If you have read my previous article on why professional services firms need digital marketing, you will know that more and more people are using the internet to find a solicitor or accountant.
You will also know that the world of professional services is continuously growing, which means there are more people offering your clients and potential clients, the same sorts of services that you are.
So how do you stand out from everyone else?
Putting aside anything about how long you have been established for and how well known both locally and within your professional network (as it’s not necessarily these people whose attention you’re trying to capture with your online marketing) the simple answer is that you need to create marketing that is remarkable and memorable.
Focusing on the remarkable
What I mean by remarkable marketing, is a message, campaign or advertisement that makes people stop and take notice. They remark on it, they tell other people about it and they connect with it.
To quote Seth Godin (the renowned marketing entrepreneur and speaker):
“Be genuine, be remarkable, be worth connecting with.”
Do professional services firms need controversy to be remarkable?
There is no doubt that controversial campaigns stick in our minds. Even if they are offensive, the kind of backlash generated with online opinion pieces and social media conversations, is often well worth the publicity.
However, does that level of controversy have a place in the professional services world?
Today, things that are posted online are perhaps even more permanent than printed advertisements and direct mail campaigns. Even if you post something online that comes across as controversial, rude or offensive and then delete it – someone else may have seen it and recorded it. Words and images do not just disappear – especially if they are controversial. Good or bad thing? It can be both, but as part of an industry where professional services firms are expected to be made up of professionals, it’s best to be careful.
How to stand out without controversy
Quite simply – there are other ways to be remarkable and memorable. Irwin Mitchell (currently the 11th largest law firm in the UK) focuses a lot of its online marketing efforts on demonstrating how much they support people with disabilities. Support not work with. Irwin Mitchell does not use its social media channels to repetitively say that they are knowledgeable, successful experts, experienced in working with disabled people – it aligns the firm as investing money in (and having people who invest their time in) adding value to charities that help disabled people. Does this make them stand out from other personal injury lawyers? Yes – without any sign of controversy.
The key to standing out using digital marketing
The online marketplace is more saturated with professional services firms than any high street or business park. The best way to stand out isn’t to be controversial, it’s to get the people that you want to be your clients to connect with the messages that you are sending out. You want whatever you post, advertise or say (online and offline) to be the kind of thing that people will want to share and say ‘isn’t this great/interesting/helpful?’.
Marketing for professional services firms
For advice on how to make your professional services firm stand out, you are welcome to get in touch. The Ideal Marketing Company specialises in the full mix of online and offline marketing, from website design and SEO to creating captivating PR. We have experts in every field of marketing and work with professionals across the UK and internationally. Call to speak to a member of the team on 01858 374 170 or alternatively, contact me directly at hannah@idealmarketingcompany.com
For some recent controversial advertisements you may recognise, take a look at this article by The Independent.
