Whether you own an accounting company or work as a self-employed accountant, providing your services is only half the battle – you also need to market them. The marketing process is far more complicated than it used to be, and this rate of change is accelerating, so keeping up with it can be a job in itself. To attract clients and expand your organisation, startup accountants must use effective marketing strategies.
The following five tips for accountants are practical, powerful, and simple to implement at any point in a marketing campaign.
Table of contents
5 Marketing Strategies Accountants Should Know
- Create a marketing plan
- Improve your online presence
- Nurture existing client relationships
- Start networking effectively
- Ask client for reviews
Final thoughts
Create a marketing plan
Although it may seem obvious, your marketing efforts will probably go in vain if you don’t have a marketing plan. Your marketing plan should align with your business targets.
For instance, if you want to market to clients who need tax assistance, or you want to contact small businesses with fewer than 20 employees, include it in your plan. Also, set up short-term and long-term goals to evaluate your progress.
Setting time aside to assess your efforts and develop new skills is an excellent way to develop a marketing strategy. It’s essential to recognise that no marketing campaign can succeed without proper tracking and monitoring. To draw in new customers, you must be persistent and consistent.
Improve your online presence
One of the most cost-effective and simple ways is to post engaging content on your social media pages regularly. Make sure you have up-to-date contact information and a link to your website at the very least, so people know where to find you.
However, to make your social media pages a more efficient marketing tool, you can publish news updates and leadership content demonstrating your industrial expertise. It draws in a specialised audience, and customers can post helpful recommendations that are publicly visible.
Nurture existing client relationships
Not all marketing is about attracting new customers. It’s crucial to maintain good relationships with your current clients and to become their only choice for accounting services. Annually, take time to check in a friendly way rather than a business-focused manner to demonstrate to your clients that they are more than just pound signs to you.
Word-of-mouth marketing is a tactic that allows you to encourage clients to talk about your firm positively. You might experience higher brand recognition and new customer sign-ups due to this tactic.
To start your word-of-mouth marketing strategy, you can do the following:
- Create loyalty programs to encourage customer discussion
- Launch a referral program and provide customers rewards like service discounts, a free add-on service, etc.
- Gift cards to customers who write reviews for you (e.g., Google, social media, etc.)
Start networking effectively
There are several options to get your firm noticed cost-efficiently at networking events like conferences and seminars. However, it’s important to follow up with potential customers more than just collecting their business cards.
If the event is particularly relevant, accounting businesses can run workshops or showcase their expertise. These occasions are planned to increase awareness among your community and expand your reach rather than closing sales.
Targeted, person-to-person network building will always remain a critical strategy for marketing for high-growth accounting businesses. You can use different online platforms to connect with many potential clients worldwide.
Ask client for reviews
Trust is a crucial component of the connection between the accountant and the customer, especially when discussing something as sensitive as finances. Receiving positive feedback from past customers is a quick and cost-free strategy to boost your profile. They might post a review on online platforms, or write a testimonial that you can display on your website.
Final thoughts
Consider any one action area an excellent starting place— you don’t have to try and complete all of them at once. A crucial component of your marketing plan is measuring your efforts. By doing so, you can modify your accountant’s marketing strategy to replace ineffective ones with efficient ones.
The secret to effective accounting marketing is to stick to the marketing plan and avoid taking on too much at once.
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