Marketers Take Flight

In this episode, I’m joined by three marketing leaders from different AEC firms who share their experiences and expertise on how to structure your AEC marketing department for success. 

Anna Skeete, Marketing Director at Protean Design Group, Russ Sanford, FSMPS, CPSM Chief Growth Officer at Kleinschmidt, and Kinnari Desai, Marketing Manager at Geosyntec Consultants, discuss their unique department structures and the benefits they've realized from them. They also share how understanding the purpose of marketing can change the mindset from just doing social media or proposals to being an integral part of the firm's success.

If you're looking to improve your or your team’s leadership skills, then tune in to this episode and discover how to set up your marketing department for maximum benefit. 

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

🎙️ Are you ready to turn your website visitors into contacts and eventually clients? It's time to talk about calls-to-action (CTAs) in AEC marketing! In this episode, I’m dishing out all the tips and tricks on creating effective CTAs that drive conversions 🤑.

👉 I’ll start with the basics: what are CTAs and why do they matter for AEC marketing? Then, I’ll dive into the nitty-gritty of creating CTAs that are as attention-grabbing as a disco ball 🕺. I'll cover everything from design to copy and even sprinkle in some examples from AEC companies who are crushing it with their CTAs.

👀 But where should you put your CTAs for maximum impact? I’ve got you covered with tips on where to place CTAs on your website like a game of musical chairs 🎶.

📈 And of course, we can't forget about testing and measuring! I’ll show you how to track your metrics and improve your marketing strategy like a science experiment 🔬.

💥 So, what are you waiting for? Get ready to create CTAs that are as irresistible as warm cookies fresh out of the oven 🍪. Tune in now and start turning those clicks into conversions!

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

In this episode, I dive into how AEC firms can optimize their online marketing efforts. I cover key areas such as website optimization, conversion optimization, content promotion, and email marketing. With tips and tricks to increase your online performance, I help you stay ahead of the competition and reach your target audience effectively. So, if you're an in-house marketing professional at an architecture, engineering, or construction firm, tune in to learn how you can optimize your online marketing program for better results.

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

In this special Spring-Cleaning episode, I share 7 tips to maintain clean marketing contacts. Having a clean marketing contact list is essential for effective marketing campaigns throughout the year, not just during the holiday season. 

Here are some highlights from the episode:

• The five pieces of contact information you should track for each contact, and which additional pieces of information are "nice to have"
• How to standardize data entry and ensure that everyone who enters contact information follows these guidelines
• How to monitor new contact creation with scheduled reports, and use CRM workflows to automate contact quality control
• Why sending more marketing emails can actually help keep your contacts up-to-date, and how to remove inactive contacts from your email marketing lists
• The importance of keeping track of opt-outs and how to effectively do so

So grab a cup of coffee, pen, and paper, and get ready to take some notes to clean up your marketing contacts!

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

How do you organize your marketing files so you can find the information you need quickly? Well, in this special Spring-Cleaning episode, Lindsay Diven, CPSM shares 5 tips for cleaning up and organizing your marketing directory, including your folders and files.

Lindsay shares her personal experience of inheriting a disordered marketing drive and how she implemented a logical, organized marketing directory that made it easy for team members to access marketing collateral, resumes, etc.

She also offers best practices for each tip and encourages listeners to check out her self-starter kit, "End Your File Frustration Forever," for additional help. Tune in to learn how to keep your marketing drive organized and efficient.

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

As an AEC marketing professional, have you ever submitted a proposal and immediately moved on to the next deadline without looking back? In this episode, host, Lindsay Diven, shares a game-changing proposal close-out process that can make your next proposal a bit easier and smoother.

By implementing this process, you can organize all your final documents in one place, capture new information, and provide pursuit updates to your internal team and subconsultant team members. This not only positions you as a leader for the effort but also sets you up for future success and establishes your personal brand.

In this episode, you'll learn:

• Why continuous improvement of your proposal management process is crucial
•  The two steps involved in the proposal close-out process
• Strategies for organizing your proposal files and capturing new information
• How to use a Proposal Close-Out Checklist to help you stay on track
• Plus, you'll get a fun and quirky take on how to approach spring cleaning in your proposal management process.

