Further, many professionals still hold the mistaken belief that the only way to generate new client leads is through referrals and networking. Hello… the world is changing! A new model of business development is already generating significant flows of qualified leads for many professional services firms. 

What is Online Lead Generation?

Online lead generation is a collection of online tactics designed to draw interest and ultimately business development conversations to your business. There are a vast number of online tactics that your team can deploy, many of which we will cover in this post. The key to effective online lead generation is a deep understanding of your target audience’s interests and more importantly, pain points. When those are fully understood, it becomes more clear which strategies you should focus on.

Online Lead Generation Techniques that Work

Like traditional lead generation, the new model is founded on demonstrating expertise and building trusting relationships — but these goals are accomplished online. While online marketing will continue to evolve, here are ten proven lead generation techniques that are working for professional services firms today.

1) Search Engine Optimization

Many potential clients want to learn how to solve the challenges they face. If a prospect is even remotely computer literate (and these days what executive doesn’t have a computer or a smart phone?) one of the first things they do is Google their question, problem or issue. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) gives you the tools to match qualified clients with your online content. And if you play your cards right, you’ll end up on their short list when they are looking to purchase services.

2) Pay Per Click Advertising

Another proven way to get on your prospects’ radar is to buy your way onto search engine results pages for relevant keywords. This technique gives you greater control over the keywords with which you want to be associated. As the name implies you only pay when someone clicks on your link. Many times, Pay-Per-Click (PPC) leads are of higher quality because the potential client is often searching for a specific solution. In addition, PPC is completely trackable and typically less expensive than traditional print advertising. That’s an attractive combination.

3) Lead Generating Website

Most professional services websites are not designed to generate leads. As a matter of fact many are almost “anti-lead generators.” Jargon-filled, firm-centric website abound in the professional services — and they are completely passive and unhelpful. If visitors do not understand what you do or what problems you can solve for them, they will go elsewhere. Contrast this with a lead generating website that is designed to make it easy for clients to understand your value proposition, download valuable information and request a proposal. The impact on online lead generation can be dramatic.

4) Online Networking

I could have called this technique “social media,” but I wanted to make a point. The essence of social media is not which platform you choose. It’s the quality and reach of the networking you do. While the style of interaction may vary greatly from Twitter to LinkedIn to Facebook, it is still about making the right connections with the right people. Online networking can produce the reputation and referrals associated with traditional business networking. Expect to get results in proportion to the level of your investment of time and attention.

5) Webinars

A webinar is the online equivalent of a seminar or other educational event. The lead generating webinar is typically offered free of charge. Because it requires registration, you can collect basic information on a session’s attendees. Like its offline cousin, a webinar should be educational — not a thinly-veiled sales pitch. The key to a successful webinar is to select topics that are of great interest and value to your ideal target client. Over time, attendees come to trust your firm and will be likely to consider you when they have a relevant need.

6) Industry Research Reports

A proven online lead generating strategy is to offer executive summaries or full research reports on the industries you serve. You benefit in two ways. First, these documents are an excellent lead generator. Second, they boost your credibility and strengthen you online brand. Be sure your research topics are of exceptional interest to your target client group. In addition, these research studies can be an excellent vehicle for partnering with a trade association or a noncompeting firm to reduce your marketing cost and increase your credibility.

7) Online Marketing Videos

Video is everywhere today, and for good reason. It is an ideal marketing medium for professional services firms. Nothing builds credibility like a flagship client explaining how your firm solved their problem. It’s almost like automating the referral process. Video can be used to present your firm, explain complex services or introduce your team. In each of these roles, video can play an important lead generating and lead nurturing function.

8) White Papers or e-Books

One of the most common online lead generating techniques, white papers can establish credibility and generate qualified leads. You can offer the white paper on your website (either available free or behind a registration screen), or you can distribute it through third-party services. White papers also make great pay-per-click offers. A variation on the white paper is the e-book. Typically longer than a white paper, it serves a similar function. If you e-book goes into great depth on a subject, it can generate a great deal of buzz and establish your reputation.

9) E-newsletter

If your e-newsletter offers high-quality, educational content, you can generate a significant number of new leads when people sign up. And your e-newsletter is a great way to nurture the existing leads on your list. Many firms also use e-newsletters to announce new services and make specific offers. To build your subscriber list, offer a free e-newsletter subscription on your website or in your email signature block. Just remember, the better your content, the more people will read it and remember  you — and the less likely it will be deemed spam.

10) Blogging

I left blogging for last because of its unique role in online lead generation. To be honest, blogs don’t generate a lot of direct leads. But blogging is probably the most effective driver of leads to your website. Because a blog allows you to create a wide range of keyword-laden content that can be found in the search engines, it can draw a lot of qualified prospects to your website (this assumes that you host your blog on your website — which I strongly recommend). You can further promote your blog posts on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook. Without a blog, your SEO efforts will be handicapped.

These ten online lead generation techniques alone could become the cornerstone of a robust marketing plan. Add in traditional marketing tactics, such as face-to-face networking and tradeshow marketing (if appropriate), and you have a formidable strategy for building preference in the marketplace. Online marketing and traditional marketing make a powerful combination.

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The post 10 Online Lead Generation Techniques for Professional Services appeared first on Hinge Marketing.

To avoid this all-too-common situation, you need to map your marketing plan over to a content marketing calendar. When you make your tactics more tangible and visible, then it’s far easier to hold people accountable for them.

In this article, we’ll share the key benefits of using a content marketing calendar as a key resource for your team. But first, let’s simply begin by answering, “What is a content marketing calendar?”

Content Marketing Calendar Defined

A content marketing calendar is a living document that maps out all the marketing activities across an organization. Its purpose is to keep stakeholders organized and accountable to their marketing responsibilities in the future, while documenting the details and timing of what has been accomplished in the past. Ultimately, it is a resource to keep a firm’s marketing plan moving forward in the right direction.

Let’s look at a few of the benefits of having a content marketing calendar.

5 Benefits of Using a Content Marketing Calendar

Benefit #1: Deadlines and Expectations Solidified

The most obvious benefit of having an active content marketing calendar is being able to plan and track upcoming marketing initiatives. When you assign tasks and deadlines to specific people, there is no room for surprises. It makes it much easier to drive your marketing plan forward.

For example, you should schedule blog posts and articles a month or more in advance, providing thought leaders in your firm with ample time to produce their content, even with all their competing priorities. The deadlines are visible, and expectations are clear. With a little practice and encouragement, what needs to be written will be written.

A content marketing calendar also makes it easy to see when there are too many overlapping deadlines. Is the same person responsible for writing a new premium piece of content, presenting a webinar, and filming an interview for a partner organization in the same week? That is probably too much for even the most experienced professional. Your content marketing calendar will expose these scheduling conflicts early in the process and allow your team to make the appropriate adjustments.

Benefit #2: Ownership Clarified

A well-organized content marketing calendar clarifies who is responsible for each marketing initiative. We recommend that you assign one person to manage the content marketing calendar itself, keeping it up to date, maintaining its structure, and ensuring that deadlines are not missed. This person will have all the answers when questions about deadlines arise.

Of course, the calendar should be readily available to all. It should identify who is responsible for delivering each part of the plan, and when.

Benefit #3: Messaging Organized

Another benefit of a content marketing calendar is related to the management and visibility of your firm’s messaging. A content marketing calendar should get very specific. For example, your calendar might include:

• Titles of executive guides or e-books
• Titles of blog posts
• Titles of webinars and presentations
• Details of paid advertising campaigns
• Subject lines of upcoming email marketing campaigns

By documenting what message will be in the marketplace when, and through what marketing channel, you make it easy for an entire team to keep on track and be productive.

