The Importance of a Digital Presence for Professional Services Firms

Digital Marketing vs Traditional Marketing:

Although Traditional Marketing has decreased throughout the last decade, some techniques are still efficient in establishing and building relationships with clients. However it is almost impossible to ignore the ways in which digital marketing has enhanced these customer-brand relationships.

Traditional Marketing refers to any type of marketing that isn’t published online. This includes:

-       Print (Magazines, Newspapers)

-       Broadcast (TV, Radio)

-       Direct mail, Catalogues

-       Phone (Telemarketers, Text Messages)

-       Outdoor Advertising (Billboards, Bus/Tram/Taxi Posters)

-       Window Displays (Signs)

These marketing strategies, although not as efficient as they once were, still enable companies to connect with a larger, less connected audience. People can see these types of advertisements in passing, hear it on the radio or on tv, creating brand recognition and awareness.

Digital Marketing on the other hand, has created a new way forward in marketing. Referring to marketing activities performed in an online forum, such as:

-       Social Media (Instagram, Facebook, Tiktok, Twitter, Pinterest)

-       Blogs

-       YouTube videos

-       Email marketing

-       SEO’s

These techniques in comparison to Traditional Marketing require less funding and can reach a more diverse and engaged audience, which in turn when done effectively can increase engagement. Research has shown that around 85% of the eligible (age 13 ) Australians have active social media accounts, while the internet is used by 89% of the population in Australia. And with over 4.5 billion internet users and 3.8 billion people on social media around the world, these statistics indicate that digital marketing can be used to promote to a much larger audience than what Traditional Marketing could allow for.

Having An Efficient Digital Presence:

In order to have the most success from establishing a Digital Presence, Professional Services must understand the increased benefits of digital marketing when compared to that of their more traditional forms.

Attracting Your Audience:

In comparison to Traditional Marketing, Digital Marketing enables you to appeal to a focused and succinct audience who will use your service. By employing SEO services, audiences are attracted organically through search results, bringing audiences naturally to your information/websites/social media pages. By capturing the attention of a relevant audience, in comparison to Traditional Marketing which brings in a wide array of people, your service has the ability to have stronger, lasting connections and relationships with the right audience.

Interactive Communication:

The biggest difference between Traditional and Digital Marketing is the response you get from your audience. Digital Presence allows you to have an almost immediate reaction from viewers. Social Media posts for example, can be liked and commented on, and shared allowing an immediate customer-brand relationship, a crucial component of the Professional Services industry. These digital environments allow you to create a space where like-minded and relevant people can come together and spread information about your service quickly and efficiently.

Instead of focusing on how to make traditional media works in today’s day and age, the Professional Services industry must shift its focus to finding ways to utilize digital marketing, which in turn could benefit them on a local and global scale.

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