What are The Four Pillars of Marketing™?
The Four Pillars of Marketing™ represent marketing best practices all professionals should be focused on when marketing their professional services firms. PSM will help you develop a strategic marketing plan for your individual practice, or for your firm. It is then The Four Pillars of Marketing that will guide and support the implementation of your plan. Our PSM team is extremely well equipped to help you implement your marketing plan by assisting with various tasks including:
Pillar I. Retain and Grow Relationships with Existing Contacts
Client Satisfaction
- Client satisfaction surveys/interviews
- End of matter surveys
- Focus groups
- Client satisfaction training
Client Service
- Client intake and screening process
- Client service systems and processes (E-Myth)
- Client service training for staff and professionals
- Call and email return goals
- Client services best practices
Cross Marketing
- Identify clients with top cross marketing potential
- Train associates on cross-marketing
- Incentive program for cross-marketing
Referral Source Development
- Incoming referral tracking
- Outgoing referral tracking
- Proactive and mutually beneficial referral source development with attorneys
- Maximize referral-based associations
Pillar II. Attract New Clients
Networking
- Identifying opportunities for the firm and individual professionals
- Networking programs for practice groups
- Networking training/best practices
Targeted Business Development
- Client-specific marketing plans
- Practice group marketing plans
- Individual marketing plans
- Sales pipeline
- Contact action plan
Proposal Development
- Create proposal archive
- Develop efficient proposal response process
Market Research
- Big opportunity research on companies and people
- Create client dossiers for lawyers
Trade and Professional Association Involvement
- Assess firm’s involvement and ROI
- Create association strategies to become high profile members
Pillar III. Increase Name Recognition and Awareness
Advertising
- Graphic design
- Copywriting
- Ad placement
- Campaign management
Branding – Are you satisfied with the strength of your brand? Set an objective to enhance and improve the quality of your brand. Your brand includes your logo, tagline, marketing materials, website and other tangible aspects that reflect the personality and professionalism of you and your firm.
Public Relations
- News releases and media lists
- Story pitches
- Online media kit development
- Ghost-write bi-lined articles
- Position attorneys as “expert” sources for media
- Secure speaking engagements
Trade Shows – You might have the opportunity to showcase your expertise at a trade show attracting prospective clients or referral sources. Create an objective for this area. Join an association, become a high profile member, and consider a presence at the organization’s annual trade show.
Community Involvement
- Board and volunteer placements
- Promotion of activities on website and in communications
- How to maximize board involvement
Social Media
- Individual LinkedIn profile enhancements
- Develop company pages on FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube, Google +
- Develop blogging program
- Monthly content curation
- Daily social media posting for the firm and individuals
Pillar IV. Create Targeted and Effective Communications
Client Communications
- Select and implement marketing database
- Manage marketing database
- Run reports for marketing
- Track and report on open rates of email campaigns
Marketing Database
- Develop e-based communications
- New attorney announcements
- Ongoing firm-wide communications
Website
- Website Development
- Website launch, promotion and communication
- Integration with social media
- Search engine optimization
Client Events
- All details including:
- venue selection
- catering
- entertainment
- speaker lineup
- invites
- promotion
- Firm seminars
- Client events
- Employee events
- Webinars
How do I use the Four Pillars to Develop Marketing Objectives?
Your marketing objectives state your intention regarding what you want to accomplish in your marketing plan. Objectives should be specific and measurable. They will form the foundation of your marketing plan, so take the time you need to thoughtfully reflect on your objectives under each Pillar of Marketing:
Pillar I. Retain and Grow Relationships with Existing Contacts
Client Satisfaction – Describe the objectives you have regarding how you will ensure your clients are satisfied with the delivery of your services (conduct a client survey, schedule client interviews, send end-of-work surveys)
Client Service – Create an objective that defines your continued approach to serving your clients (new client intake, ongoing client service, rapport building with clients, keeping clients informed, communications via email, voicemail and returning telephone calls).
Cross Marketing – Define an objective you have related to providing more services to your existing clients, or better communicating how you can serve clients of the firm.
Referral Source Development – Create objectives around developing your referral sources. How many new referral sources would you like to attract, in what industries?
Pillar II. Attract New Clients
Networking – What is your objective related to how often and with whom you will proactively develop relationships with?
Targeted Business Development – What is your objective in the area of developing relationships with new clients? How many do you want to attract? What industries do they represent? Do you have a sales pipeline?
Proposal Development – What objective do you have in the area of increasing your ability to efficiently respond to requests for information about your services?
Market Research – Define an objective related to incorporating market research into your practice before meeting with a new prospective client or referral source.
Trade and Professional Association Involvement – Every professional should be active in his/her industry association (Financial Planning Association or Bar Associations) as well as at least one industry-based association attracting prospective clients or referral sources. What is your objective in this area?
Pillar III. Increase Name Recognition and Awareness
Advertising – Are there opportunities for you to cost-effectively use advertising to convey the message of why clients should hire you? Advertising can be cost-prohibitive. Make sure there aren’t better ways to increase your name recognition.
Branding – Are you satisfied with the strength of your brand? Set an objective to enhance and improve the quality of your brand. Your brand includes your logo, tagline, marketing materials, website and other tangible aspects that reflect the personality and professionalism of you and your firm.
Public Relations – Tap into the power of the press! Set at least one objective around activities you can pursue to garner positive press coverage for you and your firm. Do you want to draft an article for publication? Be interviewed on the radio? Become a spokesperson for the media?
Trade Shows – You might have the opportunity to showcase your expertise at a trade show attracting prospective clients or referral sources. Create an objective for this area. Join an association, become a high profile member, and consider a presence at the organization’s annual trade show.
Community Involvement – Being an involved and active member of your community is an excellent way in which to build your reputation and increase your name recognition. Create an objective surrounding your current and future community involvement.
Social Media – LinkedIn, FaceBook, blogs – – what’s a person to do? One thing is for sure, social media is here to stay. Your marketing plan wouldn’t be complete without setting an objective in support of how you plan to engage in social media to build your name recognition and enhance your thought leadership to a very targeted group of prospective clients and referral sources.
Pillar IV. Create Targeted and Effective Communications
Client Communications – Set an objective around doing more communications with your target audiences. What do you want to communicate, to whom, and how often? Make your communications relevant to specific audiences versus too general.
Marketing Database – Can you easily and effectively communicate with your clients? If not you might want to create an objective around creating and managing your marketing information. Look into tools like Highrise, Constant Contact, and Campaigner.
Website – How is your website? Over 85% of prospective clients will check you/your firm out online. Set an objective to create or update your website this year!
Client Events – Interested in bonding with your clients, contacts and referral sources? Consider hosting an event and create an objective in this important area!