10 Content marketing ideas for Professional Services.
Content marketing is a key component of professional services marketing and helps a company or individual position the brand in a more direct and engaging way.
Content Marketing costs 62% less than traditional advertising and generates about 3 times more leads. Content Marketing through Social Media is an effective way to connect with your ideal audience, demonstrate your process in a more intimate way and build valuable relationships.
That said, one of the most common questions my clients ask me is “what do I post on social media”.
Content Marketing can be a full time job in itself and there is nothing worse than a lack of inspiration for your daily post. Trust me, I’ve been there. They key is sharing valuable, relevant and consistent content that adds value to your audience whilst generating brand awareness.
For those days where you need a bit of inspiration here are some high level ideas to kick start your creativity – number 1 being case in point.
01. LISTS
From awards to best ofs and tips to essentials, everyone loves a list. They are tried and true content favourite that not only provides a kick start to inspiration but also helps to form a framework for the user.
02. HOW TO
How to content offers step-by-step, process-driven information to help your audience do something better. It positions you as an expert in your field and helps to demonstrate your proven practices.
03. STORIES
Have someone else tell your story. Case Studies are a great way to showcase how you think, your proven processes and how you have helped your customers solve their problem.
THE TOP 3 CONTENT MEDIUMS FOR B2B MARKETS ARE SOCIAL MEDIA CONTENT (95%), BLOG POSTS / SHORT ARTICLES (89%) AND EMAIL NEWSLETTERS (81%).
04. TESTIMONIALS
We are only as good as our last project. Testimonials are the evidence to your stories from your customer’s perspective. In their own words they inspire interest in brand and provide authentic value.
05. OPINION
I once worked with a consummate professional who was an outstanding contributor with very controversial opinions that the corporates of the organisation were too afraid to support. Whilst her interesting and exciting content was the most lusted by the audience the management kiboshed her views and ultimately lost the audience. If you know your stuff don’t be afraid share, clients and customers want to learn from your voice and experiences. Be prepared however, to manage the feedback and questions with grace and insight.
06. FACTS & STATS
Did you know approximately 65% of Australians shop online from bed? Stats are easy to source and provide you with a great launching pad for cross selling. Stats and facts also demonstrate that your company is across the latest trends and subject matter experts.
Content marketing is 3 times more efficient in terms of leads than outbound marketing.
60% of B2C marketers use content marketing strategies.
56% of businesses worldwide intend to spend more on content creation.
73% of businesses have a designated employee to monitor content creation.
72% of companies say content marketing increases leads.
92% of marketers and businesses report content as a valuable business asset.
07. EBOOKS
eBooks are a great way to compile all of your expertise, projects, research or content into a larger, long-form content format that provides audience value without the expense of printing. Make sure it a more comprehensive story and not just a look at me piece.
08. WHITE PAPERS
White papers are perfect for telling complex stories in a concise format. Start with a case study that has common complexities and elaborate on the problem, solution and outcome. As above, make the problem the catalyst and your solution the feature, your audience wants to hear about value not a self-promotion piece. According to SEMrush research the top-performing articles are over 5,700 words in length.
09. MEMES
We all need some light relief and fun is one of the most shared content on social media. Do it!
10. LANDING PAGES
Back in the day, we used ‘micro-sites’ – now we use landing pages for specific content and sales campaigns that require targeted or niche audience engagement.