In the professional world, there are two types of businesses and each markets in very different ways. Businesses with “Customers” always want more customers. Marketing is a way of life, whole departments are dedicated to it, and they do so with proud gusto.
Then there are businesses and individual professionals with “Clients.” This group includes doctors, lawyers, financial advisors, and other professions that focus on the skills of one or a small team of highly trained professionals. Businesses with clients will tend to have practices instead of shops or venues. Each year, they only take on a manageable number of new clients, and just want clients whose needs truly fit the services these businesses have to offer. And for this kind of business, marketing is often seen as ‘low' or too ‘salesy' for the refined and respectful reputation of your practice.
How To Market Without Feeling Like A Used Car Salesman
Of course, even dignified professionals need to bring in new clients, and perfect clients don't exactly grow on trees. You can't always count on your current clients for referrals and, even if you could, often the growth would still be insufficient. Marketing is a necessity of modern business, merely to provide awareness of your services to people who need them. Doctors must be locatable, so people looking for a physician or specialist know who to book an appointment with. Lawyers must somehow get their names and phone numbers into the hands of people who need legal assistance. This kind of outreach has always required a certain amount of marketing.
The good news is that a marketing campaign for your practice doesn't have to be anything like how a used car lot or local restaurant would advertise. You don't have to make shouting television and radio commercials. You don't have to put your clients on screen for testimonials or even appear in front of a camera yourself if you don't want to. The ways of disruptive outbound marketing are quickly slipping behind us in favor of the new digital way: Inbound Marketing. The simple supportive principles of inbound marketing are the perfect solution for respected professionals and practices that don't want to market in traditional ways.
Putting The Clients First
The best thing about inbound marketing is the change in marketing's central premise. While the idea is still to raise awareness of your business, search engines have made it possible to do this in a much more personable way than marketing techniques of the past. Rather than jumping out at future clients with flashy advertisements and loud noises, inbound marketing focuses on delivering informative and helpful content to potential clients exactly when they need it. The quality of your inbound marketing is all about how well your content is written and how valuable it is to people who find it.
Inbound marketing is made up of approximately three significant layers: Your website content, your blog articles, and your social media presence.
An Informative Website
The first step to helping new clients find you and the services they need is to build a very informative website. Make sure your service areas are not only listed, but each has its own page describing what the service area covers and what clients can expect if they come in with a specific concern. For lawyers, this usually involves a detailed page of each type of case you are ready to take on and relevant information that will help clients who are in these situations.
A Helpful Blog
Your blog is a further extension of the information you have to offer new clients. This is your chance to answer frequently asked questions and provide information that your clients are often looking for right before they decide on a new professional or service for their needs. A dentist's blog, for instance, might include articles like “How to talk to your child about braces” or “Why do my teeth hurt when…?”
Helpful Marketing For Professionals
If you loathe the idea of disruptive traditional marketing but still need to attract new clients to your practice, inbound marketing is the perfect solution. You don't have to reach out or interrupt the lives of your future clients to get them through the door. Instead, use the power of search engines, SEO, and your own expert knowledge to provide information exactly when your future client needs it. When they see that you are nearby, knowledgeable, and have a friendly way of speaking in your written content, readers of your inbound content will begin reaching out to you for consultations.
For more information about inbound marketing tips for professional services providers, or to schedule your free digital marketing consultation, please call 720.248.8185, e-mail info@friedmansocialmedia.com, or click here.
Please note: The Friedman Group is an inbound marketing agency based in Denver, Colorado, and we work with professionals and business owners across the U.S. Our digital marketing services include: inbound marketing, social media marketing, email marketing, and digital marketing strategy and implementation.
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