Consulting marketing strategy to attract new clients [With tips]

According to a survey, consultants making $300K-$3M+ are the ones who market their business more frequently. 

However, 31% of consultants find it challenging to market themselves to potential buyers and initiate conversations.

Marketing for consultants isn’t a cakewalk, but having a well-thought-out plan can make it easier to attract potential clients.

Here’s what this blog is all about.

It unveils the 5 simple steps to develop a powerful consulting marketing strategy.

Also, you’ll get proven tips and techniques on how to market your consulting business faster!

So, let’s get started.

How to develop an effective consulting marketing strategy? 

Step 1: Define your ideal goal 

You can have multiple marketing goals, like increasing sales conversions by generating high quality, boosting brand value across various media channels, etc.

But, it’s important to define your goals clearly and precisely for every effective marketing.

As per a study, 42% of people who take time to write down their goals are more likely to achieve them.

Defining your goals will give you more clarity to plan your marketing actions and put you one step ahead in achieving them.

For example, if your goal is to make $10,000 monthly and your average consulting project value is $2000. Then, you need to secure 5 prospects for achieving your monthly.

Now, if you have a 25% closing rate, you must communicate with at least 20 potential clients monthly.

Well, to improve your marketing, calculate potential lead channels, CAC for each, and lead conversion rates for adopted strategies.

Step 2: Identify your ideal client 

Defining your ideal client enables you to tailor your marketing campaigns for high-quality lead generation.

Moreover, determining your ideal clients guides you in creating and utilizing your resources in the best way possible.

For instance, Ron, a social media marketing consultant, discovered that their ideal clients would be tech-based startups who want direction to boost their social presence.

His marketing message and content focusing on how his expertise helped or can help tech-based startups grow faster through social channels can help him drive potential clients.

So, defining who can be your ideal client is one of the primary steps for your consulting marketing strategy.

Moreover, with target market understanding, you can better address their pain points and tailor your marketing message to enhance engagement.

Here are the best tips to define your ideal client:

• Conduct comprehensive market research about what kind of people need your services and why.
• Analyze your past clients, if any, and evaluate what problems your consulting has solved.
• Evaluate your competitor’s marketing message to discover what pain points they are discussing and who can be helped by such efforts.

Once you’ve discovered your target audience, create your buyer persona, considering their demographics, psychographs, and essential behavioral attributes for more effective targeting.

New to the concept? Here’s the buyer persona template to better understand your target customer and improve your marketing game.

Step 3: Develop a compelling brand message 

To begin, you need to understand the value propositions offered by your consulting services clearly.

Knowing your brand’s value propositions helps you offer the best solutions for your target clients’ challenges and pain points.

Then, evaluate your competitors to be one step ahead of them. Consider factors like:

• Pricing models   
• Type of clients   
• USPs   
• Potential marketing channels 

The above information will help you identify your competitor’s strengths or weaknesses, enabling you to craft a strong brand message that impacts your prospects.

Also, conduct a SWOT analysis to discover your consulting business’s weaknesses and strengths. Plus, discover your USPs as a consultancy.

All the information combined will help you craft an effective marketing message to attract every opportunity.

Step 4: Plan your marketing actions

A marketing plan includes your strategy to generate leads and reach your target audience.

Once you know your USPs and value propositions, planning your marketing will make it easier to achieve your desired goals.

It involves evaluating the key marketing channels, analyzing potential resources to market your consulting business, and discovering top consultant lead generation strategies.

Conduct thorough research with data analytics technology support to determine what actions you must include in promoting your consulting business.

To boost results, include a blend of the top marketing channels for consultants, like online advertising, emails, and networking.

For instance, if your potential clients are fond of reading valuable content, you must invest in starting a newsletter sharing tips to tackle their pain points.

Moreover, you can share a summary of the newsletter on social media to attract new subscribers and increase website traffic.

Step 5: Grow your network and marketing actions

For a consulting business, networking is the exclusive strategy to grow. Begin by searching for local events within your target industry.

Attend webinars and speak on panels in your specialty to gain credibility and build relationships in your industry.

Another way to enhance your marketing results is by optimizing your current efforts.

Marketing strategy isn’t a one-time fixed thing, so you must audit and analyze your marketing campaigns to optimize for better results.

Begin with determining metrics to measure the success of each marketing effort. Take the help of analytics and reporting tools to analyze the performance.

Analyze your successful email campaigns to replicate similar strategies for boosting lead generation.

9 Proven marketing strategies for consultants to boost business

These 9 marketing strategies for consultants will help in increasing your online brand awareness and lead generation to drive more business opportunities.

