Solving the Top PR Challenges of Professional Service Firms
It would be easy to think that a marketing communications agency would be masterful at its own marketing. If I’m being honest, that’s not always the case. At Approach, we’re up against many of the same challenges as other professional service firms and organizations. The crunch of running a business, providing exceptional client service and building a brand is hard. So, to all the professional service firms out there: the struggle is real and we feel you.
The good news is that there’s help. A marketing communications agency partner (yes, like Approach) can flex to fill in your resource gaps while also bringing fresh perspective to your biggest marketing needs.
In the last year alone, Approach has come alongside dozens of B2B companies to do just this. While the needs of each business have varied based on their response to the events of the last year, we certainly saw common threads.
Today, I’m sharing the top challenges and opportunities we’re consistently tapped to support. Take a read and if any of these things hit close to home, let’s talk. We’re always happy to facilitate a free 30-minute consultation.
Strengthen Brand Identity and Reputation
In the last year, we’ve witnessed how what we say—and how we say it—can have real, lasting implications. We’ve been reminded that words matter. This has prompted many businesses to look inward and ask: Who are we? What do we stand for? What values must we uphold? After all we have experienced - do we need an update?
Approach often comes alongside clients as they consider these questions—helping them identify and articulate their perspectives and build the materials they need to convey those positions to stakeholders. The material outputs vary—for new companies it may include identifying core values, for others it could mean revising employee handbooks and social media policies.
Organizations should regularly revisit these questions and related materials, but it is especially important now because there are new considerations at stake and little room to say the wrong thing. For example, do your company core values fully reflect who you are and what you believe? Do you have an Election Day time-off policy? An employee social media use policy?
For more on getting started with a brand identity refresh, read our checklist here.
Improve Stakeholder Communication
The pandemic has tested the internal communication processes of many businesses. Nearly overnight workplaces pivoted to a virtual model and all eyes were on leadership to communicate what happens next. We’ve helped clients build and implement internal communication programs that ensure employees feel seen, heard and in the know. Common formats we’ve utilized include virtual town hall meetings and weekly CEO updates shared via email and video.
For extremal audiences like customers, suppliers and industry partners, many of whom B2B service providers regularly met with in person, the shift to online-only service, support and sales quickly revealed a need for new and better ways to collaborate virtually. Bringing on new tools and tech to improve communication has helped—but also added to clients’ content workload. We jump in to help with things like email marketing strategy and content creation weekly newsletters and social content.
Audiences aside, every professional service firm we’ve talked with has had a real-time need for Covid-19 communication. From sharing return-to-office plans and safety guidelines with employees to communicating store reopening plans and protocols to customers, we’re actively crafting the plans and materials that are helping businesses safely return to physical workspaces.
Increase Digital Presence to Drive Sales
The pandemic has dramatically changed customers’ path to purchase and buying cycles. Sales that may have previously transacted on trade show floors or during in-person demos shifted online. Building a digital presence that makes your business easy to discover online and provides useful, timely information on the channels where customers are spending time is critical to engaging current customers and capturing new ones.
An effective way to accomplish this is by pairing owned thought leadership content with a LinkedIn advertising strategy targeting key audiences. Mix in smart event tracking and Google analytics on your website and you can gather deep insights on who’s interested in your services, what messages resonate and how to improve your conversion rate.
Networking in professional groups and apps also is on the rise and lends B2B organizations a place to demonstrate expertise while investing in relationships. We recently shared about the popularity of Clubhouse and how marketers can capitalize on this popular social networking tool. LinkedIn offers its own set of private groups where members can engage in conversation on relevant topics.
As Head of Marketing at Approach, I’m responsible for delivering on many of these same needs for the agency. I’m lucky to be able to utilize the stellar talent within our consultant network to do this. These consultants are behind every award and recognition we’ve received as an agency, along with the incredible client work we deliver every day. We’d love to stand behind your business, too. If you feel the same, let’s connect.