Don’t delete old activities. As you build out the next phase of your content marketing calendar, it’s helpful to refer back to past campaigns, assignments and timing. Looking back at past marketing activities may help you choose the best times to push different products and messages.

Benefit #4: The Marketing Budget Tracked

Most marketing budgets are fixed early in the year. You may want to add your budget to your content marketing calendar in a column away from the actual content details. While your marketing calendar is not a budget spreadsheet, you may find it helpful to list costs and resource time allocated for each marketing activity, so you can quickly track your budget versus expenses.

Bringing extra visibility to your firm’s marketing budget prevents team members from falling into common budgeting traps. For instance, your team won’t arbitrarily underspend during the year, opening the possibility for a frantic spend down come planning season. Clarity will reign because the marketing budget will be attached to each activity.

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Benefit #5: The Big Picture Realized

Once assembled, your content marketing calendar will paint a full picture of your marketing activity over the next month or more. Everyone on your team can see how their individual marketing efforts work together. You will be able to see when a particular blog post topic can support an upcoming speaking engagement or when to schedule paid advertising around an upcoming event.

Your calendar also allows your firm to plan according to seasonality and special holidays. Listing holidays on your calendar lets you see at a glance when you should deliver any holiday promotions or messaging.

Who Uses the Content Marketing Calendar?

No tracking resource is effective without clearly defined expectations on who is responsible for updating it (you may need more than one person to update your content marketing calendar depending on its level of detail). And the same can be said about access… A content marketing calendar will not be effective if key stakeholders do not know how to access the document.

How might this look in practice? When it comes to maintenance responsibilities, at Hinge we have multiple team members who are responsible for updating and reporting on various marketing techniques. For example, we have one person who is responsible for updating our content marketing calendar with all data related to our webinars while another person is responsible for all matters related to our blog.

Once team members understand who is responsible for updating the content marketing calendar, a consistent rhythm where progress through the content marketing calendar is reviewed needs to be set. The more frequently the calendar is reviewed by the team, the more adaptable, flexible, and productive the team will become.

Finally, it is essential that the content marketing calendar be accessible to leaders in the organization. This is not a document that should be saved on someone’s desktop! Ongoing access to the most up-to-date version of the content marketing calendar is a must.

Getting Started

A centralized content marketing calendar supports your stakeholders and drives your marketing plan forward. Before you start building out your calendar, however, you must have a strategic marketing plan to guide your way. The best marketing plans are grounded in research and describe the messages, frequency, effort level, and resources you will allocate to different marketing techniques.

A marketing calendar weaves your marketing plan together into a practical implementation program, laying down who does what, deadlines, what topics will be covered and expected results. With a marketing calendar working for your firm, lack of implementation should be the last thing that kills your marketing plan.

The post Why You Need a Content Marketing Calendar appeared first on Hinge Marketing.

As the world’s largest platforms strive to grow their dominance of the online user’s experience, marketers need to take a more comprehensive, multi-layered approach for their firms to survive and thrive. After all, these platforms are not only forums for engagement; they now compete for your audience’s attention and time.

This comprehensive approach is called integrated marketing.

This article will answer the most frequently asked questions about integrated marketing communications:

1. What is integrated marketing communications?
2. What is owned media?
3. What are the top owned media best practices?
4. What are the top owned media mistakes people make?
5. What are the top tools practitioners need to get the most benefit from owned media?
6. What is earned media?
7. What are the top earned media best practices?
8. What are the top earned media mistakes people make?
9. What are the top tools practitioners need to get the most benefit from earned media?
10. What is paid media?
11. What are the top paid media best practices?
12. What are the top paid media mistakes people make?
13. What are the top tools practitioners need to get the most benefit from paid media?
14. What is shared media?
15. What are the top shared media best practices?
16. What are the top shared media mistakes people make?
17. What are the top tools practitioners need to get the most benefit from shared media?
18. How do you combine owned, earned, paid, and shared media into an integrated marketing communications plan?

What is integrated marketing communications?

Integrated marketing communications (IMC) combines different marketing techniques and media channels into a single campaign. For this reason, IMC campaigns are sometimes referred to as cross-channel marketing campaigns. The components of these campaigns include:

1. Owned media
2. Earned media
3. Paid media
4. Shared media

By pushing messages through the different channels, campaigns are able to reach a target audience that consists of buyers and their influencers. Executed well, an integrated campaign can reach a broader audience, reinforce messages, improve efficiency, and lower costs.

Owned Media

What is owned media?

Owned media can be defined as anything that is controlled directly by a particular individual or organization. This includes, but is not limited to, websites and email communication. From a marketing perspective, website content (think product pages or thought leadership content) and email communications are critical pieces for success in IMC.

What are the top owned media best practices?

1. Regularly produce and update content.

Owned media content should be produced AND updated regularly. Be sure to produce new content regularly, even if it’s just a blog post or two a month on your website. More content gives you a better chance to gain rankings and traffic, but many struggle just to get started and remain consistent.

2. Continuously monitor the performance of content.

As your content gets older, it may become irrelevant or even inaccurate. Keeping tabs on content that drives regular visibility (e.g., a blog post that starts ranking in search results) is important to avoid presenting outdated information.

3. Ensure you have bio pages to highlight your subject matter experts.

Ideally, your subject matter experts will author or be involved in content creation. Their expertise is vital to differentiate your content and provide value. Each of your experts should have a dedicated bio page that showcases their recent content. Press kits are also recommended and can be helpful in securing speaking engagements, podcast appearances, and guest contributions.

What are the biggest owned media mistakes and misunderstandings?

1. Abandoning integrated marketing campaigns too soon.

Organizations often take the first step toward an integrated marketing strategy only to abandon their strategy just a few months into their efforts when the ROI fails to meet their expectations. Keep in mind these efforts take time. Most won’t yield search engine results for at least six months. At that point you can start relying on a regular cadence of traffic coming to your site. If you have premium content (gated long-form content such as executive guides), you can start to grow your email list.

2. Forgetting to update content.

Another mistake we often see is failing to update existing content. As mentioned earlier, updating and republishing your blog content can be a very effective way to get quick wins. Identifying content that consistently drives organic traffic is the first step. Oftentimes, this content might be old and outdated. Updating and republishing this content sends positive signals to search engine algorithms and often results in higher rankings and increased traffic.

3. Promoting only newly released content.

Also overlooked is repromoting older content to your email list. Some of your older content is likely still relevant. Do not hesitate to repromote this content no matter how old. Many wrongly believe the only time they can send out content to their list is the day they release it.

What tools can you use to ensure the effectiveness of your initiatives?

A website on a user-friendly CMS (content management system) such as WordPress is critical to any integrated marketing strategy. You must be able to add new content, update old content, and capture new email addresses to grow your list. If this requires a developer’s help, you will likely need to upgrade your website.

A good email marketing platform will also be necessary. If you’re starting out, tools like Mailchimp and Constant Contact will suffice. If you need a platform that can program campaigns, suppress lists, and score leads, Pardot, Eloqua, and Hubspot are good options.

Finally, you must know how your efforts are performing. Free tools like Google Analytics are essential. Google Analytics gives you the ability to identify your traffic sources (e.g., search engines, social media, email) and which content draws the most traffic and converts at higher rates.

Earned Media

What is earned media?

Earned media is public attention you obtain without paying for it. In the digital ecosystem, earned media are unpaid brand mentions on websites and platforms that you don’t own. Examples of earned media include speaking engagements, guest articles, podcast interviews, and mentions on strategic partner websites.

What are the top earned media best practices?

