanted to try something new. Over several episodes, she began to see the benefits of the podcast, and stuck to it. Now with more than 70 episodes, Michelle has learned a lot about the benefits of podcasting, particularly for B2B professional services firms such as architecture, engineering and construction (AEC) firms. Her number-one benefit she says? Networking. 

There are many other benefits as well – here’s Michelle’s top five reasons why AEC firms and their seller-doers should consider creating a podcast: 

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Media exclusives: how and when to use them

June 29, 2023

Media exclusives: how and when to use them

When I was working at a television station, the first question the news director would ask after a reporter came in with a juicy story was, “Is it exclusive?”

She wanted to know if her station was the only place viewers could find the story or if they would at least be the first to break the news. In a time when just about everyone has 24/7 access to information at their fingertips, regardless of when the 5 o’clock newscast airs, media outlets are looking for any edge they can get over their competitors.

For PR purposes, exclusives can help you squeeze all of the “juice” you can get out of a story and make sure it’s placed with an outlet that will give it the coverage you think it deserves.

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How AEC employees can contribute marketing videos with their smartphones [infographic]

May 31, 2023

You don’t need a Hollywood movie studio to be a B2B video marketer. In fact, you already have a team of videographers at your disposal: your employees. And they already have access to a high-powered video camera in their purse or pocket: their smartphone.

After all, the best camera is the one that’s with you.

So why should AEC firms care about employee-generated video content?

Glad you asked.

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Why AEC firms need to know about the ‘excess share of voice’ rule

March 28, 2023

There’s a well-known principle in business-to-consumer (B2C) marketing: Brands that have a higher “share of voice” than their “share of market” will grow. This is called the “excess share of voice” (ESOV) rule. 

While market share is a widely known metric, share of voice (SOV) isn’t as clear. It’s defined a number of ways depending on the source, but it essentially means the number of conversations about a brand, divided by the number of conversations about a topic, industry or niche (i.e., whatever “market” you are measuring). 

Every time a brand is mentioned in the media, authors an article, posts on social media or runs a series of ads, a conversation is happening. The conversation is amplified when the audience engages by sharing the article, commenting on the social media post or clicking on the ads. All of this activity results in a certain share of voice. 

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