As an accountant, offering advisory services can be game-changing for your firm. But have you ever considered the importance of marketing these services? Just like advisory, marketing is a key component of any successful practice. And just like advisory, it pays to have a long-term strategy in place.
Your firm’s reputation is one of its most valuable assets and a strong marketing strategy can help you build and maintain it. In this article, we’ll look at some key components of a successful strategy, including how you can use online proposals, automated engagement letters and a business dashboard to streamline your entire client engagement process.
Let’s get started.
Tip 1: Establish yourself as a thought leader
Establishing yourself as a thought leader requires consistent dedication and effort—it’s not a one-time task. However, as an ongoing marketing strategy, it offers numerous benefits, including bolstering trust and credibility while providing a platform to shape industry discussions. There are various avenues through which you can share your expertise:
- Producing blog posts or other forms of content: By regularly sharing insights and knowledge through a blog or similar content, you can demonstrate your expertise in your niche and attract potential clients to your practice. This can involve discussing industry trends, sharing personal experiences, and offering solutions to common challenges faced by your target audience.
- Utilizing social media: Platforms like LinkedIn, Twitter, and YouTube present powerful opportunities to engage with potential clients and disseminate industry insights. The choice of platform depends on factors such as your firm’s objectives, your target audience’s preferences, and the type of content you wish to share. Through consistent posting, interaction with industry peers, and dissemination of valuable content, you can effectively promote your advisory services and attract new clients.
- Engaging in industry events: Participation in conferences, webinars, and seminars allows you to network and showcase your expertise. Whether through speaking engagements, workshops, or simply attending events, you can connect with fellow accounting and tax professionals, as well as business individuals within your niche. By demonstrating how your firm addresses common challenges, such as cash flow management, you can leave a lasting impression. Following up with prospective clients post-event enables you to maintain momentum and nurture relationships.
Tip 2: Develop a consistent email marketing strategy
According to HubSpot, email marketing yields an impressive ROI of $36 for every $1 spent. When strategizing your email marketing campaigns, it’s advantageous to focus on the following key aspects:
Segmentation of your email list: Utilizing tools like Mailchimp enables you to tailor campaigns to specific segments, promoting new advisory services or special offers effectively. By segmenting your list, you ensure that only relevant clients receive pertinent messages, enhancing engagement and conversion rates.
Personalization of emails: Enhance recipient engagement by personalizing messages beyond simple first-name addressing. Incorporating details about their industry niche and prior interactions with your firm fosters a sense of familiarity, ultimately building trust and strengthening relationships.
Clear call-to-action (CTA): Encourage recipients to take action by including a distinct CTA in your emails, directing them to your website or offering options like scheduling consultations through Calendly. Additionally, attaching case studies or testimonials showcases your services’ effectiveness and may entice new clients with free trial periods.
Consistent communication: Email marketing requires a sustained effort rather than a one-time endeavor. Establish a regular schedule for sending emails to maintain ongoing communication with recipients. This consistency not only ensures that recipients receive consistent updates but also facilitates tracking campaign performance over time.
Tip 3: Create high quality content that helps solves problems
According to web analytics platform Crazy Egg, visitors typically spend only about 15 seconds on a website. Therefore, it’s crucial that the content effectively conveys the value of your services, essential information about your firm, and showcases your expertise, all while building trust within this brief timeframe.
Prioritize keyword research: To craft compelling website copy that resonates with visitors, begin by conducting thorough keyword research to identify the most relevant search terms in your field. Utilize these keywords in headings and as a framework for developing blog content and FAQs. Creating high-quality content that addresses common search queries, including those found in the ‘Related searches’ section at the bottom of Google results pages, can also enhance your website’s ranking and visibility.
Drive traffic to your website through various methods: Employ a combination of strategies such as search engine optimization (SEO), online reviews, and pay-per-click (PPC) advertising to enhance your website’s visibility and reputation over the long term, while attracting targeted, high-intent traffic in the short term.
By optimizing your website for search engines and implementing targeted advertising campaigns, you can draw potential clients actively seeking solutions within your niche. This approach effectively connects with individuals interested in your advisory services, increasing the likelihood of converting them into clients.