1. Earned media starts with your own website.

You need to blog frequently and consistently on the topics you want to be known for. You can also repurpose your content as a video or webinar. Why? Because owned media will drive earned media. All event organizers and publishers will ask for your website URL to find proof you have the expertise to deliver a talk or write an article about the topics you’re pitching to them. Moreover, keyword-rich blog articles that explore the what’s, why’s, and how’s of a topic can draw traffic from bloggers, journalists, and editors looking for information and sources. To increase your chances of being found by them, you need to bolster your blog article with statistics and insights into trends.

2. Find out what your target pubs and events are looking for.

Whether you’re pitching to publications or event organizers, you need to demonstrate you’re what they’re looking for. So what are they looking for?

First, an authority on a relevant, timely topic. A growing number are interested in topics that are making the headlines. The best topic is one that fills a gap. If your target publication has featured many articles on the reasons behind the Great Resignation, an article that explores, say, what has become of mid-career folks who quit their jobs to start their own business will provide a fresh perspective on a topic that has generated thousands of articles across many industries.

Second, an expert who offers added value to their audience. Readers and event attendees are hungry for proven methods and solutions to new and evolving challenges. And they want insights from recognized experts.

Third, an expert who has written and spoken about this topic before. This point underscores the importance of including educational videos and blogs on your website.

Fourth, you have a large following. Like you, event organizers and publishers are continually looking to expand their audience reach. Experts with a significant number of engaged followers on social media, for instance, have a distinct advantage over those who don’t.

3. Share your insights with the media.

If you’ve never been externally published, serving as a source for insightful quotes is a great way to gain third-party credibility across different pubs and platforms. You can increase the likelihood that pubs pick up your quotes or comments by providing message supports, such as statistics, infographics, or soundbites. These supports will help your comment stand out from other quotes flooding journalists’ and bloggers’ inboxes.

If you’re a strong writer and have time to develop a full length article, try guest blogging, a favorite technique among high growth firms for its high impact. Like expert commentary, it helps to underscore your authority to your audience and signals to search engines that you’re a recognized authority on your topic. When external websites and platforms mention you or link back to your website, your search engine ranking receives a nice boost, leading to more site visitors, digital leads and conversions.

Before pitching any article ideas, do your homework. Publications with a solid domain authority (DA) are good targets. Research which publications with good DA address your audience’s needs. Find out their audience reach. And identify topics or angles of topics they haven’t covered. The key is to position yourself as an expert offering the publication’s audience a proven yet differentiated approach to their challenges.

4. Speak at events, webinars, and podcasts.

When buyers of professional services look for experts who can help, they attend events—online and in person. What’s more, over the past two years podcast consumption has steadily grown not only in the number of listeners but the number of podcasts that regular listeners consume.

Whether you’re speaking at events or being interviewed, focus on topics that align with your expertise and your audiences’ needs. A growing number of events require speakers to center their presentations on case studies. Some require vendors to co-present with their clients.

Why are case studies becoming a requirement? Buyers who invest in attending events are looking for solutions that work and people they can work with. Case studies will show proof of your solution’s effectiveness and instill trust in your expertise.

The downside to case studies is the challenge of receiving a client’s approval. Clients often don’t want to give the appearance they’re in trouble or need help. Many clients have stringent policies that might restrict case studies altogether.

One way to overcome a client’s reluctance is to position the presentation as a way to tout their innovation or successful implementation of industry best practices. In short, avoid the use of the term “case study.”

What are the biggest earned media mistakes and misunderstandings?

1. Thought leaders are celebrities.

In professional services, earned media has two objectives: to build your reputation as an authority in your areas of expertise and to improve your website’s expertise, authority, and trustworthiness (EAT). More EAT means more website traffic and digital leads you can shepherd through the marketing funnel. Celebrity is about popularity. Thought leadership is about professional expertise and visibility. Celebrity can be gained by creating buzz. Thought leadership involves gaining recognition for your place in the sandbox of expert ideas and insights. We call thought leaders Visible Experts, known and sought after not only by their clients but other experts in their industry.

2. Digital PR is a separate discipline from SEO.

When we think of SEO, the technical tactics for websites often come to mind. In fact, there are two sides to SEO: onsite and offsite strategies. Onsite strategies include keywords, meta descriptions, and more. These strategies establish your website’s relevance. But to improve your site’s search engine rankings, you need to establish authority and trustworthiness. You do this by building relationships with third parties who can influence your buyers’ decisions. These third parties are the publications your buyers read, the events they attend, and the podcasts they listen to, among others. By featuring you or your content on their platforms, and showing their willingness to lend you their audience, these third parties are vouching for your authority and trustworthiness.

A final word on SEO and earned media. Those coveted keywords you can’t score high enough through your website? You can pursue them through earned media from higher ranking sites and platforms.

3. Earned media is all about backlink building.

On the contrary, earned media is all about initiating and strengthening relationships with pubs, writers, podcasters, and event producers. The nexus of those relationships is your high quality expert content. Backlink building will tarnish your reputation. These third parties know when that’s your main goal. In fact, top tier publications like The New York Times don’t provide backlinks—only mentions.

Moreover, search engines have become more sophisticated over the past decade. Positive brand mentions count. Google, for instance, has guidelines for their third party quality raters to look for factors such as whether an expert has presented in conferences.

4. Earned media should focus on your corporate brand.

In today’s digital environment, your brand reflects what people discover about your business online. If you were to do a search on your business name, you’re likely to find information beyond what you do and who you are. You might also find what former and current employees say about what you’re like as an employer. This is your employer brand.

Why focus on both corporate and employer brand? In today’s tight labor market, you’re more likely to attract talent if you have a good reputation as an employer. Second, many buyers factor into their purchase decisions whether a vendor shares their values, especially those values linked to how companies treat employees and the communities they serve.

What tools can you use to ensure the effectiveness of your initiatives?

A good database of contacts is a must. Companies like Cision, Muckrack, and Meltwater provide the names and contact information of bloggers, journalists, and their editors. Each platform has its benefits and disadvantages and caters to specific users.

If these tools are outside of your budget’s reach, you can set up alerts on your topics to identify the bloggers, journalists, podcasters, events, and the publications that cover them. Once you have your list of contacts, read up on them. This will help you develop pitches tailored to their needs, interests, and requirements.

Paid Media

What is Paid Media?

Paid media is any type of paid advertisement. The five main categories of paid media are offline ads, social media ads, PPC/SEM, audio ads, and display ads. Examples of paid media include a YouTube campaign, digital billboard, newspaper ad, online article exchange, or a link building opportunity.

1. Paid media starts with your own website.

For paid media to function appropriately, the process should begin with optimizing your website. Your website should be set up for conversion tracking by taking these steps:

• identify a landing page that highlights a service/job posting your business offers
• make sure that landing page contains the content that will be highly correlated to the paid media advertisement you’re going to purchase
• ensure that tracking is set up to properly attribute marketing attribution back to your paid campaigns
• make sure that the landing page already has a suitable conversion rate

For paid media, your landing page should never be more than one click away from your conversion opportunity. A user should have multiple opportunities to click from your landing page to convertible content.

2. Demographic profiling is your next critical step.

Start by taking a sample of your best clients. Next, create a demographic profile using your sample. Another approach is to identify a custom profile for a user you think might match the need for your services. Keep in mind you can create more than one demographic profile and run them alongside each other. No matter how many profiles you create, you must define what that client looks like on paper so you can best match the target user to the options your paid media opportunity provides.

You can identify different checkpoints throughout your campaign where you will monitor campaign performance. You can use this time to measure which demographics are responding the most or least to your campaign so you can make adjustments to your strategy. You can choose different time triggers to stop one profile/ad group from running if it doesn’t hit predefined benchmarks.

