Blog
Using Social Media for Professional Services
Rebecca McIntyre
Head of Operations
13 Jan 21

Using social media can be a game-changer for professional services. And yet, most people are wary of utilising social media due to a perceived risk of reputational harm through social media interaction, lack of expertise in selecting the right social media technology as well as the lack of clarity on the value that social media can bring to the business. However, social media adoption is progressively accelerating within consumer markets and other B2B platforms. Professional services firms may be having a hard time using and integrating social media. However, inevitably, they should include it as part of their marketing strategy. In this day and age, it should be no surprise that sharing knowledge on a global platform can open you up to new clients and new opportunities.

So, what are the benefits of using social media for professional services?
  • It is less expensive and inherently scalable. 

Most social media platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn are free to start with. You don’t need to pay to use them or pay for travel expenses. They’re already good to go, and you can accumulate hundreds or even thousands of followers in a single post without any additional infrastructure or expense. 

  • It’s easier and not as time-consuming as traditional networking.

Your staff won’t need to go through exhaustive amounts of time just to connect with potential clients. All they need is a laptop and a reliable internet connection. You don’t even need to do it at a specific time or place as the nature of the interaction is different and less demanding.  

  • The global reach is extensive.

Since social media is breaking the bonds of timezones and distance, professional service firms can use this to their advantage and pursue national and even international markets. It can also help in increasing the visibility of your thought leadership and recruitment. It can give you more referrals and easier closes. 

How do you use social media for professional services? Here are our tips.
  • Humanise your interaction

 Nobody wants to communicate with someone who seems too “unapproachable.” Even if you’re a professional, you still need to show your human side. Be strategically transparent. Tell good emotional stories as people can relate to that. Create and share content that’s unique and highlights your interests, passions and your “why.” 

  • Use LinkedIn

If you’re worried about being seen as “unprofessional” on Facebook or Twitter, LinkedIn can be the perfect platform for you. It’s the balance of formal and yet social. First, you need to create a good LinkedIn Company Page where you can link your posts and content. Then, you can use LinkedIn Promoted Posts to help you spread your content and increase brand awareness more effectively. Make sure that you target your audience as accurately as possible so that your messages will be more relevant and impactful. Finally, you can use LinkedIn Publishing to get more content views. When you publish helpful blogs and articles on LinkedIn, you can get more attention from people who read such content. 

  • Develop implementation tactics

Of course, you still need to know which social media platforms you’re going to use. Whether it’s LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook or Twitter or all of them, you need to pin down which ones you’re going to focus on and then, you can develop implementation tactics. The great part about social media is that it’s easy to get help as many social media experts are sharing their tips and tricks on how to navigate the system. You can opt to do-it-yourself, or you can also employ social media consultants to help you set up your program and policies. You can also outsource. Whichever way you choose is okay. It just depends on your budget and how long you want your learning curve to be. 

Final Thoughts on Using Social media for Professional Services

Social media can be a great business solution that transforms the brand experience for professional service firms. While it may not be able to everything, it can do many things very well. It can increase brand awareness, improve lead generation and place professionals as thought leaders in their respective fields. By building a strong social media presence for your professional service, you can enable your firm to focus on the client and enrich their experience through the social technology landscape.