What do most doctors, lawyers, insurance brokers, and real estate agents all have in common? They are all professional services providers who generally have location-specific businesses. It is not uncommon for each of these professionals to receive 80 percent or more of their business from within a 25-mile radius of their office(s). Therefore, the most important inbound marketing strategy for professional services providers will build a very localized audience of potential clients. Don't you agree?
An inbound marketing strategy will include marketing a company using blogs, videos, newsletters, social media, in-print material, and a variety of other methods that all collectively fall under the “content marketing” umbrella. The purpose is to build a targeted audience at different stages of the Buyer's Journey: target, prospect, lead, active customers, and super-fans. However, in order to be effective, the content must have appeal and provide value to those who most resemble the service professional's Buyer's Persona (target customer). That said, one prime shared characteristic is geographical location.
Why Localized Content Is Important
Localized content is highly important for building an audience for professional services providers. According to an article in the Search Engine Journal, “The key is to tailor your content to [a] niche with the proper local and topical focus that creates a high-quality experience for users who are searching for [topics].” Rather than providing just a simple or generic article, localized content will make it more relevant and authentic to your readers. The more your visitors find your content personally valuable, the more likely they are to perform a desired action, such are share, subscribe, or request an appointment.
Today, when seeking professional services, most people will go to Google or Bing and type something along the lines of “cosmetic dentistry near me.” The searcher is then provided with a list of nearby businesses, ranked by things like distance, relevance, and prominence. Because some of these factors are outside your control, you want people to avoid this process altogether. The ultimate goal of inbound marking is to place your brand front and center in the mind of consumers. This is accomplished by creating brand awareness. You are creating and building authority, trust, credibility and interest so you become the obvious choice when the time comes.
There are many ways to create blog posts, videos, and images that are localized. Every option is not available to every professional. Nevertheless, you can use this list to help create your own ideas.
Localized Inbound Marketing Ideas
- Storytelling - People love stories and anecdotes. Moreover, storytelling gives you the ability to add local keywords like your town, city, landmarks, and roadways. Consider ideas like a weekly or monthly update of what is going on at the office (employee birthdays, baby showers, holiday parties), walk readers through “a day in the life of”, or maybe share a client success story.
- Local News and Commentary - Every city or town has a limitless supply of news stories. In a practice known as “newsjacking,” you can provide your own insights and opinions on important topics. For example, a real estate agent could write about how property tax reform may impact local school districts. As a local professional, people are interested in what you have to say.
- Charities and Causes - It is very likely you already support at least one, if not more, local charities or causes. Creating content about these organizations and your involvement has multiple benefits. Aside from being locally relevant, people love to support businesses that support the community and have a social conscience. You are also creating awareness about an issue important to you.
- Localize Industry News - Many industry topics are difficult to localize. However, you likely have access to local trends, data, and statistics that can add value to your readers. A doctor may know there has been an increase in local occurrences of some mosquito-borne illness. And, a real estate agent will have month-to-month home sales data.
- Local Events and Guides - What local events would your client like to know about? A family physician is likely going to have a limitless supply of local family-centered or kid-friendly activities they can share. Do you sell automobile insurance? How about sharing information about a local car show. Not all content must be about your business or industry, but it should have some relevance and value to your readers.
What haven't we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like to talk about inbound marketing strategies for professional services providers, or a related topic, please contact us.
