Our firm, Dillon Business Advisors, landed 20 new clients in six months. Eighty-five percent of those wins came from referrals and existing relationships. Things like paid ads, lead gen, or social media — the typical activities that fall under marketing — didn’t contribute. It's tempting to hear that as a case for skipping marketing altogether. If referrals are doing most of the work, why bother with a blog, social media, or updating your website?
Marketing isn’t only about winning new business. When done well, it keeps you relevant and visible, converts referrals and prospects, positions your firm as a trusted resource for the clients you already have, and builds the kind of reputation that makes other firms take notice, whether that's a referral partner, a potential hire, or someone who might want to acquire you down the road.
Before you dive into marketing, you need to clarify two things: who your firm is and who your firm is for. Here's how to work through both.