7 Ways to Market Your Consulting Business

Consultants charge a fee to provide advice with their expertise, industry-specific knowledge, and skills. They're often hired by individuals or organizations to help solve a problem, improve performance, or reach a specific goal. 

There are many types of consulting businesses. Some examples of individual consulting businesses include:

• Financial, like tax prep

• Fashion or home styling

• Nutrition or fitness coaching

• Website design or development

Marketing is part of building a strong brand for your business. It’s vital to setting yourself apart from the competition as a trusted and sought-after expert in your field and attracting and maintaining a client base.

With Squarespace's tools and features, you can create a professional and comprehensive marketing campaign. From social media and SEO tools to email marketing, here are products and features to help you spend less time promoting your business and more time focusing on your clients. 

1. Integrate Acuity Scheduling with your social channels 

The easier it is for potential clients to book time with you, the more people will convert into customers. One way to streamline your booking process is to connect your Acuity booking page to your Instagram or Facebook page. 

Connecting the two lets someone book with you directly from your social media profile, removing steps from the process for potential customers. You can either have the button added automatically by connecting with Squarespace’s Facebook Business Manager integration or add it manually.

To connect, you need:

• The latest version of Instagram

• An Instagram business profile

• To be the owner of your Acuity subscription

Once you’ve added the booking button to your profile, call it out to your followers. Point customers to your profile in stories or posts where you talk about your work or feature satisfied clients.

Learn more about connecting Acuity to your social channels

2. Boost visibility in search

One of the best ways to get in front of potential clients is to show up early in search results. People searching for help in your field or for your specific services are actively looking for a business like yours.

Squarespace websites have search engine optimization (SEO) tools to help improve your ranking in search results, like options to customize the page titles and descriptions that search engines pick up. You can also connect your business to Google to make it easier to discover you in local searches or offer booking directly on the search results page. 

You can also help your search ranking by working common search terms related to your services or field into your website copy. Or add a blog to your website and commit to regularly writing about topics in your field. If you’re short on topics, consider highlighting customer success stories.

Not sure where to start? Get more tips for website SEO or follow our SEO checklist.

3. Grow your audience through relevant newsletter content

Sending branded marketing email campaigns is another great way to promote your business and increase your clientele. Email campaigns are most effective when they provide value, build relationships, and deliver relevant content to your target audience. 

Start by writing newsletters that teach your readers something new or give them insight into how you work. Over time, that content builds trust in your knowledge and the experience of working with you. You can establish yourself as a trusted authority and when it’s time for those readers to book a service, that trust can drive conversions for your consulting business.

You can set up Squarespace Email Campaigns on any Squarespace site. The email marketing tool helps you:

• Create email campaigns that match your site's branding.

• Track clicks and unsubscribes.

• Send automatic emails when visitors subscribe to your newsletter or make a purchase.

Get more email marketing tips

4. Be consistent on social media to build your brand and community

Branding is an extremely important part of any business. Effective branding:

• Helps your consultant business stand out from the competition

• Creates a sense of professionalism, expertise, and trustworthiness

• Creates recognition and recall in the minds of potential clients

• Can help you expand into new markets and form strategic partnerships

One of the best places to build community and strengthen your brand is social media. Social media gives you opportunities to share information or tell stories that shape the way people think about your business. From there, you can start building connections by interacting with your followers. 

Consistency is key when building a strong brand. You may find it helpful to set up a simple content calendar to plan what you’ll post and when. The Unfold app from Squarespace has a Brand Kit that makes it easier to make on-brand posts for your accounts. With the Brand Kit, you can create social media content that matches the colors and fonts of your website. You can also upload your logo and use images as stickers to create truly unique content. 

Learn how to market more efficiently with Unfold 

5. Gather and share client testimonials 

Positive feedback from previous clients builds trust and confidence in your expertise. It reassures potential clients that others have benefited from your services, making them more likely to choose you. Testimonials also contribute to a positive reputation for your business. A solid reputation makes you stand out from your competitors, and increases opportunities for your business.

Form blocks and email outreach are both convenient ways to get testimonials from clients. Keep the form simple and brief to get thoughtful responses. Ask open-ended questions about the client’s experience working with you, including their favorite parts and what made them feel satisfied with your work. 

After gathering testimonials, share them by adding a testimonial section, Quote block, or Summary block on your site. 

6. Collect leads

Collecting leads helps you identify potential clients who are interested in your services. By collecting their contact information, you can create a database of people to whom you can directly reach out with targeted marketing messages. 

You can tailor your marketing efforts to address the specific needs and pain points of your leads. This personalized approach may increase the chances of converting leads into paying clients.

Even if a lead doesn't immediately convert into a client, maintaining a relationship with them may lead to future opportunities. As their needs evolve or new projects arise, they may turn to you for your consulting services.

You can encourage mailing list sign-ups with a promotional pop-up. 

7. Highlight your expertise with engaging video content 

Establish your credibility and build trust by creating short videos that highlight your knowledge in your particular field. If you’re a health consultant, you could share an exercise routine or healthy recipe. If you’re a financial consultant, you could share a few investing tips or ways to pay down debt. Build these into your social media content calendar and share them in your email marketing to potential clients.

With the Unfold app, you can edit professional-quality videos that are specific to your brand. You can then feature the videos on your site, or share them on your social media platforms.

Learn more about making videos for your business