Partners and other practitioners at accounting, law, management and tech consulting firms, among others, need to put themselves out there as thought leaders at the cutting edge of their profession and industry.
Brian Sherry | February 28, 2024
PR for consulting firms is crucial for distinguishing value and expertise in an increasingly crowded – and commodified – market. Partners and other practitioners at accounting, law, management and tech consulting firms, among others, need to put themselves out there not just as purveyors of a service but as something more: thought leaders at the cutting edge of their profession and industry. One important channel for doing so is contributed content.
You may have heard that “Content is King.” And no matter how much things change, it’s still true. If anything, the rise of social platforms and enhanced competition within media makes engaging, relevant (and sometimes counterintuitive) content essential to any executive communications strategy designed to leverage a firm’s experts.
Content is disseminated across owned platforms (social media accounts, company blogs and newsletters, etc.), paid platforms (advertisements and sometimes sponsored contributed content), and earned platforms (third party media outlets). Here we’ll focus on the third kind and its unique advantages.
The advantage of earned media is that it establishes third party credibility for your firm and reaches a wider audience that your social media and newsletters may not. It also enhances SEO, creating backlinks to your website and providing compelling material for social posting. But what makes contributed content – as in byline articles, guest blog posts, etc. – even more valuable is the ability to shape the message.
Contributed content in this way provides the best of both worlds when it comes to PR for consulting firms: the message control of owned platforms and the third-party credibility of earned media.
An additional reason contributed content is important (and possible) is there are simply fewer people working in media and more demand for ready-made content. We’ve found this is especially true in audience-rich trade media – those outlets that cater to your specific industry verticals. Often these outlets will be widely read by people working in a specific line of business, yet will have small staff amounting in some cases to just one editor. That editor will be swamped – too busy to even conduct interviews, in many cases. That’s where contributed content comes in.
By having ready-to-go content with high standards and authority, you can consistently get placements that are narrowcast to the people you need to reach, whether it’s based on industry, profession or special interest. But here’s the thing: your content needs to be good. It has to meet journalistic standards of accuracy and can’t be overly promotional. And – crucially – it should be well-written.
Partners and other practitioners at consulting firms need to not just be visible but seen as credible thought leaders at the cutting edge of their field. By leveraging high-quality ideas and solid writing, a dedicated effort to placing contributed content can be the key driver of PR for consulting firms.
A robust public relations strategy is key to keeping up with the ever-changing media landscape and world around us – It elevates your brand and helps you build essential media relationships that align with your business goals. Partner with our team of seasoned PR professionals today.
