Tag: blogging for public affairs

Outsourced content marketing: An option for public affairs consulting firms

The outsourcing of content marketing is a good option for public affairs consulting firms.

As Marketing Insider Group details, B2B companies that blog at least 11 times per month receive 1.75 times more leads than those that blog 6 to 10 times per month – and 3.75 times more leads than those blogging once a week. The production of sophisticated public affairs content is often complex and time consuming, placing pressure on firms to maintain updated blogs (let alone maintaining industry-leading thought leadership platforms).

Good public affairs writers will produce content quickly

Topics of interest to discerning public affairs services clients are often sophisticated, therefore will often require the expertise of a specialist public affairs writer. Public affairs-focused writing (particularly writing that clients and other key audiences will find compelling) often takes time and subject matter familiarity to produce.

As Semrush Blog details, some content writers develop significant expertise in industry-specific content production – making it likely they will be capable of producing a high-volume of sophisticated subject matter specific content.  This content is, therefore, ideal for outsourcing to a public affairs-focused writer and publisher with experience in support of public affairs marketing and business development.

Good public affairs writers do more than write

Good public affairs writers will also have experience in range of tasks associated with maintaining a lead-generating public affairs blog  — including strategy, research, editing, publishing, calls to action — and social media promotion and engagement.

Outsourced public affairs writers are cost-effective

Because they are not full-time employees and will be working on a per-project basis, outsourcing to independent writers is likely to be cost efficient. And while a public affairs specialist marketing writer ad blogger is likely to cost more than a more generally qualified content writer, their knowledge of blogging in support of public affairs marketing will be worth the added expense in peace of mind and a more robust pipeline of new leads.

Law firms are already looking to outsource internal functions

As Thomson Reuters recently detailed, law firms (whose services are similar to those of public affairs and governmental relations firms) are “looking to increase efficiency, lower costs, and improve their value proposition to clients…[and are currently] exploring outsourcing of support staff roles as a key option.” Public affairs firms might, therefore, wish to emulate the legal services sector here.

Consider outsourcing public affairs content production

I help public affairs and governmental relations consulting firms produce, publish and promote written content in support of the marketing and business development functions.  For more information, please contact me.

Why public affairs consulting blogs should highlight paths to important client business objectives

Blogging is a proven method of client development for professional services firms, including public affairs and governmental relations consulting firms. And based on what professional services clients are looking for from their advisors — these blogging initiatives should aim to address how public affairs consulting services can help clients achieve important business objectives.

A recent article in Forbes magazine by legal services sector management consultant Mark Cohen describes an emerging legal market where business clients increasingly expect lawyers to be a conduit to business success. 

As Cohen explains, business leaders are encouraging (or sometimes demanding) that lawyers “operate proactively, predictively, quickly, efficiently, collaboratively, and in data-backed fashion. The expectation is that the legal function will morph from self-contained cost center to collaborative catalyst for enterprise and customer value creation.” 

Notably, as Cohen details, 97% of business leaders want their lawyer’s success metrics to be aligned with their business goals. And 74% of business leaders say it is important or extremely important for lawyers to create revenue and new market opportunities.

Professional services firms in other disciplines like public affairs and governmental relations should assume these emerging client expectations apply equally to their areas of expertise.

Public procurement is a prime client-centric blogging topic for public affairs

A prime example of where public affairs advisors can align their services with client business objectives (and blog about them) is public procurement.

Notably, public procurement represented 12 percent of global GDP in 2018. In the EU, for example, 14% of GDP (approximately 2 trillion euros per year) is spent by EU member state governments on public procurement. In the US, the federal government purchases approximately $665 billion annually in goods and services each year from outside contractors (10% of the $6.5 trillion annual budget).

These budgets represent a sizable commercial opportunity for businesses, where public affairs and governmental relations advisors are uniquely positioned to help.

Focus on generating more client-centric blogging opportunities

Public affairs firms can identify how they can help clients secure public sector contacting opportunities, then regularly blog about them for client development purposes. And each public affairs practice niche can be examined to determine how it can be utilized to achieve important client objectives. Once identified, these capabilities can be regularly articulated in a blogging initiative to help attract interest from potential clients attracted by a public affairs services offer closely aligned with their important business objectives.

I provide public affairs consulting firms with writing, editing and blogging services including the production of thought leadership focused on how public affairs services can help clients achieve business success. For more information, please contact me.