Professional Services Advertising 101
Part 1 - Print Advertising
Investing your Advertising Dollars Wisely
In Part I of a three-part
series, we will outline the pros, cons and unique features of the most
popular advertising media employed by professional service providers.
Many professionals find advertising to be distasteful, disgraceful and
sometimes bordering on delusional.
Marketing encompasses all of the activities undertaken to
attract business. It includes networking, volunteering, media
relations, client seminars, market research, service guarantees,
database marketing, websites and yes, advertising.
Advertising is not the same as marketing - It's only a component of a well
designed marketing strategy employed to make your clients and
potential clients aware of your services.
7 Quick Tips to Create a Memorable Ad Campaign:
Plan. Recency, frequency and relevancy are integral to successful
advertising.
Position. What is your market position? Do you belong to a large, national law
firm or are you a sole practioner in a small town? Your advertising
message should represent who you are and how you like to do business.
Target. Consider where the ad will be placed, what services you will promote
and who you’re speaking to. What really matters to your audience? No
one likes to be treated like the “general public”. If your clients
wouldn’t look in the yellow pages for a lawyer, then don’t advertise
there.
Be human. An appeal to emotion is the most influential factor in convincing
people to retain your firm. It is also the most neglected motivator
I’ve seen in advertising copy. Outline the benefits of retaining your
services by emphasizing the outcome of the process.
Ask. Include a call to action in your ad. Compel the audience to do
something – visit your website, call the office for a consultation or
tell a colleague, friend or family member about your organization.
Be consistent. Use the same logo with the same colours in all advertising. If you are
running a series of themed ads, try to keep each ad the same size and
stay true to the theme.
Be yourself. What does your firm’s “voice” sound like – is it friendly?
Sophisticated? Educated? Elitist? Does your ad copy reflect your
voice? Clients like to know what they could expect from talking to you - this is often represented by the tone and voice of the words in your ad.
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