3. Paid media should be highly measured.

It’s important to know if the key performance indicators (KPIs) involved in your paid campaign are based on impressions, engagement, candidates, or sales opportunities. If you’re participating in a paid campaign, you will need to report these KPIs to internal stakeholders. Of critical importance is knowing the correct terminology and which KPIs are important to which report. If you know the meaning of the KPIs you’re using, every single KPI should tell you a story.

What are the top paid media best practices?

1. Set a budget for expense/ROI purposes.

Decide how much you’ve allocated for your integrated marketing campaign. Define the amount you’re willing to spend to achieve the results you want. Make sure to more than double your marketing expenditure as a benchmark revenue goal for the integrated marketing campaign.

If I know that our professional services/B2B service line needs to stay flat this year against a prior year’s revenue goals, as a marketer I know that I need to at least replicate the campaign strategy that was performed in previous years. If I want to grow the business, I know that I have to level up the campaign strategy in order to meet that objective. Integrated marketing campaigns are an excellent way to achieve financial growth in a challenging economic market and a great way to produce a measurable ROI.

2. Automate how you use paid media to interact with potential clients

Once you have built a campaign that works or performs well, you can scale up to meet higher revenue goals or scale down if you surpass your internal goals for specific silos or segments of your business. The point is this: Once you can capitalize on something that works, you essentially have a “dial” or “control” built that can impact the bottom line of your business at will. Some marketers might even refer to this as gamifying and personalizing your marketing strategies.

3. Tell your business’ stories about what you do and why and how you’ve overcome failures.

Our favorite thing to do with any company or brand we engage with is to tell a story online for them and for their clients to engage with. We do this so that they can impact their potential customers with relevant messages they can follow and consume in bite size chunks. We keep an eye on the content we are promoting online to ensure that our campaign strategy is reaching all the segments of their business that we would like to impact.

Social media requires frequent posting in order to stay engaged with your audiences. You can stretch these marketing stories as far out as you can to take full advantage of the content you create.

What are the biggest paid media mistakes and misunderstandings?

1. Testing more than one variable at a time.

A/B testing is a crucial step in placing a digital media buy. However, remember to test only one variable at a time; otherwise you won’t know what’s working and what’s not. If you’re concerned that your ad copy isn’t resonating with your audience, it will be impossible to identify that as the breakdown if you’re also testing the media changes simultaneously.

2. Delivering exactly the same message across multiple channels.

One of the biggest mistakes we see brands make when it comes to paid media is not giving each individual channel a unique message. Your customers should have the opportunity to follow you on each paid channel for a unique reason. For instance, you might post relevant service-related marketing research on Instagram, but on LinkedIn you might post company culture messaging if your firm would like to reach potential job candidates. Segmenting your messaging into separate communication silos is very helpful when you’re trying to fine tune your messaging strategy.

3. Forgetting to share and celebrate their successes.

We often remind clients to measure their results. Why? Because no matter how small the success, the results will give you (as the marketer) good reason to reach out and win over your internal stakeholders. If your ad has produced even moderate success, report it to upper management and stakeholders.

Keeping stakeholders up to date gives more weight to your marketing efforts and engages you in a dialogue that could spark new ideas or alert you to information you didn’t know existed. It might also give you the opportunity to explain a nuance of your campaign strategy in a more detailed fashion. We have found that upper management has a lot of history and knowledge when it comes to company operations. But when it comes to tactical application of new ideas and concepts, upper management might not know every nuance of your strategy. If you’re able to articulate your strategy to upper management, they can offer assistance to help you fill in gaps you may encounter along the way.

Shared Media

What is shared media?

Shared media is any type of promotional content that is shared to a group of people in order to reach new or existing customers or audiences that may be interested in your business’ services or products.

What are the top shared media best practices?

1. Solve your audience’s problem—help them!

Do you know the main business challenges of your target audiences? If you don’t, you may need to take a step back and perform market research in order to find out the answer to that question. If you do know the answer, making sure that your content is relevant to your audience’s needs and problems is the first step in getting proper engagement on shared social media platforms. It’s also the first step in making sure you win over your website visitors and convert them into clients or employees.

2. A visual story is always better.

Whether that visual is painted in your mind with good story telling or it’s based on a graphic or video you saw, people consume concepts and understand them when they are accompanied by pictures/images/video. They become sticky to our minds and that is precisely where you want your marketing message to resonate. Taking the time to create that image for your buyer is important.

3. Use relevant hashtags.

Some people argue that using too many hashtags negatively affects what you’re sharing. That’s not always true. By including hashtags, you’re giving the consumer a way to follow your content by topic. It’s ok if your content crosses over and is relevant to various topics. Making sure to include the hashtags that place your content in these topics is important.

It’s also important to be consistent with your hashtag usage. Save the ones that you use most frequently so that you can reuse them time and time again. All of the social media platforms have sections of their platform where they aggregate content for their users to peruse. These areas are:

• TikTok: ForYou Page
• Instagram: Explore Page
• Facebook: Newsfeed
• LinkedIn: Newsfeed
• Twitter: Explore
• YouTube: New To You (dated 7/21)

Using hashtags helps your firm’s shared content show up in your target audience’s preferred social media placement.

When using email, TV commercials, billboard advertisements, or other forms of shared media, it’s important to include hashtags so that offline conversations can be pulled together online by the hashtag’s usage.

What are the biggest shared media mistakes and misunderstandings?

1. Budgeting little to no time for creating collateral

Rushing too close to the finish line when creating promotional content is the biggest mistake with shared media. We are all guilty of it. However, sometimes it’s better to miss the opportunity than to misstep the opportunity. When you’re producing shared media such as videos, emails, written messages and graphics, it’s important to allow yourself as the marketer to think through how all those pieces work together. If you don’t have time to map them onto a promotional calendar, you have not given yourself enough time.

2. Sharing too much too quickly. Break your messages into smaller, bite-sized chunks

Particularly on social media, but even on your website and in your customers’ inboxes, people are busy. They do not have time to scroll through an endless litany that shows how knowledgeable you’re. You need to boil your message down to sound bites. Sound bites are quick, insightful, and memorable. They need to be associated with imagery, audio and/or video so that they stick in your audience’s mind.

3. Not breaking the shared media portion of your integrated campaign into launch phases

What is a launch date and why would you use one? A launch date is a date you have pinpointed on your calendar that you, as a marketer, will begin to market your idea, service line or product. To begin breaking up your campaign into launch phases, identify your launch date. Now go backwards from that date two months. This period will be considered your pre-launch period. Going forward from that date is considered your post-launch period. All three launch phases, as we like to call them, are part of your shared media campaign. This shared media portion of your integrated campaign will last at least four months.

From there, identify how much content you would like to share weekly. What would you like your cadence/frequency to be? Take into account how long it might take a website visitor to convert into an MQL (marketing qualified lead). If you’re selling a service line that is expensive or complex, perhaps your audience will need more time to acclimate to the idea of engaging with your professional services firm and this service line.

What tools can you use to ensure the effectiveness of your initiatives?

Tracking & Attribution Tools

Google Analytics: Having proper tracking and attribution methods in place before the campaigns begin is critical. This is so that you can properly track the effectiveness of each arm of your integrated marketing campaign and make adjustments while the campaigns are running. For instance, you may see that an email subject line is underperforming and need to run an A/B test to improve email open rates. Or you may see that your paid media ads on one social platform are not improving and as such, you need to cut some of them or make adjustments to the bidding strategy to improve their performance. Without proper tracking and attribution, you would never know that any of these marketing problems existed and you would not be able to remedy them.

Putting it all together: the High Growth Study Integrated Marcoms Campaign

Earned Media Campaign

The earned marketing campaign has two objectives:

1. Generate interest in the study itself
2. Obtain placements for Hinge visible experts

To obtain earned media, we executed the following tactics.

