Getting (and keeping) great clients is the challenge for most consultants. Unless you are a marketing expert, you probably didn't learn how to market consulting services at school! And, even if you are a marketing expert, you may know about marketing widgets or corporate services. Marketing consulting services is different, because you are your main product.



As I learned years ago from an older consultant, the basic concept is to “get your name out there.” Fair enough, but the question is “how?”

Your goal is to tell the world who you are and what you do. You may immediately think of paid advertising. That's how other businesses do it, right? It may be right for some consultants, and some do use web advertising such as Google's AdWords system. But advertising will be an expensive waste for many, many others.

For most advisors today, telling the world about who you are and what you do means a web presence, such as a web site, blog (web log) or listing in an online directory or social networking service (such as LinkedIn).

You may try a do-it-yourself website builder solution or a blogging solution, such as Typepad. Or, you may have a designer or a service company build a web site or blog for you. But, watch your expenses! I have heard of too many cases where an advisor spent thousands of dollars for a great looking design for a site that got few, if any, visitors.

Remember that the web is extremely flexible, and you can always upgrade your web site or blog as your consulting practice grows.

If you have the technical skill to create your own site, that's fine. (For example, web design consultants may need excellent sites to demonstrate the quality of their work.) But don't let the web site become a time sink that prevents you from completing other important marketing tasks.

If you want an extremely simple web presence, start by creating an entry on the online social networking sites LinkedIn or even Facebook. Pages on those sites do well in the web search engine results for people searching for your name. Plus these services are free and easy to use.

Blogs are also easy to use once they are set up. With a blog, however, you need to post new information periodically to get more visitors to the blog. A blog filled only with old content will look "dead," and visitors may click away quickly.

It is even more effective to combine all of these -- web site, blog and social networking sites. Use a web site to explain your consulting practice, a blog to give ongoing updates about your field and areas of expertise or even articles that you write, and listings on LinkedIn, Facebook and similar sites to connect with colleagues, clients and prospects. All should include your contact information.

This article only scratches the surface of how you can leverage several web presences for your consulting practice. The key is to start getting your name out on the web. You' will be amazed by the results.