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Professional services marketing: It just got easier

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Anthony Fensom

 

Ever wondered how business professionals can become media personalities? For those embarking on a career in professional services, it might be reassuring to know that at some stage in their lives, often-quoted experts such as demographer Bernard Salt or economist Chris Richardson were relative unknowns.

Happily, there are now plenty of opportunities in both “old” and “new” media, as well as other forums, to promote yourself and your business. Regardless of your profession, if you plan on building a reputation in your chosen field it’s worth keeping some of the following points in mind:

1) Have a point of view

Let’s start with the basics: who is your audience, what do you want to tell them and how do you want to do it?

If you are a lawyer, then you will likely be comfortable discussing current trends in your particular area of interest, such as resources, real estate or intellectual property. What upcoming legislation is likely to affect your clients and how can you easily explain it to them?

If you’re an accountant, then your clients – and potential clients – will no doubt welcome your input on upcoming tax changes or how to better handle current business issues, whether it is advice on mitigating the impact of the mining tax or preparing for merger and acquisition activity.

What point of opinion can you offer that differentiates yourself from other thought leaders?

2)    Get writing

Whether it’s a blog post, an article for a professional journal or contributing to a client newsletter, writing is a great way to build your profile as an expert in your field. Even better, unlike a media interview, a submitted article can be written to your exact desire, although be aware it is subject to editorial review.

Remember to write the article as advice to others, and not purely as an advertisement for your business. People are looking for your recommendations, not a sales pitch.

There is also no better way of boosting your website’s ranking than having new content published regularly – an obvious form of search engine optimisation.

3)    Get speaking

As well as writing, speaking at industry events, conferences or other networking activities can be an excellent means of raising your personal profile. Why not turn your speech into a short, three to four-minute YouTube clip which you can put on your website or send to clients?

Participating in media interviews will require speaking with confidence. Mastering the television or radio interview is another important skill that requires training and rehearsing.

Public speaking groups such as Toastmasters can help boost confidence in speaking in front of an audience. If all else fails, talk to the mirror until you have hammered home the key points!

4)    Be social

In the current age of social media, there are increasing opportunities to promote your expert skills to a broad audience. For professionals, LinkedIn is perhaps the best starting point – make contacts and start participating in some of the many active groups.

Facebook is still the biggest social media network and it is another way of promoting your articles, blogs or other content, along with Twitter, Google+, YouTube and a host of other networks.

The basic rule of social media is to be authentic – don’t overly promote yourself but actively engage and share with your community.

5)    Be accessible and prepared

Once you have put yourself “out there,” you will have to be prepared to work to editorial deadlines and be available for comment when needed. The media, like any other business, has its own rules and playing by them offers the best chance of success.

Don’t send out a media release at 5 pm on a Friday afternoon – try and make your announcements in the mornings, and make sure they are targeted to the right media. Journalists receive hundreds of media releases each day, so make sure your release or “pitch” stands out from the crowd.

By following the right approach and seeking the appropriate professional public relations support, it is possible to get known in your field – and the clients should follow.

This entry was posted in Media Relations, Social Media and tagged accountants, accounting, engineering, engineers, law, lawyers, marketing, media, media relations, professional services, Public Relations, social media. Bookmark the permalink. ← 5 top tips for winning investor/media relations campaigns Why invest in investor relations? →