Press Release

First, we developed an educational press release that focused on the four main competitive advantages of the fastest growing firms: expert talent, business process automation, advanced marketing techniques, and data-driven strategies. The press release read like a news article on the study’s most fascinating findings, rather than a plug for either the study or Hinge Research Institute. Moreover, we built in soundbites throughout the release to offer journalists and bloggers material they could readily use.

Interviews and Guest Articles

Second, we reached out to bloggers, journalists, podcasters, and publications with tailored messages describing how the study linked to trends and why the story was a good fit for their audience. This effort resulted in interviews and guest articles, each one differentiated in content from the rest by drawing on different data from the study.

Herein lies the many benefits of using research as content. One, it offers rich, unique data that can form the basis of articles. Two, it offers industry insights you and your audience can use. In the B2B world, people keep an eye out for data they can use to make the right calls. Research studies demonstrate you have insights they need and help build your authority and visibility as an expert. 

Speaking Engagements

Third, we reached out to industry associations whose members we knew wanted—and needed—lessons from their industry’s fast growing firms about how to lead through an uncertain marketplace where the only constant was disruption. These associations offered speaking opportunities at in-person and online events.

Fourth, we used speaking engagements as opportunities to generate interest in next year’s annual survey. Larger participant numbers convey the research report’s credibility, leading to more interest in accessing the study, as well as in participating in future studies.

Owned Marketing Campaign

The Landing Page

We created a landing page for users that highlights everything included in the study. We included an overview, a “what the user will learn,” and a breakdown of the sample. To access the premium research quickly, users only had to provide their name and email address.

Tip: Only ask for what is necessary at this stage. Asking for too much information will lead to lower conversion rates. We recommend no more than Name, Email, and Industry.

Blogs

We created a series of blog posts explaining the highlights and insights from the data in the study. Each article focused on keyword targets that may be picked up by search engines for enhanced reach.

Tip: Look for keywords with higher search volumes and lower difficulty levels, but do not force irrelevant keywords into your blog title.

Webinars

We produced and scheduled a series of live webinars with at least two of our subject-matter experts, each one taking a deep dive into the data. The webinars allowed, if not encouraged, participants to comment and pose questions throughout. They also helped participants not only make sense of the study’s results but also demonstrated how participants could use the insights to make informed business decisions.

Tip: Be sure to record the webinar so you can turn the live webinar into an on-demand recording also available for download on your website after the live event.

All of these pieces of owned media can then be shared with your email list in the upcoming months of the original study release. Email has been shown to be the most effective way to drive engagement and consumption of research. Email will also be effective to drive registrations to your free webinars.

Paid Marketing Campaign

The objectives of the paid marketing campaign were to:

1. Drive professional services industry leaders (through web traffic) to complete the marketing research survey.
2. Produce more visibility and product awareness around the upcoming Hinge 2022 High Growth Research Study.
3. Increase news organization awareness of the Hinge 2022 High Growth Research Study.
4. We wanted marketing professionals in the professional services industry to see and be made aware of our report. We wanted marketers to know how they could use the findings of the research report for marketing content for their firms.

The results of the first objective were that we were able to produce a number of professional services respondents to the marketing survey. 1150 firms were represented in the marketing research study. They represented $216 billion in combined B2B revenue dollars.

The results of the second objective were that our web traffic to the specific pages we were advertising and elevating received 33.56% more traffic the previous year when we were marketing the 2021 High Growth Study.

This rise in web traffic impacted email subscribers as well. By placing numerous offers throughout our website to encourage downloads of the report, we were able to gain 790 unique new email subscribers. Offers were placed on our homepage, main blog page, featured in our library, and within relevant blog posts.

(Homepage offer example above)

The results of the third objective were that the educational press release went to the wire and we had over 300 pickups by news organizations. Although many marketers balk at the idea of press releases, when written in a style that’s non-promotional and more educational, press releases can drive traffic to a firm’s website and lead to earned media.

The results of the fourth objective were that we were able to drive traffic to the individual landing page of the market research report. The screenshot below shows one social media channel, LinkedIn, that placed ads to advertise the market research study. The results show that we were well over benchmark for many of the KPIs we were tracking—specifically, click through rate.

Shared Marketing Campaign

The objectives of the shared marketing campaign were similar to those of the paid marketing campaign. We essentially “share”, pun intended, the same objectives. To recap, those were:

1. Entice professional services industry leaders to complete the marketing research survey.
2. Produce more visibility and product awareness around the upcoming Hinge 2022 High Growth Research Study.
3. Increase news organization awareness of the study
4. We wanted people in the professional services industry to see and be made aware of our report. We wanted them to know what they could do with the findings.

The important thing to note for the shared media campaign is that we received a lift in our engagement rate on our social profiles. This created “engaged” audience members and email subscribers. It also caused website traffic to spike during the promotion. Last, we received a record number of 110 button clicks on our LinkedIn profile, a 23.6% lift over the previous period.

Here you can see that our target demographic of marketing professionals were the largest chunk of the visitors to our LinkedIn page for the two months we were running our integrated marketing campaign. Typically, business development is the largest industry segment that visits our LinkedIn profile.

We also are starting to receive more activity through short form video content on TikTok stories, YouTube shorts, and Instagram reels.

A Final Thought

The challenges of gaining online visibility are mounting. The world’s most widely used search engines and social media platforms continue to adjust their algorithms in ways that keep users on their sites.

Strategies that once worked wonders will likely prove less effective against the algorithm changes. What does work is an integrated marketing communications strategy centered on distributing key messages and meeting users where they are, combining owned, earned, paid, and shared media.

But to get integrated marketing communications campaigns right, firms will need access to skilled, seasoned talent that knows what success looks like and how to achieve it.

The post The Power of Integrated Marketing: How Owned, Earned, Paid, and Shared Media Can Drive Visibility in a Zero-Click World appeared first on Hinge Marketing.

Inbound lead generation’s potential is real, but it requires a radical shift in mindset, marketing priorities and financial investment. Sponsorships and in-person networking just aren’t going to cut it anymore. Instead, start thinking about an asset you already have—your team’s expertise—and how you can use that pool of knowledge to attract and engage an audience that wants what you have to offer.

Inbound Marketing Techniques Defined

Inbound marketing is the process of helping potential clients discover your firm by making your relevant expertise and insights easy to find. It allows prospects to encounter you, in the channels they prefer, when they are ready to learn and engage. Inbound marketing messages tend to be educational in nature rather than self-promotional. 

By giving away some of your knowledge for free, you can quickly build a prospect’s trust. When they are ready to buy the kinds of services you offer, they are likely to think of you—their trusted resource—first.

Inbound marketing contrasts with outbound marketing, where you try to locate potential clients and interrupt them to gain their attention and deliver your marketing message. Outbound messages are typically more self-promotional and focused on your products or services and less focused on the client’s issues.

Advantages of Inbound Marketing

An inbound marketing strategy has many advantages over traditional marketing. Here are just a few:

• Prospects engage when they are ready, so you don’t have to convince them of a need
• Since they are self-selected, prospects tend to be more motivated
• Your content can explain your thinking and approach, so when prospects reach out, they are looking for exactly what you are offering
• Inbound leads are typically easier to close
• It’s often less costly than outbound marketing
• It expands your reach to new markets and prospects—including people you weren’t even aware of before and never would have found you otherwise

Top 21 Inbound Marketing Techniques

How do you put all the advantages of inbound marketing to work for your firm? Try incorporating some or all of the following top techniques into your marketing program.

1. Search Engine Optimization

Search engine optimization (often just called SEO) is the process of making your online content, such as blog posts and services pages, easy to find through search engines like Google. As much art as science, SEO can involve a wide range of tactics (such as keyword research, page optimization and link building) to achieve its ultimate goal: delivering a steady stream of high-quality traffic to your website.

