Professional services marketers have made huge contributions to their firms in 2024 and have never been more important to the success of today’s law, accounting and consulting firms.
Whether communications or CRM, digital marketing or legal directories, the unstoppable rise of AI and LinkedIn, collaboration and authenticity will be at the heart of activity for the year ahead.
The Professionals asked the best of the best for their thoughts and predictions for the year ahead. Here’s what they had to say. Here is round two (and you can read our first part here).
AI will kill cold outreach emails
Robin Stephens, Co-Founder, Cirrom
“Over the next six months, platforms which send individual personalised sales emails and follow-ups will become more and more popular (because it works), but the consequence will be less and less engagement and eventually its death by its own success.
“I can already spot an AI-driven cold outreach email and from chatting to senior marketers in law firms, I know they feel the same…. meaning automatically deleting these emails.
“That is not, however, the same as email marketing content which has been opted in from an engaged audience. This will become even more valuable. But AI will kill cold-call introductory emails as a BD channel.”
Authenticity valued and the rise of micro niche marketing
Victoria Lee, CEO, 100 Pound Social.
“As we move into 2025, it’s clear that authenticity in marketing will become even more crucial. While AI-generated content is improving, clients still crave real, human connections. I’ve seen firsthand how storytelling rooted in genuine experiences builds trust, something that AI just can’t replicate.
“Professionals need to weave their own stories into their brand’s message. It’s those honest, relatable narratives that truly resonate. Firms that embrace this approach are the ones making meaningful connections with clients, and it’s no surprise – they’re the ones seeing lasting success.
“Business development is also shifting, with a growing focus on micro-niche marketing. In the past, firms aimed to dominate entire sectors but now the focus is narrowing down and catering to specific, often overlooked needs within larger industries. Small firms are tapping into these gaps and growing quickly as a result. Being a big player in a small market can often be much more rewarding than trying to compete with giants in a broader field.”
Get on top of crisis comms
Stuart Skinner, Group Managing Director at The PHA Group.
“There will be plenty to occupy the minds of marketing and communications professionals in 2025, with threats and opportunities at every turn.
“We surveyed business leaders to gauge their main concerns and found that the majority (65%) have no escalation crisis management plan in place to deal with urgent reputational threats.
“Crisis management and reputational risk mitigation is an area marketing and comms professionals should prioritise in their conversations with the C-suite in 2025, particularly around issues such as sustainability and ESG, data management and AI.
“PHA’s research found that exposure to accusations of greenwashing, potential data leaks, and threats from deepfakes and malicious AI content were particularly high on the agenda and keeping business leaders awake at night.
“This does, however, present an opportunity for comms professionals to get on the front foot and work closely with business leaders to prepare for every eventuality through the production of comprehensive crisis plans, simulation and scenario role play, and exec coaching and media training.
“Having those measures in place will allow businesses to pursue proactive comms campaigns in confidence, knowing that they have a plan for increased scrutiny on key issues.”
Data-driven decision making
Camille Flores-Kilfoyle, Senior Director at Reputation
“The rise of AI-enabled analytics has transformed how marketers make decisions. Data insights now guide strategy, from audience segmentation to campaign optimisation. Going into 2025, marketing’s main purpose is going to be collecting a wealth of data and driving cross-departmental integration to ensure that data-driven decisions are made at all levels of the organisation. AI-powered analytics will be instrumental in optimising business processes and return on investment, and marketing has a linchpin role to play here.”
PR and sales more closely align
Richard Stone, founder and managing director, Stone Junction
“B2B PR professional services will align more closely with sales teams by 2025. Thought leadership articles, technical case studies and media placements will be leveraged not just for visibility but to generate leads and nurture them through the sales funnel.
“Advanced CRM tools allow companies to track the journey from media engagement to purchase decisions, making PR’s contribution to the sales pipeline clear and measurable.
“The growing importance of multimedia storytelling will reshape how professional services companies engage their audiences. In 2025, PR campaigns will increasingly incorporate webinars, video demonstrations, and interactive AR/VR experiences to showcase complex technologies and solutions.
“Emerging B2B platforms and niche professional networks will also become vital for reaching specialized audiences, such as investors, in-house lawyers if you are a law firm or planners if you are an architect – all of whom value in-depth, credible content.”
A trip back to the Wild West of social media
David Clare, Director at Fire on the Hill,
“The decline of Twitter (now X) has left a noticeable gap in the social media landscape, causing both individuals and brands to reassess where they invest their time and energy online. In 2025, we are likely to see a return to a fragmented social media ecosystem, much like the early days of the internet. With users seeking alternatives, new platforms like BlueSky are emerging—offering more decentralised and community-driven environments. An important question remains: are we ready for it?
“2025 will be a year of reflection and evaluation for PR and comms teams as they decide where to invest their energy on social media to maximise value, both in terms of maximising their share of voice on important topics, but also for building and maintaining all-important journalist relationships. Recently, the European Federation of Journalists announced it will stop posting news on X – an organisation that represents 295,000 journalists in 44 countries. A place that was once the place for breaking news, often beating publications themselves, is amid a mass retreat.
“What comes is this ‘wild west’ era, along with a re-evaluation re-evaluate of platform strategies and tactics. Platforms like BlueSky are emerging as an alternative but sign-up numbers are still relatively low at around 24 million (X still has 600 million). Rather than being a year for making decisions, it will be a year of evaluation for PR and comms teams as they wait and see which platforms will reign supreme.”