Sarah Bricker Hunt September 30, 2020 You already know that email and social media marketing are goldmines for driving new leads and building your consultancy brand.
But how, exactly, should you approach email and social media marketing campaigns? There is a sea of advice to be found online for digital marketing, but much of the information comes with complex marketing jargon that you don’t have the time to decipher. You need clear, common sense ideas that you can put to use quickly.
The good news is that today, you’re in the right place.
There are many effective, straightforward online marketing campaign strategies you can use to enhance your consultancy right away, and we’re here to share several of them with you.
In this article, we’ll dive into several examples of email and social media campaign methods you can learn from and implement. You will find new ideas for brand building, lead generating, and increasing conversion rates.
Email marketing campaign ideas for consulting
Email has been around for so long at this point that email marketing might feel a little old-fashioned. In reality, email remains one of the most effective tools for content marketing — that is, marketing based on providing quality content that provides value to your target audience.
It doesn’t matter what you’re marketing. Whether you’re selling a product or offering a service, email is one of the most valuable pieces of your marketing toolkit.
According to a 2019 McKinsey & Co. study, email marketing is 40 times more effective at reaching target consumers than marketing via social media platforms like Twitter or Facebook. If we consider the number of people using email, it’s not such a surprise — current estimates put the number of people using email at almost four billion!
With an audience that big, you can experiment with various email campaign approaches. Here are a few easy-to-implement ideas:
Share a helpful tip or two
Send emails filled with tips related to your area of expertise. Keep these emails short and punchy. You’re going for quick tips, not detailed how-to guides.
This campaign will work well as a weekly feature. You will provide value on a regular basis and build your brand authority.
Examples of helpful subject lines
- 3 Quick time-saving tips for CPAs during tax season
- Tips for dealing with bad online reviews
- Expert time management tips for working from home
What to include in the email body
In your email body, list your tips with skimmable bullet points. For example — Here are two tips you can use to budget your time better when you’re working from home:
- Create and maintain a daily schedule (read my blog post about the best scheduling tools)
- Balance your workload (see my LinkedIn article about prioritizing projects)
Call to action examples
Include a call to action in your email. Invite the reader to:
- Visit your website
- Set up a free consultation
- Share their own tips on your Facebook page
Share valuable industry information
This email marketing campaign will establish your credibility as an expert in your field or industry.
You can provide more detailed information with this approach. Be sure to format your content with subheadings and easy-to-skim lists instead of long paragraphs. Send these emails out about once a quarter.
Examples of helpful subject lines
- Tax code changes for 2024: What you need to know now
- Are you offering digital self-service options? Learn how this approach can increase revenue.
- Third-party data center cleaning can save you thousands of dollars. I’ll tell you how.
What to include in the email body
Dive into your topic with plenty of valuable information, but aim for a compact, digest style in terms of length and readability. Use short paragraphs, colorful photos with captions or infographics, and include a few links to related content you’ve created on your blog.
Call to action examples
Invite readers to:
- Download your latest white paper
- Sign up for a free consultation
- Learn more about your expertise
Cross-promote your content
Your marketing should be consistent and in line with your brand identity across all digital channels. In other words, create content that conveys the same tone, messages, and goals across all your communication — email, social media networks, print materials, websites, blog posts, and so on.
Every couple of weeks, send out an email blast to promote content on your other channels.
Examples of helpful subject lines
- That time I accidentally created a viral video
- Check out my LinkedIn guide “What you need to know about the new ISO guidelines for air quality in production facilities.”
What to include in the email body
Write a short paragraph describing the content you want to promote. Don’t forget to include a link to said content!
Call to action examples
Invite readers to:
- Visit and interact with you across all your social networks
- Check out your blog posts
Social media campaign ideas
For many of us, social media marketing still feels new, and maybe even fleeting. We’re here to assure you that social media is here to stay.
According to statistics gathered by DataReportal in their Digital 2020 July Global Snapshot:
- More than half of the world (4.57 billion people) regularly use social media
- 346 million new users have come online within the past year
- Marketers can reach more than 1 billion people using ads on Instagram
- LinkedIn’s global user base grew by more than 25 million over the previous three months
Social media networks allow you to engage clients on a deeper level. You can purchase ad space on any social network, but one of the best things about social media is that you can create compelling, interactive content for free. That’s excellent news. Remember — today’s consumers value authentic connection and valuable content.
One of the best things about social media is how easy it is to customize content to your expertise. Consider these engagement-enhancing social media campaigns fit for any consultancy focus:
- Showcase satisfied clients
- Hold a “caption this” contest
- Create an educational series
- Generate hype for new service offerings
- Offer exclusive discounts for followers
- Hold a contest (reward followers who share your posts the most)
- Provide value by sharing helpful content related to your field
- Post “behind the scenes” looks at your home office or other glimpses into your daily life
- Go live on Facebook or Instagram
- Hold an “Ask me Anything” session on Twitter or Reddit
Effective social media posts inspire connection, interaction, and engagement. One of the best overall approaches is to share content you’d enjoy viewing and reading.
About that online marketing trick…
In truth, the only real “trick” is selecting the right campaigns for you. As you are undoubtedly aware, what works for some companies may not work well for others, and that’s okay.
Customers respond to authentic, engaging content, full stop. For long term success, strive for genuine connection over gimmicky sales tactics. That’s it. Not so tricky, is it?
Don’t forget to download our PDF guide, Email Content Ideas for Consulting and Training.
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