Online Marketing Considerations for Professional Service Firms

When working out a marketing strategy for your professional services company, it is fundamental to keep in mind that you’re not in the same boat as those businesses that are promoting products online. Your marketing tactics will differ drastically because you provide legal advice, or you’re an accounting firm, or in financial advising. It’s true that the goal is the same, namely driving traffic to your site which will bring clients to your door.

However, 5WPR employs fine tunes methods in order to attract your intended audience. Your potential clients are out there, searching the internet for companies to take on their professional services needs. They’re not looking for the best price on a Blue Ray player, the fastest processor on a laptop or the newest applications for their smart phone. They’re seeking a company to help them manage their lives, past, present and in the future. A few high resolution pictures and aesthetically pleasing graphics on your website, along with claims that your company has the best prices in town, is not going to win customers.  You’ve already spent money and effort on getting your website up and running, and the landing page looks sleek and professional. But floating around in cyberspace without any support or driving force, it will sit there dormant.  Unless you’re hiring a top of the line digital marketing agency, you are going to need to be aggressive and opportunistic.

Your company needs to take advantage of the online marketing tools that PR firms use to motivate potential clients to seek you out, click on your site, and ultimately make a phone call for an appointment.  First and foremost, you need to employ extensive use of online blogging. No matter what your field, your company should have a few of them. Law firms should have a blog covering each specialty within the practice, and accounting firms need a blog for individuals, businesses, non-profit companies.

Topics need to be interesting to a reader and that will draw attention when a potential client in searching for your services. These subjects may include anything from new court rulings in legal areas to the latest developments in tax law. General advice blog posts tend to be popular; though these articles should always point out that professionals (like you) should always be consulted before taking any action. Recent news pieces will also drive traffic, as will anecdotes about cases or situations you have covered in the past. It’s important to update each about 1-2 times a week to avoid going stale, or even more often if circumstances warrant.  A press release is your second line of attack in developing an online marketing strategy.

As far as content, these are really no different from the press releases that reputable PR firms have used to demand media attention for decades: the topics need to cover newsworthy events. They may be new developments or announcements that affect the clients that your company serves, whether from a legal, financial or other standpoint. The PR should also tie in how your company will take action in response to the news, and point out how you will assist them. Make sure to distribute these press releases regularly, and to all the online newswires to maximize the impact.

Read more from Ronn Torossian:

Ronn Torossian on Forbes
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Ronn Torossian’s Professional Profile on Muck Rack
Ronn Torossian on Business Insider