Staying on top of the latest marketing trends in a digital age is essential for any company. Mary Cloonan outlines several ways you can keep ahead of the curve.
As a professional services firm, it's crucial to ensure you are putting your best foot forward in digital marketing. The digital age has made it very easy for clients to find the services they need immediately. And you're not just competing against other professional services firms in your area – you're competing against every business, big and small, that has an online presence.
When it comes to digital marketing for accounting firms, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every firm is different, and each firm will need to tailor its marketing strategy accordingly. However, a few general tips can be helpful for all professional services firms.
The empty chair
Let's begin with an exercise that will help you to better understand your target audience. Imagine you are sitting at your desk with an empty chair opposite you. Picture your ideal client seated in that chair. What are their personality traits and interests? What do they care about? What kind of services do they need? How are they finding information? What are they reading?
Once you have a good idea of who your ideal customer is, you can begin to tailor your marketing efforts accordingly. You want to make sure that your brand and messaging resonates with them, and that you are easily found online when they need your services.
Search for your business online
One way to gauge how well your digital marketing is working is to search your name and firm after clearing your internet cache. If you’re not happy with the results, then it’s time to make some changes.
You may need to focus on search engine optimisation (SEO), create more content, or invest in paid advertising. It may even be an issue with your website design or user experience. Whatever the case may be, it's crucial to identify and address any weaknesses that your online presence may have.
For example, Google will often rank businesses higher in search results if they have a complete and up-to-date Google My Business listing. Take the time to fill out all of the information requested, and post new content on a regular basis.
Ask for online reviews
Professional services firms should aim to build Google reviews. When clients leave positive reviews about your firm, it will help to boost your ranking in search results. Plus, it assists in increasing trust and credibility among potential clients.
You can ask clients to leave a review on Google by providing them with a link. These reviews are useful for your website as testimonials, when doing proposals or tenders as validation of your engagement with clients.
Don't forget about LinkedIn
LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for marketing professional services firms. It's a great place to share your content, connect with potential clients, and even generate leads.
If your target audience includes businesses, it’s wise to ensure you have a strong profile. Use LinkedIn to its full potential by creating a solid profile, sharing relevant content, and connecting with as many people as possible. Your contact details on your LinkedIn profile must include your email, telephone number, web address and office address.
LinkedIn can also be a great way to build your firm’s brand. You can do this by creating a LinkedIn firm profile. Administrators to the firm account can invite their personal LinkedIn connections to follow your page, which is a useful way to harvest personal connections from multiple individuals.
Regular posting, tagging, and hashtags
When it comes to digital marketing for accounting firms, one of the most important things you can do is post regularly on your social media accounts. This includes sharing fresh content, tagging people and companies in your posts, and using relevant hashtags.
Pay-per-click advertising
Paid advertising can be a great way to generate leads and focus on robust marketing strategies for service providers. You can use pay-per-click (PPC) advertising on Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads.
When setting up your PPC campaigns, make sure you target the right keywords and use relevant ads. You should also track your results and make changes as needed. Hiring a reputable digital expert is highly recommended to get help with all these aspects of marketing.
Review analytics and your progress
One of the most critical aspects of digital marketing is regularly reviewing your analytics and progress. This will help you determine what's working and what's not and make changes as needed.
It's also a good idea to set some goals and track your progress towards these goals. This can help you to stay on track and ensure that you're making progress.
Use expert copywriters and digital gurus
Last but certainly not least, you may want to consider hiring expert copywriters and digital gurus. This can be a great way to get help with your marketing efforts and ensure that you're doing everything possible to reach your target audience.
With marketing, it's essential always to learn and evolve with the times. Make sure you stay up-to-date on the latest digital marketing trends and make best use of them to ensure your firm’s success.
Mary Cloonan is the owner of Marketing Clever.
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