There was a time when it was considered in bad taste for people in the professional services sector to market their services. Doctors, hospitals, lawyers, accountants and other professionals believed only the most unscrupulous among them would dare to advertise. But times have changed and so have marketing methods for professionals. Today, many have marketing directors on staff and work with ad agencies or public relations firms.
In the age of 24-hour news, the Internet and rising competition in all business sectors, it is important to build name recognition, brand awareness and goodwill. It may be hard to think of yourself or your practice as a product or a brand, but that's how it must be approached. Decide what makes you or your business unique and begin building your marketing messages around those ideas.
Before beginning a marketing campaign, it's best to develop a plan. The plan should outline your marketing goals and objectives and be aligned with your business goals, list target audiences and key messages for each, and include the specific strategies and tactics to help you reach your goals. Also, build in mechanisms to determine what is working and what's not. Then, don't be afraid to adjust your tactics.
There are many ways to diversify marketing dollars and help define your business outside of traditional advertising. Here are five.
1. Build relationships. For many professionals, building relationships with clients, potential clients and referral sources is a priority. This is known as relationship marketing. It allows clients and referral sources to gain trust in you and build a level of comfort in the working relationship.
David Smyth, owner of Family Financial Partners, said relationship marketing is all he does. He believes he is in the people business rather than in the financial services business.
"People buy David Smyth, Family Financial Partners, our family stories and our history," he said. "We believe in being present and getting to know people."
Smyth meets quarterly with all clients and has client appreciation events such as family day at the Legends, Narnia night at the movies, golf outings and mom's day out. He said building trust takes time and that spending time together at social events helps his clients get to know and trust him.
2. Position yourself as an expert source. Reporters need sources, and many times, they call on the people they know. Find out which reporters cover your business sector. In newspapers, this is clearly defined. Look at the bylines or check the paper's Web site. In television, it's not always clear, so if you don't know which reporter to contact, start with the assignment editor. Make sure you have your "pitch" ready. Don't waste a reporter's time, or an editor's time. Get straight to the point you want to make about your credentials, experience or expertise about a particular subject.
Pamela Honchell, owner of Monarch Promotions, works with Audubon Dental & Implant Center. The practice advertises on television and on the Web, but Honchell thought there was value in positioning the dentists as experts in their field through publicity. She scheduled an appearance for one of the Audubon dentists on WKYT's afternoon talk show and was pleased with the results.
"The phone started ringing off the hook," she said.
Being on the program created name recognition for the practice and set the dentist apart from others who may perform the same or similar services.
3. Consider talk radio. Most talk radio shows have to fill several hours each day. Call or e-mail the host or producer and let them know you have information that their listeners need to know. Maybe it's a new test or surgical procedure that no one else is doing, or it could be a change in the tax law that's confusing to people. Whatever it is, make sure you become known as the most knowledgeable about it.
4. Speak to civic and professional groups. Again, this positions you as an expert and gets your name in front of a targeted group of people who may need your services. Develop a brief fact sheet or brochure about your business that can be given to each attendee. Don't forget to put your Web site address on it so people can get more information about your services and experience.
5. Become a sponsor. This is a good way to have your name associated with an event, a team or an organization that could build goodwill and name recognition. Just as in voting or buying a product at the grocery store, some people select professional services based on name recognition. If people remember that you helped sponsor an event for a charity that's close to their heart, that might be all you need to win the business.
Going a step further and actually becoming involved in charitable organizations or civic groups is another good way to meet potential clients and build trust. People are more likely to want to do business with people they know and enjoy being around.
These are just a few ways to promote your services without advertising. Although there's certainly nothing wrong with good, old-fashioned advertising, it's not the only way to get your name out there.