How to get the most bang for your content buck [infographic]

March 16, 2017

When you put blood, sweat and tears (ok, maybe just a lot of strategy, hours and money) into a top-quality piece of thought-leadership content, it deserves a longer shelf life than one round of LinkedIn promotion and a slot in your website “resources” section. Whether you’re an architecture, engineering or construction (AEC) firm or a law firm, long-form content offers like e-books can cost thousands of precious marketing dollars to produce and design, so you need to squeeze out every lead-generation opportunity you can. Top companies know that repurposing content is the smart thing to do — here’s how:

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How to address your AEC prospects’ sales objections with great content

March 14, 2017

How to address your AEC prospects’ sales objections with great content

Think back to your firm’s last major client project. Now consider the process of winning that contract in the first place. That journey can be almost as complicated and drawn out as the construction project itself.

In a perfect world, your business development team would love nothing more than smooth sailing from start to finish — question-free sales calls, a straightforward proposal presentation and full agreement across the board with no objections or back-and-forth whatsoever from the prospective client.

Alas, life isn’t an episode of “Friends” where all your problems are solved and loose ends tied up in just 22 minutes to the sound of a laugh track.

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9 ways AEC firms are missing the mark with content marketing

March 9, 2017

9 ways AEC firms are missing the mark with content marketing

Content marketing isn’t going away anytime soon, especially in B2B markets that have a  lengthy procurement process (*cough cough* AEC).

A recent survey by HubSpot showed the number-one challenge for B2B marketers (with 65 percent of respondents) is generating traffic and leads. That’s because only good content marketing can help. In fact, the Content Marketing Institute and MarketingProf’s collaborative research report found that in 2016, 85 percent of companies who reported better content marketing over the last year upped their content creation while 72 percent attributed success to strategy development. There’s hope for you, too.

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Why your AEC firm’s business development team should be using your content (and 5 ways to do it)

March 2, 2017

Why your AEC firm’s business development team should be using your content (and 5 ways to do it)

So your firm is producing useful, educational, client-centric content. Or maybe you’re just exploring content marketing and wondering if you should incorporate it into your firm’s strategy.

No matter where you are on the spectrum, you must ask a crucial question: What is the business development team doing with our content?

Your marketing team’s blog posts, e-books and white papers can’t live in a vacuum. By using a balance of inbound and outbound tactics, your business development team can leverage your content to win more contracts — and they should.

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Why AEC firms need content marketing [infographic]

February 28, 2017

In the world of architecture, engineering and construction (AEC), getting leads isn’t as simple as an a flashy sign near the checkout register. If you’re in the AEC industry, you know better than anyone that B2B clients take their good ol’ time making a hiring hüpfburg mit rutsche kaufen decision — that’s because it’s a big deal. Because buyers these days take their time searching information and educating themselves before talking to your business development team, content marketing is more crucial than ever.

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Why the most successful AEC firms combine online and offline marketing

February 23, 2017

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The internet has changed the game for how architecture, engineering and construction firms grow their business.

Inbound marketing, which “pulls” clients in by educating and solving their problems online, has stolen the spotlight from the traditional “push” tactics of outbound marketing (think: trade shows, advertisements, cold calls, direct mail).

So does that mean outbound marketing is dead and gone? I think not.

For AEC firms, the key to success is achieving a balance between inbound and outbound, a strategic blend of online and offline marketing.

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What is influencer marketing? (And why B2B companies should care)

January 6, 2017

Reputation Ink’s exclusive interview with Promise Phelon of TapInfluence

What is influencer marketing? (And why B2B companies should care)

Consumers today are smart.

Yes, regardless of what many YouTube “fail” videos may imply about the intelligence of the human race, people are in fact pretty savvy — and they’re not easily swayed by old-school marketing tactics. In fact, research shows consumers value customer reviews and peer recommendations over traditional advertising more than ever. Why? Because they value authenticity.

But can brands be authentic? Sure. There are plenty of good examples of this, but influencers can provide a human extension of your brand. They can connect your business to customers in a unique way.

Enter: influencer marketing.

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#INBOUND16: Top Takeaways from HubSpot’s INBOUND 2016 Conference

November 15, 2016

#INBOUND16: Top Takeaways from HubSpot’s INBOUND 2016 Conference

It was a whirlwind of a week for the Reputation Ink team, and no, unlike everyone on your Facebook feed, we’re not talking about the election. (You’re going to get enough of that at Thanksgiving, anyway.)

We’re here to talk about #INBOUND16, folks.
Our team spent last week in Boston for the annual conference hosted by HubSpot, and we picked up A LOT of good stuff along the way, from inspiring content strategy tips to buttery lobster rolls. Here are some of the key takeaways that got us thinking (and tweeting).

 
 

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