1. Build a strong online presence

Did you know? 7 out of 10 most impactful consultant marketing strategies are directly related to the web.

So, we can say that an online presence is inevitable for you to connect and engage your potential clients.

Online presence begins with having an up-to-date consulting website.

A website is a primary medium to put your services out in front of your potential clients. Moreover, you can educate them with insightful content like blogs, industry reports, etc.

Here’s an example for you to see what a beautiful consulting website for your inspiration:

A well-optimized website with compelling content and exceptional user experience contributes to improving online lead generation.

By using relevant keywords, you attract more traffic; further, using CTAs at the right place helps generate more leads.   

2. Implement a solid content marketing strategy  

Content is an inevitable part of any digital marketing strategy for consulting firms.

Stats reveal that 91% of B2B marketers use content marketing.   

Content marketing aims at creating valuable assets to educate and attract the target audience. Moreover, it helps educate and entice prospects to leverage your consulting services.

Here are simple tips to enhance the impact of your content marketing:

• Plan your content strategy by defining objectives and content clusters, researching target keywords, and more.
• Focus on creating reader-friendly, helpful, and engaging content that attracts prospects. 
• Discover your target audience’s pain points to tailor your content. 
• Promote your content on various channels like email, guest posts, and social media. 
• Analyze how your content is performing with key metrics to measure your conversion rates, website traffic, conversion rates, leads generated, etc. 

You can utilize analytics tools like Ahref or Google Keyword Planner to identify the top searches in your niche.

Moreover, to ensure your content is engaging, stay updated about the relevant topics and your prospect’s engagement behavior.

3. Grow your social media presence

About 82% of internet users in the US are using social media platforms.

So, be there where your audience is – Be on social media!

Social platforms allow you to engage directly with your target clients and build trust. You must study these platforms and use their algorithms and content to build a strong presence.   

To attract more clients as a consultant, you must build an active follower base, share valuable content, and network with potential customers and other consultants. 

Here are some tips on social media for consultants:

• Produce engaging content like posting Q&A, polls, and this or that stories, which increases engagement with your followers. 
• Engage with your prospects by answering their queries and adding value through your social media posts.
• Use relevant hashtags to increase your post’s reach. These hashtags can help you connect with individuals interested in your niche, amplify your content performance, and boost your presence. 

Examine your social media marketing efforts to modify existing strategies. You can use social analytics tools to track engagement, reach, conversions, etc. 

Read related: 7 Ways to leverage content marketing for lead generation

4. Leverage email marketing 

A study reveals that the consulting industry has a 26.94% open rate for email marketing.  

That’s a huge count to work on! 

You can use emails to engage prospects, target outreach, generate leads, and whatnot!

Here are the types of emails you can shoot for your consulting business:

• Weekly e-newsletter to engage your prospects

When you create new articles, podcasts, or case studies, email your list to let them know. For example, we send “Salesmate product updates” to our existing clients to let them know how they can improve their current sales efforts.

This is a good way to stay connected with your clients and strengthen relationships.

• Follow-up call emails

You can send follow-up emails to nurture your prospects and try to entice them with special offers.

For instance, send case studies in a follow-up email that demonstrates your successful work to close your consulting clients.

Moreover, you can request to book a sales appointment or invite them for an exclusive webinar to help you win the deal.

• Survey emails to get more insights into client’s preferences

You can create survey questions and share them with engaging prospects to better their problems, objections, and goals. 

For instance, you can survey to discover “The Best consulting fees for social media marketing services.” 

• Onboarding auto-responder emails

This is a great way to leverage email marketing to engage with prospects who’ve signed up for a form on your website.

Provide a lead magnet like our “Free guide.” This way, you can engage them and show your expertise. Your email should provide value or lucrative offers that make your prospect take action.

For improved email marketing results, conduct A/B testing, track your email campaigns, and evaluate success with key metrics.

Consider investing in the best email automation tools to boost your email marketing.

5. Grow networking for your consulting business

Networking is one of the powerful consulting company marketing strategies.

Joining focused groups, connecting with industry experts, and partnering with clients are networking activities that boost credibility and foster collaborations.

Below is an example of a LinkedIn social group that connects consultants across the world:

So, begin with networking to expand your professional connections, build better relationships, and open doors to new opportunities. 

Here are some best tips on networking for consultants:

• Attend or participate in networking events for in-person interactions and create opportunities for referrals and collaborations.  
• Share valuable insights and connect with other professionals through social media platforms.
• Join forums and groups to connect with like-minded professionals, share expertise, and gain industry insights.