How you might use it: No inbound marketing strategy can ignore SEO. If you publish educational blog content, use keyword research to make your blogging more strategic. Then use on-site and off-site techniques to build visibility for your content.

2. Pay-Per-Click Advertising

Another way to drive qualified traffic to your website and generate inbound leads is to invest in pay-per-click advertising (PPC). Most commonly used on search platforms like Google and Bing, PPC allows you to appear on relevant search results pages for search terms of your choice. Unlike the traditional advertising model, you pay only when someone clicks on your ad. You have complete control over your target audiences, keywords and budget. Once you have your campaign set up, it works immediately. And you can track results in real time.

How you might use it: Many companies use PPC to supplement their SEO program. If you aren’t able to rank for certain critical keywords using SEO, you can target them with ads that look very much like organic search results. This technique is also very helpful when you need quick visibility, such as with a new product launch or rebranding exercise.

3. Lead-Generating Website

Driving traffic to your website and blog isn’t enough. You still need to convert that valuable traffic into leads. Unfortunately, most professional services websites aren’t set up to do this very well. A lead-generating website, on the other hand, makes it easy for a visitor to understand what you do, read, watch or download educational materials, and reach out if they have a need. This kind of website is not just about CTAs and conversions (though those are important). It is designed to be easy to read, ooze credibility and build trust.

How you might use it: We won’t beat around the bush: it’s almost impossible to have an effective inbound marketing strategy without a lead-generating website. If you aren’t ready to invest in a soup-to-nuts redesign, you can try retrofitting your current site with some of the features of a high-performance website. But eventually, you will probably want to rebuild it from scratch to deliver a powerful, cohesive experience.

4. Online Networking

There is still a place for in-person networking, but in most industries the spotlight has moved into the digital realm. From Facebook to Twitter to LinkedIn, there are well-established platforms where you can meet—and influence—hundreds or even thousands of potential clients. Like its analog counterpart, online networking centers on making connections with the right people, building a reputation and generating referrals, but it is far easier to scale and reach a large group of interested individuals. It has the added benefit of breaking down geographic barriers and exposing you to audiences in distant markets. 

How you might use it: Online networking is not magic. To achieve results it requires some dedication and a consistent approach. If you are new to it, or have only dabbled in the past, select just one platform and be realistic about the level of effort you can sustain. In almost every professional services industry, LinkedIn is your best bet. Try to add a few qualified new connections each week or two. Engage with other people’s content, and publish pieces of your own. When it makes sense, reach out to individual people in your pool of connections to further the relationship.

5. Webinars

Webinars offer almost all of the benefits of an in-person educational event, while adding a host of new advantages. Like an in-person seminar or educational training session, you can demonstrate your expertise, answer questions, and build a rapport with your audience. You can also collect attendees’ contact information so that you can follow up with relevant offers. But unlike in-person events, you can invite people from anywhere in the world, easily conduct live polls, include presenters from multiple locations, and record your presentation to engage people who weren’t able to attend. On top of all that, webinars are easy and cheap to produce.

How you might use them: Consider teaming up with a partner in a related industry that also serves your audience. They will bring their own audience to the presentation, expanding your reach. Or try presenting with a client who can bring a point of view that will resonate with your attendees. End each presentation with a call to action that gets people to take another step. This could be a downloadable piece of content or a free consultation. Experiment and see what works for you. 

6. Research Studies

A research study on your target client’s industry is one of the most powerful tools a firm can use to build credibility and position itself as a thought leader. Besides the valuable insights they gain, firms that use research as a marketing tool are seen as more knowledgeable and trusted for their expertise. Research studies also make exceptional lead generators. 

How you might use it: You can conduct your own original research, usually with the help of an experienced research partner. Or if that’s too rich for your budget, you can sponsor a study being conducted by a third-party. An even less expensive option is to license existing research. Whatever type of research you invest in, you can use it in many ways. You can provide reports for free download behind a contact form or, if you did custom research, you can offer it for sale. But that’s just the beginning. All that data can be used to inspire blog posts, webinars, speeches, social media posts, infographics and more. One study should provide months of material for your marketing program.

7. Online Marketing Videos

There is no more perfect inbound marketing medium for professional services firms than video. It allows your audience to see and hear your experts in a fully controlled environment. In this way, potential clients get a taste of what it might be like to work with your firm before they buy. That’s powerful.

How you might use it: Video can be used to deliver educational content, explain complex services or introduce a firm’s team of experts. High-value video content, such as how-tos, webinar recordings and short courses, can also be put behind a registration form to build your list and generate leads. You can even enlist clients to describe how your firm solved a thorny problem or contributed to their success. By the way, you don’t have to spend a fortune on video. Today, you have many options to choose from.

8. White Papers

White papers have been around for decades—and for good reason. Even today, they can be fantastic lead generation tools. People look to white papers for a serious exploration of a technical or practical topic in a compact format. And many people who need to understand an issue at that level of depth will gladly trade a small amount of personal information to access it. 

How you might use them: Promote white papers on your website, such as your homepage, applicable services pages and relevant blog posts. If you want to use them as an inbound lead generation tool, create a landing page with a short form to turn readers into new contacts for your email list. Another option is to distribute your white paper through a third-party service, expanding your visibility. The focus should be on educating your audience, not self-promotion. You are trying to build credibility and trust, not close the sale today.

9. Guides

Guides are similar to white papers, but they differ in two respects: 1) they tend to cover a broader topic in depth, often consisting of multiple chapters; and 2) they are usually less technical, speaking in plain English to an executive-level audience. A guide explores a topic in enough detail to give a senior-level influencer or decision-maker a high-level understanding. At the same time, they signal to the reader that your firm knows its stuff and would be well qualified to solve their problem.

How you might use them: Use guides to target executives similar to how you would white papers. White papers tend to have a more technical slant. Guides also make excellent lead nurturing content in email campaigns.

10. Ebooks

Like guides, ebooks explore an issue in depth, but they dive even deeper. While there is no minimum length for an ebook, most contain multiple chapters and run at least 50 pages. Many are full-length books running well over 100 pages. Works of this length have a great deal of perceived value, and people will gladly exchange personal information for a free digital copy. To increase the value of the free copy even more, you can use a print-on-demand publisher (such as Amazon KDP or Ingram Lightning Source) to produce physical copies that you sell on Amazon or at other stores. 

How you might use them: Promote your ebook in conventional on-page offers or in pop up offers. You can also market your ebook on your website like you would a traditionally published book, positioning your firm as thought leaders.

11. E-Newsletter

E-newsletters may sound like a quaint relic from a simpler time, but you don’t have to look very far to realize they are still going strong. Chances are, you subscribe to one or two or more, yourself. That’s because they work. The difference is, today you have a lot more platforms to launch yours. While many people use traditional email platforms, like MailChimp and Constant Contact, to deliver their e-newsletters, others have moved to integrated platforms such as Hubspot and Salesforce Pardot. Still others manage them on popular social media platforms like LinkedIn. Why are e-newsletters so effective? For one thing, they provide a dependable outlet for your thought leadership. And by their very nature, they keep you top of mind as new issues arrive on a regular schedule. 

How you might use them: E-newsletters should not be a vehicle for company news, new employee announcements and teambuilding pics. Only the most doting client will care about any of that. To be a truly valuable inbound lead generation technique, each issue should focus on a topic your clients and prospects care about. Usually this means educational content. Promote your newsletter on your website and social media. To minimize friction and encourage the most people to subscribe, require as little information as possible at signup. Many e-newsletters require nothing more than an email address.

