Digital Marketing Checklist: Marketing Tips for Professional Services Firms

As a professional services firm, it's crucial to ensure that you are putting your best foot forward when it comes to digital marketing. The digital age has made it easier than ever for clients to find the services they need, when they need them. And you're not just competing against other professional services firms in your area - you're competing against every business, big and small, that has an online presence.

Whether you're an accountant, solicitor, or tax advisor, its wise to focus your marketing efforts on who you're trying to reach. You want to ensure that you establish yourself as a thought leader in your field, so that when the moment of need arises, they will think of you.

In this article, we'll discuss some marketing tips for accounting firms, solicitors, tax advisors, and professional services firms as a whole. To help you implement these tips, we've also created a digital marketing checklist that you can use as a guide. Let's get started!

Digital Marketing for Accountants, Solicitors, and Tax Advisors

When it comes to digital marketing for accounting firms, solicitors, and tax advisors, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. Every firm is different, and therefore each firm will need to tailor its marketing strategy accordingly. However, a few general tips can be helpful for all professional services firms.

The Empty Chair

Let's begin with an exercise that will help you to better understand your target audience: the empty chair. Imagine that you are sitting at your desk with an empty chair across from you. Picture your ideal client or target persona seated in the chair opposite you. What are their personality traits? What are their interests? What do they care about? What kind of services do they need? How are they finding information? What are they reading?

Once you have a good idea of who your target persona is, you can begin to tailor your marketing efforts accordingly. You want to make sure that your brand and messaging resonates with them, and that you are easily found online when they are in need of your services.

Search Your Name and Firm After Clearing History Cache

One way to gauge how well your digital marketing is working is to do a search for your name and firm after clearing your history cache. If you're not happy with the results, then it's time to make some changes.

You may need to focus on SEO, create more content, or invest in paid advertising. It may even be an issue with your website design or user experience. Whatever the case may be, it's crucial to identify and address any weaknesses that you may have.

Marketing Strategies for Service Firms

Weaknesses in your digital presence or digital footprint can be a significant hindrance to your success, so it's essential to address them as soon as possible. Ensure you keep the below points in mind when looking to improve your digital marketing efforts.

Google My Business Listing Business Hours and Posting 

When it comes to marketing for accounting firms, solicitors, and tax advisors, one of the most important things you can do is make sure your Google My Business listing is up-to-date. This includes ensuring that your business hours are correct and that you are regularly posting fresh content.

Google will often rank businesses higher in search results if they have a complete and up-to-date Google My Business listing. So make sure you take the time to fill out all of the information, and post new content on a regular basis, its important to think about your google my business page as another social channel like LinkedIn or Twitter.

Build Google Reviews, and Share the Link With Clients

Another marketing tip for professional services firms and those that offer professional services is to build Google reviews. When clients leave positive reviews about your firm, it will help to boost your ranking in search results. Plus, it can also help to increase trust and credibility among potential clients.

You can ask clients to leave a review on Google by providing them with a link. If they are happy with your services, they will be more than happy to do so.  These reviews are also useful for your website as testimonials, when doing proposals or tenders too as validation of your engagement with clients.

Don't Forget About LinkedIn

LinkedIn can be a powerful tool for marketing professional services firms. It's a great place to share your content, connect with potential clients, and even generate leads.

If your target audience includes businesses, it’s wise to ensure you have a strong profile. Make sure you are using LinkedIn to its full potential by creating a solid profile, sharing relevant content, and connecting with as many people as possible.  

You should also ensure that your contact details are extensive, include you email, telephone number, web address and physical office address, as this is another way for potential clients to get in touch with you. Also don't assume your team know why or how linkedIn is useful, set up training. Check out my tips here or contact me for tailored training.

Harvest Personal Connections Via a LinkedIn Firm Profile 

LinkedIn can also be a great way to build your firm brand.  You can do this by creating a LinkedIn firm profile.  Administrators to the firm account can then invite their personal LinkedIn connections to follow your page, this is a useful way to harvest personal connections from multiple individuals. There are 100 free invitations to use per month.

It's also a great way to show off your firm's strengths and expertise. So make sure you take the time to provide as much information as possible, and add posts regularly.

Regular Posting, Tagging, and Hashtags

When it comes to digital marketing for accounting firms and other service providers, one of the most important things you can do is post regularly. This includes sharing fresh content, tagging people and companies in your posts, and using relevant hashtags.

If you can keep your social media accounts active and engaging, you will be more likely to attract potential clients. So make sure you put in the effort to post regularly and use engaging content.

Pay Per Click Advertising

Paid advertising can be a great way to generate leads and focus on robust marketing strategies for service providers. You can use PPC (pay-per-click) advertising on platforms such as Google AdWords, Facebook Ads, and LinkedIn Ads.

When setting up your PPC campaigns, ensure you target the right keywords and use relevant ads. You should also track your results and make changes as needed. Hiring a digital expert is highly recommended to get help with all of these aspects of marketing. This area can be complex and costly if you don't get it right. Ensure that the agency you hire is reputable and has a good track record and understanding of professional services.

Review Analytics and Your Progress

One of the most critical aspects of digital marketing is to review your analytics and progress regularly. This will help you to determine what's working and what's not, and make changes as needed.

It's also a good idea to set some goals for yourself, and track your progress towards these goals. This can help you to stay on track and ensure that you're making progress.

What Low and No-Cost Resources Are Available?

There are several low and no-cost resources available when it comes to digital marketing. These include things such as free photo libraries, blog post templates, and social media tools.

Please make sure you take advantage of these resources, as they can be a great help in getting your marketing efforts off the ground. Look at websites like Unsplash, Lumen 5, Biteable, and Canva for some great free photo libraries and video tools, and HubSpot and Hootsuite for some great free social media tools.

Google News Alerts

Google News Alerts can be a great way to keep track of what's happening in your industry. You can set up alerts for specific keywords, and Google will send you an email notification whenever there is new content about these keywords.

By doing this, you can stay up-to-date on the latest news and trends in your industry or specific clients.

Get External Help - Use Copywriters and Digital Gurus

Last but certainly not least, you may want to consider hiring expert copywriters and digital gurus. Most professional services teams don't have time to develop a deep understanding of this area. Freelance external assistance can be a great way to get help with your marketing efforts, and to ensure that you're doing everything possible to reach your target audience.

Make sure you do your research and find an agency or individual who has outstanding reviews and experience in professional services marketing. Freelance websites like The Indie List,  Fiverr, UpWork, and PeoplePerHour can be a great place to find talented copywriters and digital experts.

The Ultimate Digital Marketing Checklist

The Conclusion

So, there you have it - robust marketing tips for professional services firms, and a marketing checklist to get you started.

Remember too that this is a continuous process once basics are in place and I really encourage firms to take this seriously.  Your firm is sending a message by not focusing on this area that’s frequently important to your clients are their businesses.

Regardless of your size, it's crucial to have a plan and put in place effective digital marketing practices that will work for you.

It's essential always to be learning and evolving with the times - so make sure you stay up-to-date on the latest digital marketing trends. If you're looking for advice or help with your digital marketing, don't hesitate to reach out to an expert.

At Marketing Clever, we're passionate about helping professional services firms to grow and succeed.

Get in touch today for a free consultation, and let us show you how we can help you reach your target audience.