Hinge Authors Book on How the Online Marketing Revolution is Affecting Professional Service Firms

RESTON, VA — September 5, 2012 — Hinge, a national leader in branding and marketing for professional services, announced today that it has published a groundbreaking book titled Online Marketing for Professional Services written by Lee W. Frederiksen, Ph.D., Sean T. McVey, Sylvia Montgomery, CPSM and Aaron E. Taylor.
In this new book, readers will gain knowledge about the changing landscape of the online marketing revolution and how this revolution can have a profound impact on a firm’s growth. Based on primary research of over 500 professional services firm executives, this book offers easy-to-understand, practical advice, as well as real-world examples of professional service firms that are using online marketing today to grow their businesses.  As part of the original marketing research by Hinge, the authors investigated 500 firms with an average of 319 employees and almost $54 million in revenue.  The sample included five primary industry groups:
• Architecture/Engineering/Construction; 
• Marketing/Communications;
• Management Consulting; 
• Accounting/Finance; 
• Technology Services
The firms in the sample do various levels of government contracting and the respondents themselves were overwhelmingly senior executives in their firms.
“Our research reveals that professional services marketing is undergoing a revolution. Firms are being found and vetted online, and traditional techniques for generating leads and nurturing prospects are no longer the only way to gain new business,” said Lee Frederiksen, PhD and managing partner at Hinge. “New, Internet-enabled technologies are challenging old assumptions about the way businesses buy professional services. While the personal referral — the longtime staple of professional services marketing — will always be important to business development, new forces are eating away at its dominance. Social media, content marketing and especially online search are turning marketing on its head.”
In clear, jargon-free language, readers are taken step-by-step through the strategies and techniques that are most effective in generating leads, increasing awareness and building preference for their professional services firm.
Questions explored and answered include:
• Why the marketplace is changing and why you need to adapt
• How buyers find and vet firms today
• How online marketing is tied to faster growth and higher profits
• What online tools are essential to your firm's success
• How to get started in online marketing and where to go next
• What 20 online marketing experts believe are the most important marketing tools
• How real-world firms are using these tools today
“Readers will be surprised to learn that 77% of professional services firms generate new business leads online and firms that generate 40% or more of their leads online grow 4 times faster. Clearly, high growth firms generate more leads online and as online lead generation rises, so does profitability,”  said Dr. Frederiksen. “As part of our investigation, we found that there is no other research that connects firm growth to online marketing.  Many online marketing advocates had speculated that it might, but it seemed that no one had actually done the work to find the real answer.”
In addition to identifying the most effective online marketing techniques—search engine optimization (SEO), web analytics and content—the book also provides general guidelines to help readers prioritize their online marketing efforts.
“Today, more and more businesses are using search engines to find and evaluate professional services. Web analytics provide the insights needed to make adjustments to a marketing programs and valuable content is the fuel for the online marketing engine,” Dr. Frederiksen explained. “These tools work together, and each one adds greater depth to a marketing program. When you write valuable content, it attracts links which is a significant part of SEO.  In addition, you demonstrate your expertise, solidify your position as a trusted advisor, and continue to earn the trust of your current and future stakeholders.”
The book Online Marketing for Professional Services is available on Amazon.  A complimentary copy of the book can also be downloaded from the Hinge website.

About Hinge
Hinge, a national leader in branding and marketing for professional services builds high growth, high valuation professional services brands. Clients range from management consulting and technology firms to architecture, engineering and construction (A/E/C), accounting and finance, and government contracting service firms. Hinge offerings include client perception research, brand strategy development, website development, creative services, online marketing, online video, and outsourced marketing services. Hinge staff authored Spiraling Up: How to Build a High Growth, High Valuation Professional Services Firm. 

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Reston, VA 20191

This release was published on openPR.