This is the third article in my series “100 Ways To Market Your Accounting Firm”
To read the previous articles in the series just click on the links below.
• Click here for tips 1-10.
• Click here for tips 11-20
Here are tips 21-30 on 100 Ways To Market Your Accounting Firm:
21) Call To Action.
When writing a sales letter make sure you put a ‘call to action’ on it in multiple places; don’t just place it at the end. Places which you could consider include:
• Beneath testimonials
• In the P.S.
• At the top of the letter
22) Always Include A P.S.
In every sales letter (or email) you write should include a P.S. You can use this to drive people to the next stage in working with you, remind them of your ‘call to action’, or use it to focus on your primary benefit. Use the P.S. wisely.
23) Form Strategic Alliances.
These are also known as Joint Ventures. If you want to have a bigger reach and target specific niches, a Strategic Alliance may be the way forward for your firm. They will get you more leads, resources and a bigger reach. You may gain access to more channels of distribution, marketing or branding.
24) Leverage Free PR.
Public Relations means you and your business getting coverage in the local/international media, on radio, in magazines etc. It is a very effective way of attracting new clients and reminding old clients of your existence. PR also means that a third party is speaking ABOUT you and therefore they are endorsing you, and building the ‘know, like, trust’ experience.
25) Understand The Power Of Digital PR.
Traditional PR (above) is one way to grow your practice, but also understand that PR is now what people say about you on social media platforms. Great PR now encapsulates offline and online promotion, and if you are not being spoken about, you are not being seen. People will trust recommendations through Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn as much as they trust face-to-face recommendations in a networking meeting.
26) Set Up A Media Section On Your Website.
Upload all your press releases and press coverage on a media page. Google prefers websites that add new content, and gives them higher rankings in search engines. Not only that, this page will be well visited by prospective clients, as they want to see behind the curtain of your firm.
27) Leverage Your Publicity.
When you get media coverage, make sure you share it with everyone you do business with and include it in your marketing material. If your potential clients see that your accounting firm is one that the media is talking about, you will have a competitive advantage over others.
28) Collect And Use Testimonials And Case Studies.
Actually have the collection of case studies and testimonials as part of your marketing plan. At Boost we have an allocated member of our team who spends their time gathering case studies and testimonials for our clients. If your clients do the talking, they are then promoting your firm, and you will get recommended and referred. Aim to gather two–four testimonials a month and use them in your marketing collateral.
29) Ask For Testimonials To Be Written In A Certain Way.
Some testimonials are not particularly useful. They are the ones that say “Mr Green is great to work with, friendly and does my tax returns on time”. Try and get testimonials that have a punch to them, something more along the lines of “When I first came to ABC Accounting I was frustrated and overwhelmed by my finances. Bob held my hand through the entire process, and was not only available to support me, but also saved me money and enabled me to have more profit. I now have a handle on my finances and my business has a bright future”.
30) Use A Three-Step Marketing Approach.
Sending a sales letter, posting a tweet, or getting recommended is not enough to get a client. Attempting to close a deal after someone has shown a little interest in your firm can be fatal. A three step marketing process can give a prospective client a feel for your company, and also have them “buy-in” to your services far easier and with a better relationship forming.
A three-step process may look something like this:
• Offer something in return for contact details
• Build a relationship with them through regular contact (sales letters/emails)
• Invite them to an event/webinar to showcase your expertise
And only then invite them to buy.
By taking your prospect on a journey like this, you eliminate the pain and stress of trying to get people to buy from you, and increase your influence and reputation. You have a chance to show people that you are the trusted advisor and that when they need you, you are (a) front of mind , and (b) the obvious choice.
As we go through the 100 ways to market your accounting firm make sure you tick off the ones you complete, and work on the points that you are not currently implementing. You now have 30 ways to market your accounting practice. See the links at the start of this article for the previous tips.
Enjoyed reading these 10 ideas on marketing an accounting practice?
To download the complete ‘100 Ways To Market Your Accounting Firm’ just click here.
At TwentyTwo Agency we specialise in helping you create a strategy, attract ideal prospects, convert them into clients and get remembered and referred. Our specialities include content marketing, blog writing, email newsletter management and social media management. We are a content marketing and digital experience agency for accounting firms. We ensure you get remembered, recommended and referred.
To find out if we can help you, reach out to our team by emailing [email protected]
