Brand strategy in professional services goes far beyond a firm's name or logo. In this SlideShare, we take a closer look at three brand elements that are every bit as important as what people commonly think of as "brand", yet are often overlooked or underestimated for the value they bring to the table.

1. Your 3 Most Visible Brand Assets -
And Why You Shouldn’t Underestimate Them
Presented by: Elizabeth Harr

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As a savvy marketer, you are probably very
familiar with the more obvious elements used
to create a brand, such as name, logo and
color palette.

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But your brand doesn’t stop there. In this presentation,
we will take a closer look at three fundamental brand
pillars that are critical in conveying your brand to your
target audience.
Your Website
Social Media
Content & Thought Leadership

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But before we go too far, let’s take a look at
3 brand principles you may not have on
your radar.

5. 1Your brand is built every day.

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First things first, building a successful brand
isn’t a one-time effort or a project with a
contract; it’s a daily endeavor, a never-ending
story, a constant eye on the prize.

7. 2Brand = Reputation x Visibility

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A brand is also equal parts reputation and
visibility, and you need a 50-50 blend of both
to really make an impact. Think of it like a
seesaw: your reputation builds your visibility,
which builds your reputation, and so on. In
fact, without the right amount of both these
elements, you stand to lose business.

9. of firms have received a referral from
people they have not worked with.
Source: Visible Experts®: How High Visibility Expertise
Helps Professionals, Their Firms, and Their Clients
Going Beyond Traditional Client Referrals
81.5%

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That’s right—having visibility around the
things your audience cares about can garner
brand referrals from people who have not
worked with you.

11. 3Your brand is you, but it’s not for you.

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Although your brand may be built and created
by you—it is not for you—and your dreams
for what your brand could be should not be
clouded by what your brand actually is to
your target audience. Every element you
create, from logos to collateral to email
salutations, must always be designed with
this audience in mind.

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And speaking of your audience, a successful
brand uses multiple touchpoints, both digital
and traditional, to connect with its target.

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The good news is, for every traditional
marketing tool you use (print advertising,
meetings, networking), there is a digital
corollary (email, webinars, social media),
which allows your brand to build its
reputation and visibility across all key
marketing mediums at the same time.

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Traditional Brand
Strategies
Digital Brand
Strategies

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However, not all mediums generate the same impact
with potential buyers. Up next are 3 often under-
appreciated brand elements that can help build your
brand’s reputation and visibility:
Your Website
Social Media
Content & Thought Leadership

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Every bit as important as your logo or tagline,
these fundamental brand pillars are also
among your strongest brand assets, and
should be developed and nurtured with the
same intensity you applied to choosing your
name, icon or font.

18. First and foremost, your website.
The most visible aspect of your brand, your
website is also often the first touchpoint to
your brand for potential buyers.
Check out these statistics:

19. Source: Visible Experts®: How High Visibility Expertise Helps Professionals, Their Firms, and Their Clients
80.8%
of buyers check out your website.
Before they give you a shot at winning
their business.

20. of professional services buyers have
ruled out a firm because of an
unimpressive website.
29.6%
Source: Referral Marketing for Professional Services Firms Research Report

21. rule out a firm because
they couldn’t understand how
the firm could help them.
43.6%
Source: Referral Marketing for Professional Services Firms Research Report

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Your website should be your brand’s hub. But before
it can drive growth, it needs the following elements:
We provide the
services you need.
This is how we do it.
Free
download!
Free
download!
Educational Content
SEO
Blog
Links
Offers
Clear Messaging
Mobile Friendly
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

23. The next critical tool is social media.
Participation is mandatory — it’s can be a
powerful force in both brand recognition and
perception, and in many cases social media
can become the mouthpiece of your
business.
Let’s take a closer look.

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Brand Benefits of Social Media
Promotes content.
Serves as online networking.
Contributes to SEO.
Functions as research tool.
Contributes to recruiting.

25. Source: Visible Experts®: How High Visibility Expertise Helps Professionals, Their Firms, and Their Clients
59.9%
of buyers check you out on social media.

26. 17.0%
of non-client referrals are made
because of social media.
Source: Referral Marketing for Professional Services Firms

27. 18.2%
Source: Referral Marketing for Professional Services Firms
of referral makers 25-34 years old won’t
refer a provider who is not on social media.
Millennials’ Revenge

28. #HingeACEC
And LinkedIn is the premier social
network for business professionals,
with over 300 million members.

29. #VisibleFirm

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Whatever the channel, it’s not about just
showing up and creating an account;
proactive involvement is a must.
Social media is about showcasing your brand,
interacting with your audience, and educating
them on your expertise—and why it matters
to them. Which in turn builds your brand’s
reputation and visibility.

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Social media is about showcasing your brand
through interacting with your audience —
educating them on your expertise.

32. Which brings us to content—your proof
points around your expertise.

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But content can’t be just words on a page; it
must be targeted to the issues and topics your
audience cares about, and offer them original
insights and solutions to these concerns.
Let’s see why you need to start thinking about
remarkable content.

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According to our research, firms that consistently win
new business do so by educating their target audience
with new and original information.
Winners Runners-Up
#42#1
Educated Me with
New Ideas or Perspectives
Educated Me with
New Ideas or Perspectives

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In fact, content is how buyers learn about your expertise,
and consequently, about your brand overall.
Source: Referral Marketing for Professional Services Firms

36. #RethinkingReferrals
Rule out referrals because the firm had
poor quality content.
23.5%
Source: Referral Marketing for Professional Services Firms Research Report
rule out firms because
of poor quality content.
Whoops.

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What does great content do for your brand?
Eight key things:

38. Builds Trust —- can this be an
image instead of words?
1. It builds trust
2. It demonstrates your expertise
3. It allows prospects to sample your thinking and
approach
4. It encourages SEO; search engines love original content
5. It helps qualify and nurture leads and build your brand
6. It’s less expensive than traditional outbound marketing
7. It works around the clock and around the globe
8. It drives growth and profitability

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Without valuable content, your brand runs the risk of
fading into the noise of competition, and you are not
engaging with your target audience as a viable,
reputable expert who can answer their needs.
Without valuable content, your brand runs the
risk of fading into the noise of competition,
and you are not engaging with your target
audience as a viable, reputable expert who
can answer their needs.

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Good brand strategy will recognize — and
utilize your firm’s website, social media, and
educational content as fundamental tools for
conveying your brand to your target audience.

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These tools are the most visible attributes of
what matters most in professional services —
expertise.
Use them to help you stand out from the
competition — and put your brand on the
path to greater success.