As an executive recruiter, your business is different—and your marketing approach needs to be different, too. How, exactly? I’m glad you asked. Below are three initial steps you can take to start building your digital marketing strategy today.
Build—and nurture—your online presence
In today’s world, everyone is distracted. Technology ensures that we’re always on—whether that’s always working from a laptop or always scrolling on a mobile device. As an executive search firm building an online presence, you need to find a way to cut through the noise and reach your target audience.
To get in front of your audience—and captivate their attention—you need to meet them where they’re spending the majority of their time: online. Thus, your online presence should speak to your expertise in the industry. Start by publishing thought leadership pieces—whether it’s to your website, blog, or LinkedIn. Doing so will help establish you and your firm as the expert in the market. Every time you get your name out there, it adds value. Be sure to establish a publication frequency so that your readers—and potential clients—know when to hear from you next. Then, take to social media. Share your articles. Comment on or retweet relevant pieces. Doing so will help build your online community and a loyal, like-minded following.
Establish brand credibility
If people don’t know about or remember you, they’re not going to engage in your services. Which brings me to my next point. In order to move any potential leads forward, executive search firms need to focus on establishing brand credibility. You’ve started to build trust through executing your digital marketing strategy. When you’ve generated enough interest to where a prospect is willing to speak with you, you’ve turned what was once a cold call into a warm conversation. That warm conversation—taken offline—is where you convert the prospective lead into a client.
During that initial offline conversation, your goal should be to build rapport. Reputation is everything in this industry if you want to land committed clients. There will always be low-hanging fruit, so stay focused on building long-term relationships with clients who value your time and services.
Stay top of mind online and offline
While a digital marketing strategy is primarily, well, digital, the most impactful firms know that staying top of mind takes a strong offline presence, as well. Think of your digital marketing strategy in terms of the 80/20 rule—that is, 80 percent online and 20 percent offline. Yes, you want to publish thought leadership pieces to your blog and then share the articles to your social media channels. You also want to seek opportunities to speak at industry events and share those same insights with a live audience, as well.
Remember: A digital marketing strategy is not a ‘get clients quick’ solution. You’re playing the long game to establish thought leadership in your target market, gain trust with your audience, and stay top of mind when people need a solution to their problems.