When was the last time you refreshed your firm's qualifications statement? There are many marketing professionals who view this document as a mere formality to get into the door for a new opportunity or receive a request for proposal (RFP). It is time to rethink your firm’s traditional qualifications statement.
This post offers creative ideas for integrating an inbound marketing approach with your qualifications statement:
1. Create “About Us” Descriptions That Make A Connection: The ever-present "About Us" description is a qualifications section that has been collecting dust because you haven't bothered to read it since you first wrote it. Yes, this is the place where you can brag, just a little. However, it is best not to get stuck boasting. You are missing out on an opportunity to ask readers to engage with the firm. Provide a lot of pictures of your team, link to videos on your blog that illustrate what it’s like to work with your firm, and create opportunities for them to engage with your employees and company through social media channels. Be creative in showing the unique character of your firm – this kind of content gets the reader to feel like they already know you.
2. Develop “Services” Summaries Supported With Relevant Blog Post Links: In every qualifications statement, you need to describe the range of services you provide as well as any special areas of expertise. Don’t let your reader quickly skim through this area to determine whether you meet their specific requirements. Keep their attention with content that piques their interest. Link to specific articles that will give them a quick taste of what your talents bring to the project. Maybe provide a link to a blog post that includes a video highlighting a skill or a specific approach allowing the reader to simulate a project experience with you.
3. Energize Management Team Biographies With Linkedin Profile Links: When was the last time you read another firm’s management biography. There is a high likelihood you’ve made a LinkedIn connection in more recent memory. Turn your management team biography into an opportunity to further the connection by linking their professional LinkedIn profile. Always create additional opportunities for your leads to get to know your team!
5. Employ Calls-to-Action (CTAs): A call-to-action is a link that persuades the reader to click and arrive on a page that encourages engagement with your firm. Since your reader is already a lead, use CTAs both outside and within your qualifications statement to reconvert your lead and move them further down your marketing funnel, or business development lifecycle. CTAs are a great way to further engage and develop a solid client relationship.
6. Create dedicated Landing Pages For Your Qualifications Statement: Your qualifications statement should be available for download through a landing page on your website. A landing page is a web page that describes your qualifications statement and provides a form for visitors to fill out with their contact information in exchange for your information. This is how you convert your visitors into new leads that your business development team can ultimately follow up with.
7. Promote Your Qualifications Statement: Once your landing page is ready for prime time, you can use that destination URL to promote your qualifications statement across your marketing channels. Here are ways you can do this:
- Promote your qualifications statement on your website. For example, feature a CTA or link to your landing page on your resources page or even your homepage.
- Promote your qualifications statement through your blog. For instance, consider publishing an excerpt of your qualifications statement in a blog post. Or write a separate blog article on the same topic as your qualifications statement, and link to it at the end of your post using a call-to-action to encourage readers to keep learning.
- Send a segmented email to contacts who have indicated an interest in receiving information from your firm.
- Publish posts to your social media channels with a link to the qualifications statement landing page.
8. Include Social Media Buttons and Social Share Opportunities Everywhere: Encourage people to follow you on social media on each page of your qualifications statement. Increase social shares by creating social media share buttons within your qualifications statement.
9. Leave Breadcrumbs: Lead your social media community to your qualifications statement and vice versa. Give them just enough info to know what to do, but they either have to visit you in-person or follow you on social media to engage.
10. Track Your Qualifications Statement’s Success: After your content is live and promoted across your marketing channels, measure the success of your qualifications statement with analytics. Landing page analytics will give you insight into how many readers downloaded your qualifications statement and converted into leads. Closed-loop analytics show how many of those leads ultimately converted into opportunities and then business clients.
Did this post inspire you to refresh your qualifications statement? Did you think of any other ways to optimize? Please share your thoughts and inspirations with us!
For further reading, read Fire Up Lead Generation with Repurposed Proposal Content.
