Developing a Content Marketing Playbook for Your Professional Services Firm

By Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.

Content marketing is rapidly becoming one of the cornerstones of professional services marketing. And it’s no wonder, as it is ideally suited to the task of the professional services marketer. When executed correctly, it allows you to attract and qualify potential clients and build significant trust. Think traditional speaking engagements taken online and supercharged.

But many firms struggle to get started and organize their efforts. We recently conducted a webinar with Content Marketing Institute founder Joe Pulizzi that laid out several fundamental principles that you can use as you develop your own content marketing strategy. 

Here is a link to the Kings of Content Marketing webinar and my key take-aways for building your firm’s content marketing playbook:

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5 Lead Generation Strategies for Technology Firms

By Sean McVey

Xtivia, a technology solutions and services company, is driving approximately 40% of its leads from online sources.  CEO Dennis Robinson heads an ambitious team of marketers that clearly understands the value of digital marketing. 

How is the Xtivia team able to generate so much business from its website? The following lead generation strategies help explain their success.

1. Crack the Adwords Code

There is no shortage of professional services firms that use Google Adwords pay-per-click advertising. But few firms understand how to do it right, monitor results, and generate a proper return on investment. The Xtivia folks spend generously on Adwords every month, and they generate more than enough new business to justify the cost. 

“People clicking on our ads are usually very targeted and qualified. They have a need, are looking for a service, and are ready to act,” explained Robinson.  The firm routinely receives 5 to 10 inbound leads per week from pay-per-click campaigns, some of which result in multimillion-dollar projects. 

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Marketing Accounting and Financial Services Online: Research Study

By Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D.

Once upon a time, we all thought that the only way to generate new business was to meet prospects face to face. Networking, non-profit board seats and the executive golf game were the big guns. Then, slowly at first, things began to change.
 
Online shopping, online search and social media came of age. And today, the impact of these technologies is being felt throughout the professional services marketplace. As a result of this change, some firms will be winners and some will fall further and further behind.
 
The early effects of this shift were apparent in our recent study, Online Marketing for Professional Services Firms, which documented the fallout among a sample of 500 firms across several sectors.
 
Hinge is now releasing a special edition of the study for the Accounting and Financial Services segment. This report allows those charged with marketing accounting and financial services to understand what works online in their industry. And for the first time, it documents the financial impact of a digital marketing strategy.
 
Here are some highlights:

• Over three quarters of accounting firms get some new business leads online
• The average proportion of online leads is over 11%
• Firms getting 40% or more of their leads online are more profitable and grow much faster
• Over 71% of firms plan to increase their spending for online marketing
• Accounting and financial services are pursuing online strategies less aggressively than other professional services industries
• High growth accounting and financial services firms generate twice as many leads online as their average growth peers and grow 5X faster
• High growth firms are twice as likely to have retooled their website within the past 12 months
• Among the most effective online tools are Search Engine Optimization, Web Analytics and Blogging

Our research paints the accounting and financial services segment as one that is lagging behind. This presents both opportunity and risk.

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Responsive Web Design: What It Is, And Why You Need It

By Brian Lemen

What Is Responsive Web Design?

Responsive web design is, put simply, a website that “responds” to the device that a user is viewing it on. The term was coined by respected web developer and author Ethan Marcotte in his book entitled, “Responsive Web Design.” It is named after a movement in architecture known as “responsive architecture,” in which experiments have been going on for years. For example, one German design consultancy used tensile materials and robotics to create “a wall that can bend and flex as people approach it, potentially creating more or less space as the size of the crowd requires.” So the question was asked, “why can’t the web do the same thing?” Why should you be constrained by the size and resolution of your web browsers and computer monitors?

In the early days of web design, designers and developers would try and work around this very issue by creating a mobile version of a website. There are a few problems with this, cost and production time being two of them. Another problem is that more and more mobile and tablet platforms are being introduced every day, so sites should be designed to accommodate all of them. That is where responsive web design comes in. One website, whether people view it on a computer, a smartphone, or anything in between. One site can be served up on a variety of devices based on the screen resolution of the device. Headings, content and images shift and resize to fit the device it is being viewed on. You can even show, hide or minimize images and content on specific devices.

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Hinge’s Fab Five: April 2012

By: Lee Eliav

Top Professional Services Marketing Content from April 2012

Each month, an enormous amount of content is published on marketing. This monthly column will help you keep up with the best marketing articles on the web. Enjoy!

Optimizing Social, Search and Content: A Q&A with Lee Odden
By: Joe Pullizi, Content Marketing Institute

A Q&A session from Joe Pullizi with Lee Odden on content marketing, social media, search, and the future of online marketing.

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[Infographic] How To Build a Better Performing Website

By Lee W. Frederiksen; Infographic by Brian Lemen

(Click to see full-size infographic)

Before you jump into your new website design, there are seven critical steps that will make your site easier to use and much more effective. Think of these steps as a “Website Warmup.”
 
Before you start thinking about design elements, images and bold colors, be sure to lay the foundation for a better outcome.
 
Today’s professional services websites don’t just look pretty, they have to work for a living. To make the best of the opportunity, you need to work through these seven critical steps.
 
Start by evaluating your current site and taking a careful look at the competition. This will help you understand what you need to fix and the level of competition you face.
 
Next, take a deep dive into your audiences and try to understand what they need from your new site. This will help you plan for and incorporporate the conversion actions you will want people to take. These conversion actions turn website traffic into leads and opportunities.
 
Speaking of website traffic, don't forget to identify the search terms and phrases you will want to optimize your site for. SEO is a powerful tool to attract visitors and help turn them into prospective clients.
 
Next, think through the structure. The key is not to try to include everything imaginable. Make it simple to navigate and easy to understand. Making today’s complex professional services firms — with their matrixed structures and sophisticed service lines — easy to understand is often a job for a seasoned pro. But even if you tackle it yourself, your goal is to produce a complete site map.
 
Finally, work through the content. What exactly needs to be on the site? Where does it belong? What keyword phrases should be on each page?
 
Once you and your website development partner have worked through these warm-up, you will be in much better shape to launch a big winner.

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