Here at Rattleback we spend a lot of time talking about content marketing. If you’re a professional services firm, it’s the foundation on which you can build a portion of your marketing around to drive non-branded search traffic to your website, illustrate expertise, pre-qualify leads, and validate purchasing decisions. However, it’s not a one trick pony. To have an effective marketing model, content marketing needs to be supplemented with both advertising and automated marketing campaigns.
Professional Service Firm Content Marketing Model
Content Marketing
All effort around content marketing should be focused on conveying expertise. It’s what validates your firm in the potential client’s mind. Your lead simply begins to think this company gets it. They speak to my problem, provide insight into my problem, and illustrate potential solutions to my problem. Producing this level of content assists with SEO. Assists with earned media. Validates your brand. And acts as a level of pre-qualification freeing up your sales team to chase the more viable leads.
Advertising
Yes, it’s expensive but still needed. I often get faced with the question, “why advertise if content marketing is driving leads to my site?” It’s a logical question. Well the answer is because of purpose. Content marketing is not about selling. It’s about thought leadership. Showing you’re an expert. Advertising is about selling the service. Creating top of mind awareness with consistent well targeted touch points. And about amplifying your brand value and showing what it is capable of. You can then supplement your advertising with content offers to validate why a prospect would buy your service.
Automated Marketing
Automated marketing is the linchpin for your content marketing efforts and advertising. If someone comes in via an advertising channel we can put that lead into an automated marketing campaign to drive our content and illustrate our expertise. If they come in via a content marketing channel, we can automate the promotion of other relevant content to that lead followed by automating our actual service to sink the hook and create the sales conversation.
At the end of the day, the end goal is to create a conversation. To get to a point where our sales team can close a sale. A well-rounded marketing model will generate those conversations. It will integrate your message across all channels with different angles of attack. It focuses on all sides of the business development equation. It positions your firm as the expert in the field. Reminds your leads of your service offer. Places a hard sell on the service offer. Creates and maintains top of mind awareness. And serves as a pre-qualifying process for your sales team.