Written by Sean McVey
Today, the range of online marketing tools at our disposal is almost overwhelming. Twitter, YouTube, SEO, PPC, email marketing, blogging… the list goes on. And it will continue to grow.
So where do you invest your limited time and money? Which baskets should you put your eggs into?
Most experts will say, “it depends.” I like to say, “let’s look at the data and find out.” Last year, Hinge conducted an online marketing research study of 500 professional services firms to determine which marketing techniques were most effective.
We asked each firm in the study to rate the effectiveness of common online tactics on a scale from 0-10. We then segmented the data into two buckets:
- Average growth firms
- High growth firms (based on year-over year revenue) that were generating 40% or more of their leads online.
We hoped to identify which online marketing techniques fast-growing firms believed were most effective. Here is what we found:
What does this tell us about online marketing for professional services firms?
- If You’re Not Optimizing, You’re Not in the Games
It’s tough to generate leads if you’re not generating traffic. Conducting keyword research, optimizing your site, and building search engine authority are critical to attract the eyeballs necessary to fuel a high quality lead generation program. Smart firms understand this and focus heavily on search engine optimization.
- Build a Content Foundation
Companies that blog generate 55% more web traffic. The more educational content you feature on your site, the more search engine and social media traffic you are likely to receive. Further, high quality content pieces such as white papers and e-books make great offers to nurture visitors and convert them into leads.
- If You Don’t Measure, It’s Hard to Grow
Google Analytics is free, so there is no excuse for not tracking valuable web activity. The online landscape will continue to evolve — and so should your firm’s marketing initiatives. By tracking the quality of your web traffic and understanding what leads to conversions and leads (and what doesn’t), you can make informed decisions that will guide you to continual improvements.
Looking for more insights? Download the full research report and start prioritizing your online marketing today.
Sean McVey (@SeanTMcVey) is the Director of Online Marketing at Hinge, a marketing and branding firm specializing in professional services firms.
Tags: Marketing, Online Marketing