12. Blogging

By itself, blogging isn’t really a lead generation technique. But as part of a larger system that includes SEO and gated valuable content, it is the most powerful driver of leads to your website. That’s because people who find your blog posts through Google are likely to be interested in other content on your website—especially if you promote a relevant free guide or whitepaper download alongside your post. That’s how you turn web visitors into leads. And if you get your SEO and blog strategy right, you’ll attract a lot of qualified prospects—people who are highly motivated and interested in your services.

How you might use it: Be sure to host your blog on your website, or you will waste all the Domain Authority “juice” it generates. Promote your posts on LinkedIn and Twitter to maximize your exposure. 

13. Guest Blogging

Your blogging activity doesn’t have to be restricted to your own blog—nor should it be. A great way to amplify your blogging strategy is to guest blog on respected, high-authority third-party sites. This strategy exposes you to new audiences and, if the blog allows it, can supply valuable backlinks to your website. It also helps position you as thought leaders in your industry.

How you might use it: Look for blogs that speak to your target audience. These could be standalone blogs, online business publications, industry organizations or businesses at the periphery of your industry (for example, attorneys and CPAs often serve the same clientele but don’t directly compete with each other). When you contribute to high Domain Authority blogs, you can often target keywords that you would otherwise have little hope of ranking for. 

14. Podcasting

Podcasts are more popular than ever, and this medium is only expected to grow. Fortunately, the cost of entry to podcasting is low—you can buy a quality microphone for less than $130 and several popular audio software apps are available for free (such as Audacity or Apple’s Garage Band). You’ll also need a podcast hosting service (many excellent low-cost options are available—we use Libsyn). A podcast is an excellent vehicle to showcase your firm’s expertise, build trust and connect, in a personal way, with your audience. If you distribute your episode to even one or two of the popular directories (such as Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, or TuneIn), you have the potential to reach hundreds or thousands of new listeners—many of whom may never have heard of you before.

How you might use it: Use your podcast to explore current issues and trends that are important to your audience, discuss how you solve specific problems, interview other experts, or even invite clients to share their challenges. 

15. Visible Experts^®

Your firm is filled to the brim with experts. What if you could make some of them far more well known, even outside your marketplace? What effect would that have on your firm’s growth? At Hinge, we call these upwardly mobile individuals Visible Experts^®. They not only bring more visibility to your firm, they can often command higher fees. But that’s not all. Visible Experts also help your firm attract better, more profitable clients, close business faster and attract top talent. In short, they can elevate your firm to a new level of prominence. But how do you build your experts’ reputations? They can either follow a self-guided process or hire an outside consultant to mentor them and step them through the process.

How you might use it: If your firm is small, elevating even a single professional to Visible Expert status can make a huge difference. Larger firms may want to put a team of professionals through a formal program to multiply the impact.

16. Pop-up Offers On Your Website

Pop up offers aren’t just for B2C websites. They can be a powerful lead generation tool for professional services firms, too. Use them to convert your website and blog visitors into leads. If you use a flexible dedicated tool, such as OptinMonster, you can easily set up different offers that align with the content on your pages. 

How you might use them: Experiment with a variety of offers (many of these tools even allow you to conduct A/B tests) such as white papers, guides, e-newsletter subscriptions, webinar recordings, live demos and free consultations. Just be sure that each offer is relevant to the content on the page, includes clear, enticing benefits and requires the person to fill out a form to access the material.

17. Dedicated Landing Pages

An offer should always lead to a place where it’s fast and easy to complete the conversion. In most cases, this means a dedicated page with language that quickly orients the user, continues to “sell” the product and minimizes the roadblocks to completing the download or other action. 

How you might use them: Writing and optimizing landing pages is always as straightforward as you think. You may need to test different copy and visuals to optimize conversions. You can set up Google Analytics (or a CRM like Salesforce/Pardot or HubSpot) to see not only how many people reach the landing page, but how many actually follow through with the download. Some tools will even allow you to A/B test different landing page versions concurrently. 

18. Live Chat

Prospective clients are on your website every day. A live chat app gives them a way to interact with your team in real time (at Hinge, we use Olark, but many good options are available). Unlike chatbots, which rely on AI or preprogrammed responses, live chat allows web visitors to have conversations with designated employees. In marketing, responsiveness can be critical to a firm’s success. This low-friction tool allows people to ask questions and get answers right away, dramatically improving lead generation. 

How you might use it: In most cases, installing a Live Chat app is as simple as adding a plugin to your website. If you have a CRM, you may be able to integrate it with that, as well. To start, assign one or two people on your staff to monitor the chat app. Select people who are both familiar with your services and have business development skills. You’ll be surprised how often simple inquiries turn into serious opportunities.

19. Online Course

Today, more and more professionals are looking online for high-quality training and education. That makes producing an online course of your own an attractive inbound lead generation technique. Whether you hire a professional videographer or do it all in-house, producing an in-depth course on a topic of interest to your buyers can be a great way to widen your market exposure and show off your expertise. Now, producing a high-quality course takes a lot of planning, time and effort. You will need to navigate a large number of factors, including video, audio, slides and other visual aids, video hosting, quizzes (if you want them), worksheets or other supplemental materials, and the platform you will use to deliver your course to your online audience. But there are few better ways to show people how you think and solve problems. It’s not unusual for buyers of online courses to later become buyers of your services.

How you might use it: You can either give the course away as a powerful lead magnet and marketing tool, or you can sell it online as a self-serve product. Use the size and scope of your  course as a guide in making this decision. An 8-hour video course with quizzes and supplemental materials is a huge investment—and probably worth charging for. A 2-hour webinar-style training, on the other hand, is a perfect piece of valuable content to give away for the price of a name and email address. Whatever topic you choose to cover, make sure it is of real interest to your target audience and dovetails with a service you offer.

20. Email Nurture Sequences

While not technically a lead generation technique, an email nurture sequence makes your lead generation program far more effective. When you acquire a new email contact through any of the techniques described above, you can use a pre-programmed sequence of emails to send out highly relevant educational content over a period of days or weeks, as well as provide opportunities for the prospect to take a next step in the relationship. If you are a firm of any size, chances are you’ll need multiple email sequences to address different interests, service lines and audience segments. The benefits? You stay top of mind, keep your contacts engaged for a prolonged period of time and continue to provide the trust-building thought leadership that turns a casual interest in your firm into raging fandom.

How you might use them: You’ll need a tool designed to handle sequenced emails. Do you have a marketing automation platform such as Hubspot, Marketo or Pardot? Then you already have what you need. If not, look for a cloud-based tool specifically designed to deliver nurture sequences (ConvertKit is a popular option). If you have a library of educational content, look for pieces that would address a common issue or set of related issues. If you don’t have a library of content, create new content (it doesn’t have to be lengthy) or repurpose existing materials, such as blog posts, speeches and webinar recordings.

21. Digital PR

Digital Public Relations is a collection of techniques used to broaden your firm’s exposure, promote your thought leadership and strengthen your website’s Domain Authority. It can include many tactics, including publishing articles and press releases, engaging with reporters and providing expert answers to their questions, researching and addressing trending topics, building relationships with bloggers, podcasters and other influencers, developing greater social media presence, and more. Not long ago, Google’s Search Advocate John Mueller said that digital PR is even more important than technical SEO to your website. So ignore it at your own risk.

How you might use it: Digital PR can seem overwhelming at first. Start with one or two techniques and build from there. Don’t worry about churning out press releases—they’ll have little or no impact without a solid strategy behind them. Instead, try reaching out to a few influencers and see if they might be willing to publish a guest blog post or host one of your experts on their podcast. Perhaps you can arrange a joint webinar with a strategic partner. Small incremental steps can produce outsize results.

