Consulting firms: leveraging editorial drivers to meet business challenges

An unprecedented period of change in a fiercely competitive market

From organisation, strategy and information systems to digital, finance, legal and HR, consulting firms operate in a wide spectrum of areas. Yet they all face the same issues. After a decade of sustained growth, the entire sector was battered by the Covid-19 crisis. The digital transition is accelerating at an incredible pace, presenting consultancies with massive new challenges. Many are being forced to reinvent their management methods and overhaul their structures and processes. At the same time, new requirements, led by corporate social responsibility issues, are becoming increasingly important. Expert backup is therefore essential.

This sector is intensely competitive. Showcasing and promoting a firm’s expertise to customers, highlighting the breadth of its service offering and creating a thriving community are now, more than ever, the decisive differentiating factors. While customers and prospects are central targets in this effort, so is another strategic priority group, namely new talent. Strategy and management consulting is an extremely attractive industry and attracts graduates from top schools. Eric Cohen, Chairman, CEO and founder of Keyrus, a global consultancy, is crystal-clear in his assessment: “It’s all about people – that’s where you gain an edge”.

Consultancy content strategy: 3 key challenges to overcome

To show off your expertise and win over prospects, build customer loyalty and grow the employer brand, it is critical to create engaging content. This has been true for some years. But industry-specific challenges also need to be addressed:

• The challenge of business granularity

What is the best way to spotlight your expertise: get insight from senior executives or offer highly technical, laser-focused content? To decide, before producing any content, you need to make sure that the substance, target, format and distribution method are totally consistent.

• Sector approach vs. expertise approach
  
  When connecting with audiences, consulting firms usually want to highlight two key strengths, which often overlap: their preferred sectors and areas of expertise. This begs the question. Does it make sense to send an article on banking’s digital transformation to someone working in the farm sector? Having a joined-up editorial schedule can be decisive in this respect, delivering general content that will resonate with all audiences, as well as curated content, designed for individual market sectors.

• Optimising content production
  
  Because a consultant’s time is precious, it is vital to decide ahead of time on the process for creating and approving content. Another good practice is to identify a key contact person for the project and avoid time-consuming group decision-making processes.
  

Top five tools for consulting firms editorial toolbox

Depending on their goals and targets, consultancies can select from an extensive array of editorial formats. While each has its own peculiar characteristics, all of them offer a way to share and showcase the expertise of the firm and its people.

Senior manager opinion piece

A member of senior management can publish an opinion piece that shares a conviction on a strategic theme. This kind of article must present a reasoned opinion on a topical issue, backed by a decisive, incisive and fluent stance. Critical to positioning the firm as a leader on its market, these pieces may be shared by the general or specialised media and also by the company itself via its LinkedIn account, website or a newsletter.

White papers

This format is ideal for in-depth analysis of an area of expertise, sector trends or specific solutions. Studies, use cases, tips, employee interviews and infographics can be used to unpack a solution or know-how in a specific theme. This positions the firm as an expert in a field that is meaningful to its customers. It is important to ensure that the document’s visual quality is of the highest calibre.

Articles showcasing sector-specific expertise

The idea here is to write an in-depth article highlighting real value added for the target audience. It gives the firm an opportunity to demonstrate its expertise. This format can be adapted to suit many themes addressed by the consulting sector. It’s ideally suited to presenting the firm as a trusted partner in its key areas. 

Newsletter

A great tool for sharing information and building loyalty, newsletters are an incredible way to be in regular contact with a target audience, such as customers, prospects, partners and employees. They are an opportunity to share the firm’s latest news and promote its expertise via unique content. They can also act as a centralising point for the other types of format put out by the firm.

Podcast

Intimate, authentic, creative and able to grab the listener’s attention for several minutes, podcasts are the on-fire editorial format of the moment. They are a way for consulting firms to expand their audiences through original themes that explore a sector, expertise or event from an unusual angle. They offer a welcome moment of respite that can create a special connection to the firm’s community.

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