6. Establish a Google My Business account

Setting a Google My Business account is effective even if you’re not targeting local prospects.

This aids prospects in discovering your company when they use Google search (which is almost everybody’s first place to search!

So, establishing a Google My Business account enhances your business’s credibility.

Moreover, this account can be useful for sharing key business details like:

• Service hours
• About your consulting business
• Range of consulting services you provide
• Contact details (phone number or email address)
• Website link
• Your business logo and image of office space

Moreover, you can ask happy clients to leave a positive review for your consultancy on Google to enhance your online credibility.

Who knows, a positive review might drive a thousand-dollar potential client to your door!

7. Leverage paid advertising 

Want to reach your target audience faster – Run a paid ad campaign!

Paid advertising can be a powerful marketing technique to target a massive audience and drive potential website traffic for lead conversion.

You can target highly interested prospects through ad campaigns in your consulting services.

So, place ads across the leading channels, like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc., to drive massive web traffic that is likely to buy your services.

Read related: Lead generation ads: What, why, and how with examples

8. Focus on establishing thought leadership 

71% of decision-makers consume thought leadership. So, establishing yourself as a thought leader is a powerful consulting marketing strategy.  

Having thought leadership in your industry builds creditability, strengthens the company’s reputation, and attracts consulting clients seeking expertise. 

Here’s an example: Kev, a sales consultant, runs a successful podcast sharing deals closing techniques.

The podcast helped him get inbound leads, boost brand awareness, and build a thought leader image in his focused industry.

Here are some tips for you to become a thought leader in your industry:

• Research to discover your niche.
• Engage with relevant professional groups, industry forums, and online communities. 
• Seek opportunities to participate in expert panels or webinars. Sharing your expertise along with other consultants enhances your visibility.  
• Connect with other industry leaders to grab collaboration opportunities.

The better you can help your potential clients overcome their issues, the faster you’ll earn recognition as a consulting business.

9. Leverage referrals marketing 

Referrals are one of the cost-effective ways to get consulting clients. Moreover, the quality of leads is so good that consulting businesses must run a referral program.

Did you know? Nearly 41% of clients come from referrals when implemented the strategy right. 

Unfortunately, only 12% of consulting firms implemented a referral strategy, so many failed to achieve their targeted figures.  

The idea of winning referrals as a consulting business is straightforward.

Here are the tips:

• Offer exceptional services to your clients to turn them into your promoters.
• Educate your audience about your consulting services in the simplest way so that they can understand who you can help.
• Don’t be shy; pitch your friends, family, and peers to refer you. (Entice them with an offer in return for a referral!)
• Be precise about what your ideal client looks like when asking for referrals.
• Trust in the reciprocity law. Refer clients to your fellow consultants; they’ll repay by referring clients to you soon!

Above all, try to give something to the people to talk about your brand. It will give you word-of-mouth publicity and referrals, too!

Remember, you can win referrals for your consulting business in numerous ways, but you should have clarity while promoting your services and pitching to people for referrals.

Hope, it was helpful!

These were the 9 best marketing strategies for consulting firms. So, explore and grow!

Streamline your success with Salesmate

Once you lock up the potential marketing strategies for your consulting business, your next effort should be to make the process faster.

Leveraging an automation platform can be wise for improving your marketing results. 

You can be 2X productive with a powerful marketing automation platform.

With Salesmate, you can build personalized email and SMS campaigns. Moreover, it can also set the engine to automation.

In fact, save a penny and invest in CRM that offers automation tools.

Here’s an example of how you can set Automation Journeys with Salesmate CRM to boost sales:

Salesmate is a well-equipped consulting CRM and automation platform that offers

• Built-in tools for better lead generation and automated lead scoring to get MQLs.
• Efficient contact management solution with auto-profile enrichment.
• Omnichannel communication features (Calls, Emails, and SMS).
• Marketing Automation to nurture leads faster and boost conversion rates.
• Sales Sequences to automate your follow-ups.
• Sales pipeline management to have a visual road map about your client interaction.
• Sales intelligence to boost your consulting business revenue.

The benefits don’t end here; you can streamline your entire business from lead generation to deal closing.

Wrap up: Invest in the best consultant marketing strategies

Marketing and lead generation strategy for consulting firms go hand in hand. The more effective your consulting marketing strategies, the better your better lead generation will be.

Consider following the top marketing strategy consulting for growing your leads and brand awareness.

Improving your digital presence will help you market your business online.

Also, consultants need to stay updated with changing consumer behaviors, industry shifts, and innovative strategies for a competitive edge.

Moreover, leverage technologies like marketing automation and CRM to power up efforts.

Frequently asked questions