If you're an AEC marketing professional looking to improve your proposal management process, this episode is a must-listen. Don't forget to grab your Proposal Close-Out Checklist on the show notes page at https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/110. 

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

🌟✨ Set Up Your AEC Project Description System - Episode Highlights ✨🌟

Welcome to my Spring Cleaning special, where I discuss the ins and outs of maintaining and updating project information in the AEC industry! 🏗️📊🌷

🕒 Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

02:15 - Project Update Methods 📝

07:50 - Start with the End in Mind 🎯

10:35 - Case Study: Construction Firm in Florida 🏢🌴

17:05 - Automating Your Project Update Process 🤖

20:30 - Using a CRM System 💻

24:20 - Without a CRM System 📚

27:55 - Your Turn! Share Your Best Practices 📣

🚀 Episode Highlights:

• Dive into different project updates methods like annual updates, project milestones, pursuit-driven updates, award submittals, and initiative-driven updates 📈
• Learn the importance of starting with the end in mind to ensure you collect the right information at the right time 🎯
• Explore a case study of a Florida-based construction firm successfully managing their project updates through site visits and a well-structured process 🌴🛠️
• Discover ideas to automate the project update process to save time and effort 🤖💡
• Learn how to use CRM systems or alternative strategies if you don't have one 💻📚

Don't forget to check out the three-part blog series on writing compelling project descriptions at marketerstakeflight.com/109📝🔍

🌟Let's get our A/E/C firms' project experience up-to-date and organized! 💼

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

This is the second episode of the Spring Cleaning Series and I’m sharing some juicy tips on resume management! 📝💼

I will walk you through how to set up a system for keeping resumes updated. From determining the frequency of updates to deciding whose resumes to update, physically handing out current resumes, giving a deadline, and updating the master file. 📅📊

But wait, there's more! I also share some super cool strategies for automating the resume update process. 🤖 Using a consistent naming convention and a CRM system to set up workflows can save you so much time and hassle. 🙌

And, I'm giving you a FREE resume update memo and worksheet that you can customize for your own firm. Grab it here: https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/108

So, grab your headphones and tune in to this episode of the Marketers Take Flight podcast! 🎙️ You won't want to miss it!

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

I don't know about you but my car has been covered in yellow pollen. My back deck is covered in pollen. That can only mean one thing - it's time for a little spring cleaning!

Just like our cars or our back decks, we also needed to take this time to clean our processes and our information within our AEC marketing departments.  This episode kicks off a brand new Spring Cleaning Podcast Series where I'm going to walk you through some different areas to "clean up" your marketing department.

This episode begins with cleaning up your approach to collecting employee information, particularly new employee information. Specifically, how to collect that information and use the processes you already have set up to collect that information.

And, grab my FREE new hire tools including a welcome letter and experience checklist that you can customize for your own firm. Get them here: https://www.marketerstakeflight.com/107

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.

Holly Bolton, owner of 3chord Marketing and the current  SMPS Society President for the 2022-2023 year is joining me on the podcast today.  During her interview, she discussed "connecting your plot points," or being mindful and intentional in recognizing intersections between different aspects of our lives. This exercise can help us appreciate how different areas of our lives impact not just our current situations, but also our future goals and growth. This concept will also be the basis of Holly's keynote address at the upcoming SMPS Southeastern Regional Conference.

In an exercise conducted with the SMPS Central Florida chapter, Holly helped members appreciate and be aware of these intersections, inspiring them to be more intentional in their personal and professional choices. Her keynote promises to be a valuable resource for attendees seeking to develop a more holistic approach to their lives and careers.

Want more AEC marketing goodness?

• New to proposals? Download my FREE “RFPs for Beginners – The Ultimate Proposal Management Checklist.”
• Stop planning, start creating with my FREE “Ultimate AEC Content Marketing Starter Kit.”
• Follow Lindsay on LinkedIn and Instagram.
• Collaborate with other AEC Marketers in our Facebook Group.
• Purchase bite-sized, on-demand templates and training at the Marketers Place.
• Enroll in online training: The Proposal Pro or Content Marketing Clarity.