marketing

I don't know how I ever lived without my smartphone.  Whether I want to find a good restaurant in my area, catch up with friends on Facebook, or keep up with client needs on the go -- there's so much of my life in that little device!  Both personally and professionally, I'm sure many others value the instant gratification as much as I do! 

This led me to brainstorm and do a little research on how companies (and B2B in particular) can take advantage of mobile technologies by integrating the medium into their marketing strategy.  Here are  the best tips that I've found:

Young accountants, engineers and lawyers enter into their respective fields because that is what they want to practice.  Many of these professionals are “left brained” because they are often said to be more logical, analytical and objective.  They are comfortable and like doing “billable” client work as it plays to their strengths and they get rewarded in terms of compensation and promotions.  And in some firms, young associates are told that having super high chargeability is the Holy Grail to partnership. Life is good for these professionals!  They can practice what they love and if they become exceptional technicians and work hard enough, there is a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, right?  

Bourbon Street, New Orleans – it’s like taking a step around the corner into another world where nothing is taboo.  If you have a fun and fearless side, this place will surely bring it out!  And YES, this applies to public accountants as well! 

Blogging can generate great results for your firm like increased traffic to your site, a greater number of Web leads, and establishing thought leadership in your industry. While this is true, there are a number of common challenges that B2B firms face in achieving blogging success. Here, we break down these challenges and mistakes and offer ways to overcome them.

One of the major obstacles I find that our professional services clients face is that the partners in the firms have difficulty finding the time to focus their efforts on building business.  As the face of the company, partners need to be out networking, cultivating client relationships and sharing thought leadership.  However, engaging less experienced (yet eager) staff into the marketing effort can work in your favor in two ways:

As a journalism student at the University of Maryland College Park, there was a certain badge of honor that we wore proudly. After all, journalism is about truth, integrity, honesty…right? In contrast, I used to joke with my friends in marketing — they weren’t about truth-telling, but rather being paid to tell the truth according to someone else. If anyone took their talent for writing words and made the shift from journalism to marketing, it was viewed as “turning to the dark side.”

I love a good healthy marketing debate over a Cobb salad lunch! Last week, I went a few “rounds” during a discussion about the optimal positioning of a mid-sized professional services firm.  On one side of the ring was me – the experienced and competitive B2B marketer.  On the other side was a people-oriented Partner with over 30 years under his belt.  On the ropes - a business development professional who was new to the firm and to the professional services industry.  In the middle of the ring was the referee disguised as the firm’s Managing Partner.  We hadn’t even ordered our salads as the first round began!

We often hear the words marketing and business development uttered in the same breath, or even used synonymously. While these two departments certainly cover similar ground and ultimately contribute to the growth of a firm’s business, they can be quite different and should each have clear and distinct responsibilities. By clarifying what each department is responsible for and communicating these responsibilities up front, professional service firms can better play on the strengths of each department and have them collaborate with one another for greater success.

This post is a guest blog post by Neil Edwards, Managing Director, Strategic Marketing Consultant and Co-owner of The Marketing Eye, a provider of outsourced marketing services in Uckfield, East Sussex in the United Kingdom.