For an accounting firm to be successful, it takes more than just opening your doors and hoping clients show up. Marketing your firm – and yourself – is another essential step to success.
How to find clients
If you’re struggling to think of ways to find accounting clients, fall back on the traditional way that accounting firms grow - through referrals and networking. Think back to your market research, determine where your target market is, and go there.
Look for ways to be active in the local community and around your target market, such as professional speaking engagements you can offer to local small business groups or the chamber of commerce. Where does your target market go to network? Find those prime locations and go there.
Build an effective online presence through social media, online ads, and a website
Should accounting firms and accountants have a website? What about social media?
The short answer to both of those is yes. While an online presence rarely has a detrimental impact on a firm’s chance of being hired, with over 90% of people researching service providers online, not being online will lose you customers.
Website
Make sure that your website is 1) easy to use, 2) up to date and 3) invites prospective clients to work with you.
This means keeping your website up to date; don’t slap a website up and never touch it again. You don’t need to spend an arm and a leg to have a decent website; there are simple and effective tools that can have you up and running in a day.
Social media
When it comes to social media, be on social media to your comfort level. Consider posting about regulatory changes with notes about how these could affect your clients and potential clients. There are many tech tools on the market that can help with both social media posting and analysis.
Regarding the content itself, tech can also help – whether it’s a research solution like CCH® AnswerConnect that provides insights into legislative changes, or tools like CCH Axcess iQ®, which use predictive intelligence to determine which of your clients may be affected by state and federal legal and regulatory changes – which providing client impact statements and letters that can easily be used for newsletter and social media.
Regardless of the tools you use or where you obtain your content, it’s important that you focus on the value you provide, rather than the services that you offer.
Your goal is to position your firm as more than someone that does your tax prep or bookkeeping. You want to be their partner.
Paid advertising
Online ads such as Google ads can be cheap and effective ways to market to your target market. It’s possible to cap an ad as low as $20.
If you do nothing else to create an online presence, build a website (or at least a Facebook page). In today’s digital environment, if you don’t show up on Google, you don’t exist.
How to appeal to prospective clients
If you’re struggling to understand what prospective clients look for in an accountant or a CPA, first impressions matter, and as a firm owner, you’re also selling yourself.
Your clients need to believe in and trust you.
When communicating with prospective clients, keep your messaging clear, consistent, and focused on educating them about the value that you will provide them with. Focus the conversation on pain points that you can help them solve. Ensure that every communication provides a clear and concise value proposition. Every time you communicate with a prospective client, you want them to believe that you understand their problems and that your goals align with theirs.
Make sure that you provide clear, consistent communication that is engaging, direct, and tells a client that you can help them solve their problem.
This can’t be repeated enough, so I’ll say it again.
Make sure that you provide clear, consistent communication that is engaging, direct, and tells a client that you can help them solve their problem.
At the end of the day, if you can help your clients solve a problem, you’re a valued partner. Thoughtful and effective marketing can help you communicate the value of that partnership to potential clients.