These 21 inbound lead generation techniques would make a formidable marketing plan by themselves. But if you have limited resources, you can still make great strides toward developing more quality inbound leads by picking a few to focus on. They don’t have to replace any traditional techniques that are working well for you today. In fact, high-growth firms almost always use a combination of digital inbound and traditional marketing tactics to reach a wider range of people. By accelerating your transition toward an inbound-forward marketing strategy, you will be better aligned with today’s buyers—and become an active participant in the way they find, learn to trust, vet and select their professional services partners. 

The post Top 21 Inbound Lead Generation Techniques appeared first on Hinge Marketing.

Pay Per Click (PPC)

Pay Per Click (or PPC) is a form of advertising where a firm can pay to drive visitors to their website from search engines. Google Ads is the most popular PPC service although Bing does represent 5% of June 2021’s search engine traffic according to Statista*. These ads generally appear at the top and on the right-hand side of a search engine’s results pages. Firms can bid on service-related keywords for their ad to show up in these placements.

Generally speaking, the more that you’re willing to pay for a click, the higher up your ad appears on the page. However, A/B testing with your chosen keywords, headline copy, and ad descriptions will allow you to optimize your campaign strategy. 

While PPC campaigns can often be a powerful tool, it can also backfire if it’s not managed well. You can be paying too much for clicks and getting a lot of traffic without any conversions if you aren’t carefully monitoring your account. Many companies can get into a bidding war and end up paying inflated prices just to stay ahead of their competitor.

Ensure your ads are relevant and not attracting the wrong type of visitor. You can end up paying a fortune on junk traffic. You might see an increase in your traffic, but are these visitors actually converting or turning into new business for your firm? PPC can be a great way to build firm visibility and drive traffic for specific campaigns, but should only be set up by professionals that have a deep understanding of how it works. Otherwise, costs could quickly skyrocket without much return.

Social Media Ads

Paid social media advertising involves placing ads that can appear at the top, on the sides, or in the newsfeed of various social media platforms that can take you directly to the advertiser’s website. Size and placement vary depending on the platform that’s hosting the ad. You can place ads on the platform’s extended audience or create a lookalike audience for re-targeting purposes. Sometimes, you can even upload an internal list of contacts to create a matched audience on each social media platform. 

There is some good news, though. Because social ads appear within the social media platform’s native content the user is already consuming, it doesn’t interrupt or interfere with what they are already doing as much as some other forms of ads do. Social media ads can also be good at helping to introduce brand messaging and build awareness, and since you only pay when a user clicks on the ad (CPC) or when the content is visible on the platform (CPM), a ton of people can be exposed to your firm for little cost.

Meta Ads

There is simply no other social platform that has more bells and whistles for a paid digital advertiser than Meta. The options can be overwhelming for the novice user. To place an ad on Meta, there is a setup process where you need to verify your business, add payment information, verify your domain and install pixels on your website, among other things. This step is critical for your ads’ success and measurement.

Meta’s targeting criteria are very sophisticated, as well. Meta has data on its users that allows you to target paid advertising based on interests, group membership, website behavior, geographic location, and other personal information about a user.

One of the benefits of advertising your professional services firm on Meta is the low cost. Paid digital ads on Meta also create a higher level of campaign performance. Other social platforms can be low-cost but produce a lower yield/conversion rate for leads. Some other social platforms have a higher cost but produce a lower quantity of leads.

Another benefit to paid digital Meta ads is the Meta reporting capabilities. There are triggers created from Meta pixels that you can track and capture visitors to your site or to specific pages within your site. By default, Meta ads are also targeted to the specific KPIs you need to report to upper management or clients making it the perfect option for campaign transparency and decision making.

LinkedIn Ads

Specifically, ads on LinkedIn can appear across a number of pages on LinkedIn, including a user’s newsfeed, inbox, search results, or LinkedIn Groups. The placement of ads on those pages will vary. You can also sponsor content and InMail messages.

A major benefit of LinkedIn ads is their ability to target very specifically. Advertisers can select their audience by job title, job function, industry, geography, company name, company size, age, gender, LinkedIn groups, and more. You can set a maximum budget so you don’t end up paying more than you expect. It’s great to have a safety net, especially when it comes to your budget.

LinkedIn ads are ideal for B2B and professional services firms. You can reach the right audience in a targeted way, without being overly intrusive. Setting up LinkedIn ads is also much more straightforward than PPC ads, for example.

The downside of this type of advertising is that you must be cautious when selecting an ad objective and consider what data points the platform has access to. Do not be enticed by objectives such as lead generation. What criteria could the platform have to give you this offering? These objectives are often built by bundling different data points together such as behavior-based with demographic interests. Because of this, these objectives are very expensive and we have seen limited results by using them. 

Twitter Ads

Twitter’s ad manager gives you all the data points necessary that allow you to easily make adjustments to maximize your money spent. Twitter also allows you to create a tailored audience and target those who went to your website but didn’t complete a download or another goal your firm may have. They also offer the ability to target audiences who are receiving your emails but not opening them. Twitter provides a number of different ad types, including:

• Promoted Accounts: This kind of ad suggests Twitter accounts to people that they aren’t currently following, but might find interesting.
• Promoted Tweets: These are normal Tweets that advertisers can purchase to reach a wider audience.
• Promoted Trends: This kind of ad allows advertisers to create a trending hashtag and pay to promote it for the day.

An advertiser must be aware that Twitter and other platforms like Meta have advertising policies that restrict an advertiser’s ability to target by age, language, disability, familial status, civil or marital status, sex, race, color, national origin, religion, receipt of income from a public assistance program, exercise of rights under Consumer Credit Protection Act, or precise location (at the zip code level or more precise)

TikTok Ads

TikTok is a platform that is growing its advertising platform. Generally speaking, TikTok ads are great for B2C and B2B companies who are seeking to increase brand awareness and influence audience spending behavior. TikTok ads do require video creative collateral. Seek to make your video “native”. It should not stand out too much from other videos that users see in their newsfeed. 

TikTok’s ad manager is rapidly growing in terms of functionality. You can easily make adjustments to maximize your money spent. TikTok also allows you to create a tailored audience and target those who went to your website but didn’t complete a download or another goal your firm may have. They also offer the ability to upload an internal file of customers. You must have certain criteria available on this list in order to match it with a TikTok audience. 

TikTok provides a number of different ad types, including:

• In-feed
• Top-view
• Brand takeover
• Branded hashtag challenge
• Branded effects

Other Platforms

There are also other platforms available for digital advertising. Google ads (PPC and in-stream ads on YouTube), Hulu’s ad manager (Beta), as well as, audio platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, and others.

Google ads manager can be a little intimidating to novice users. Working with an agency that can produce your video/audio collateral and/or offer keyword research for your PPC campaigns are keys to success with these platforms. An agency can also work with your firm to ensure that your campaigns are optimized and performing well.

It takes a little effort to be allowed into Hulu’s ad manager since it is still in beta. There are other options to advertise on Hulu that include reaching out to a Hulu campaign representative that will allow you to book a video ad through them.

The ad manager on Hulu is rather robust and allows you to target your ad based on zip code, education level, and income level. It also offers targeting options based on other demographic persona data. Typically, we have seen CPM’s on this platform start at the $32/thousand level and rise based on additional targeting options that are selected.

Paid advertisements can oftentimes be a quicker solution to your firm’s marketing strategy, but should work in tandem with your other efforts. Paid advertising can be used by your B2B company or professional services firm to generate leads or enhance your firm’s talent acquisition strategy, as well as, build firm visibility. Dig deeper into these paid advertising options to understand whether or not they’re a good fit for your professional services firm.

The post Social Media Paid Advertising in Professional Services: Which Platform is Worthwhile? appeared first on Hinge Marketing.