It has been proven that providing valuable content from visible industry experts can drive leads to your company. But when your content marketing efforts work, the problem can shift from “not enough” to “too much” work.
For manufacturers, an increase in the number of orders is not a problem. More orders and you ramp up production. For professional services firms, increasing “production” is not so easy.
As the workload increases beyond what your experts can bare, many professional services firms stop marketing. But this stoppage is problematic. Once you stop marketing, your pipeline dries up. Instead of sustained growth, you create a cycle of too much work and not enough work.
It is time to look to you rising stars.
Most professional services firms have the next generation of leaders already established. Content marketing is an excellent way to let these up-in-coming industry experts show their stuff.
There are three great reasons to embrace your next generation of industry experts:
#1. They have been indoctrinated and trained.
Your rising stars have likely worked with your industry experts for years. They know your brand’s voice and can speak easily about your offerings.
In many cases, they are working directly and daily with clients. This client access provides valuable insights into what actually works and the real implications and benefits of your firm’s work. They can easily tie in an anecdote based on first-hand knowledge working directly with clients.
#2. They are eager to increase their visibility and expertise.
Many of your next generation of employees feel like caged tigers waiting for their big opportunity. Allowing them a voice gives them the freedom they need to show what they know, while keeping them within a safe boundary (you review of their material).
Some firms utilize content marketing as a test to see which employees have what it takes to be the company’s future leaders and owners. This step gives rising stars a foot into business development where they can start building their name within the firm’s brand. As the experts, clients seek them out and want them on their team; a vital step for seller-doers.
#3. You retain (and attract) top talent.
You might fear that opening the proverbial tiger cage will give your competitors access to poach your best talent. The reality is just the opposite. As you increase your junior employees’ visibility by showcasing their expertise, those individuals are usually more loyal and perceived as “untouchable” by competitors.
Removing the mid-level glass ceiling gives employees an opportunity to shine. The right ones will rise to the occasional and embrace their role as a rising star within your firm. Feeding their passion shows your support for their future. Confident in your support, they do not need to seek out or create opportunities outside the company.
Involving your next generation of talent also ensures your business stays healthy as your top leaders retire. Of course, if you are like many high-growth firms, it might not be enough, and you need to hire new talent continuously. I’ve got great news for you. With thought leadership, your industry experts also drive top talent to your website and into your company.
As your firm increases overall visibility, you create a buzz in the marketplace and more people recognize your firm. We call this the Halo Effect. Prospective employees want to work with industry experts and become leaders themselves. Your efforts to develop industry experts instills confidence in these future employees, and your company’s perceived growth is appealing to rising stars.
We’ve found that over half of organizations get new hires online (55% to be exact) and high growth organizations hire online twice as often as others. This online employee procurement saves money and opens your company up to a greater talent pool—even geographically extending your reach. With a wider reach, top talent can more easily find you and then choose you.
Recruitment through thought leadership has one more advantage. You are articulating how your organization is different and sharing part of your culture. This attracts the best-fit employees, making it even easier to grow. In effect you are increasing “production,” without over-extending your industry experts.
Instead of limiting yourself to recruiting inexperienced college graduates locally, you attract experienced professionals—with a broader network of clients—on a quest to achieve greatness. You just need to give them the opportunity to shine.
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