INSIGHTS

As we rapidly approach the end of another year, what are the emerging digital marketing trends for 2020 and more importantly what should professional services firms consider implementing in their strategy.

We look back at what has stood out in 2019 and what to focus on in 2020.

Facebook has been criticised and received some negativity in recent months due to the constant algorithm and news feed changes. In turn, we have discovered, and clients and contacts have confirmed, that company pages have had to work much harder to maintain reach and generate engagement.

However, it is important not to give up on your company page. With 1.59 billion daily active users, it is still one of the best social networks to have a business presence.

Some companies choose to exhibit on a regular basis, building brand awareness and picking up useful leads at every event. Other companies may decide to dip their toe in the water and try an event. And some will never attend events, choosing instead to spend their money on other marketing activities.

Marketing and business development on and offline are an integral part of a professional services strategy. With social media now a major focus for businesses, it makes sense to combine this with more traditional marketing activities, especially for the promotion of an upcoming event.

The Information Commissioner’s Office has issued new guidance on the use of website cookies.

More and more people are listening to podcasts, but should your professional services firm jump on the bandwagon and start producing weekly or monthly content?  What message are you trying to serve?  Does it align with your firm’s business and marketing objectives?

So now that everyone is hopping on the video bandwagon, how do you stand out and generate engagement? By adding captions! Yes, captions are essential.  You will have noticed or experienced yourself that videos on social media start with the sound off!

Stand out captions immediately let content consumers know what the video is about.

How should you behave on a professional social media platform?

Recently, a solicitor on LinkedIn asked what exactly people expected from his LinkedIn posts.  Did they want to get to know him as a person?  Did they want to hear about his expertise in the law? Did they want to know about how he runs his business?  He received lots of comments and feedback that he clearly took on board.  His posts since then have been a mix of informal/personal posts, which he said he preferred, as well as business-related posts. More importantly, his authenticity came across through adopting this new approach.