A professional services firm is looking for social media help. They're a little overwhelmed. It forced me to whip out an email summary of what's out there and some high-level ideas. Additionally, it pushed me to highlight unique opportunities we're discovering for professional service firms --- consultants, attorneys, accountants for example --- who may have greater chance of actual results, in terms of sales, than, for example, huge consumer brands. It seemed like these ideas could be useful, and a little more tangible than theory (which is well documented) so I'm putting a transcript of it here.
Dear X.
When clients ask me about social media, I tell them it's not that different than the oldest business practices in history. It's about building relationships. A legal firm will understand that; attorneys have referral-based businesses.
Nothing new, but potentially better
To build business relationships online, the same way people would build relationships passing out business cards, having chance meetings in the airport, or making conversation at a bar or restaurant, companies have to make a sustained effort to stay active online in the right way in the most effective environments for their needs.
This is more than picking the right social media channel (e.g., Twitter, Facebook) although that's some of it. It's choosing the channel and the related message as part of a broader and more traditional marketing and sales strategy.
Now serving Canned TweetsIt's also more than using Twitter, for example, as another "billboard." The business using social media is still operating in a social space. Continually feeding marketing messages into the channel where people also discuss, say, the Vikings, is like telemarketing --- using a personal communications channel to sell stuff.
Other companies recognize the need for authenticity, versus blatant marketing, in these social environments, but they haven't pried social utilities out of the hands of traditional marketers at their organizations. These efforts come off looking canned, as in
Pepsi's strategy --- which employs the look, feel, and terminology of social media without the people --- or
Wendy's strategy, which makes it look like real "Tweets" about various topics are actually about Wendy's.
These inauthentic approaches feel more like pyramid marketing. Someone invites you out for coffee to catch up. Halfway through the conversation their strained smile, clumsy attempts at small talk, and curious habit of driving the discussion toward the subject of cleaning products make you realize: they're winding up for an Amway pitch, and you can't get away.
Success stories
The companies doing social media in the most effective way, Home Depot, Best Buy, and Chevy for example are 1) out there all the time having normal, authentic conversations with customers (e.g., Chevy, "Hey I like the picture you posted of your Camaro - love the custom rims - check out this picture of next year's prototype. We're excited about it.") and 2) using Twitter, for example, for customer service. To respond personally to customer questions, complaints, requests, and praise (e.g., Best Buy, "I had trouble getting my speakers to work with that receiver too; here's what I did.")
Letting internal enthusiasts do what they always do
These two examples are analogous to buying a new stove from a salesperson who really loves to cook. They're enthusiasts, and start talking to you about a product from experience, rather than reading a pitch. You believe them. There are enthusiasts at most companies who love what they do and talk about it a lot. Social media extend the reach of their real opinions in an authentic, versus canned, way.
Results?
Last is results. Social media strategies need to be measured in the same way as traditional advertising, testing for increased brand awareness, for example, versus expecting a huge and immediate spike in sales.
I do believe small firms will see far greater, actual results in terms of sales contacts than a Pepsi or a Wendy's could easily track. I believe attorneys can meet clients, or people who refer clients, online.
Social media becoming a price of entry for relevant marketing
Mostly, I say a social media presence is just like a web presence used to be: at a certain point, if you didn't have a web site, your company began to look irrelevant.
Later, agency partners began to show them what they could actually DO with the web sites they once threw up in haste just to catch up. Social media will be the same way. Companies will have to get involved, and as social media just become part of business, the way web sites are, benefits will begin to come. But we don't want to scare clients. We want to inspire them.
Unique uses of social media for professional service firms
For a law firm or accounting firm, for example, there are unique ways of using social media as an
extension of the types of marketing they're already doing. Today, legal experts might offer talks, seminars, and workshops connected to services they actually bill for to build credibility and contacts. (e.g., An estate attorney could be invited to the Rotary Club to talk about "challenges of estate planning." If he/she gives a great talk, audience members will remember and be inclined to call that firm when they need help.)
Social media can, to be simplistic, put those kinds of efforts on steroids.
There are plenty of ways for service firms to extend their 1) credibility and expertise, and 2) personality and presence, to far greater lengths using online reach.
Enough theory
What the actual activities firms can engage in look like are things such as (I) a very detailed strategy and plan (so employees don't, for example, throw off random, off-message posts on
various media that prove ineffective; so marketing people don't mess up the opportunities by posting too much "sales" content) (II) perhaps, writing and editorial help planning and creating "content" (articles and posts) (III) possibly, some design, creating consistent branding across these new channels and (IV) possibly, custom technical development to mine and use information for greater effect, or how not to (Wendy's employs a robot to search Twitter for the words "Bacon," "Hungry," and "Wendy's" and reposts Tweets containing those words on its web site in a big cloud, showing an allegedly authentic online buzz about the fast-food restaurant).
I'd love to talk to you about how we can help.
Your "Friend" (in social media terms),
Eric
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