Tip 4: Develop a winning social media strategy
Social media platforms offer a vast potential to connect with a large audience of potential clients. In the United States, YouTube boasts an 82% usage rate among adults, closely followed by Facebook at 70%.
Depending on your objectives, you can opt for either an organic or paid social media strategy. Organic strategies concentrate on building a following and engaging with the audience gradually, while paid strategies aim to reach a broader audience and drive immediate actions. Combining both approaches can be advantageous, allowing firms to achieve their goals effectively.
To develop a successful social media strategy, focus on building trust, establishing credibility, and showcasing your firm’s expertise.
Here are the essential components to include in both your organic and paid social media strategies:
1. Identify your target audience: Determine the demographics, interests, and pain points of your target audience to tailor your content and choose the appropriate social media platforms.
2. Define your objectives: Whether it’s increasing brand awareness, generating leads, or positioning yourself as a thought leader, having clear goals will shape your strategy accordingly.
3. Create valuable content: Develop content that educates and addresses the challenges of your prospects, such as informative blog posts or videos relevant to your niche.
4. Engage with your audience: Foster engagement by responding to comments and messages to nurture familiarity and trust in your firm.
5. Utilize analytics: Utilize analytics tools like HubSpot and Google Analytics to monitor campaign performance and identify content that resonates with your audience.
6. Maintain consistency: Ensure visual and messaging consistency across all social media platforms, using consistent branding elements such as logos and colors.
7. Stay active: Post regularly and actively engage with your audience to maintain momentum.
Consider paid advertising: Paid social ads can broaden your reach, particularly during the launch of new advisory services.
Tip 5: Offer a free consultation and mention it in your engagement letter
Offering complimentary consultations serves as a strategic approach to attracting new clients and demonstrating your expertise to potential customers. It’s also a chance to establish trust with individuals you haven’t yet met and gain insights into their preferences and requirements, such as communication preferences.
Ensure that the terms of the free consultation are clearly outlined in your engagement letter. Ignition provides branded digital proposals that streamline the process, making it convenient for prospects to review and sign. Additionally, Ignition offers legally reviewed, industry-standard terms or allows you to upload your own.
Within the engagement letter, specify the consultation’s duration, format (e.g., in-person or virtual), and purpose to eliminate any ambiguity and prevent misunderstandings down the line. This clarity not only delineates the terms of the engagement but also underscores your value proposition and dedication to delivering exceptional services while fostering long-term relationships.
Following the complimentary consultation, promptly follow up via phone, email, or an in-person meeting to address any further inquiries and discuss next steps. This interaction also presents an opportunity to introduce additional services.
Tip 6: Choose the best time to market your advisory services
Engaging clients in discussions about their specific challenges and pain points presents opportunities to promote your advisory services. Joshua Lance, Founder and Managing Director of Lance CPA Group and Head of Accounting (AMER) at Ignition, emphasizes this point: “While clients may initially seek assistance with tasks like tax returns, what they truly desire is valuable guidance,” he notes.
Identifying the most opportune times to initiate these conversations depends on your service offerings and specialization. However, several key periods stand out as particularly effective for marketing efforts:
1. Tax season: Leading up to the tax filing deadline, individuals and businesses actively seek support for tax preparation and filing, presenting an ideal opportunity to promote tax advisory and planning services.
2. Financial planning: The beginning of the year prompts individuals to review their financial status and set goals, making it a prime time to market financial planning services.
3. Business planning: Towards the end of the fiscal year, businesses seek assistance with strategic decisions, such as forecasting and budgeting, providing an opening for marketing advisory services.
4. Retirement planning: As individuals approach retirement, they often seek guidance on retirement options and associated tax implications, making it a suitable time to market retirement planning services.
Utilize analytics for timing optimization: In addition to leveraging client knowledge, data analytics can inform optimal timing for service pitches. For instance, web analytics tools can identify peak website visitation times, while marketing automation tools track client engagement with email campaigns, helping pinpoint periods of heightened activity.
Gain insight into your pipeline: Ignition’s Business Intelligence Dashboard offers real-time visibility into active clients over the preceding year, facilitating monitoring of proposal progress across various engagement stages. This feature aids in organizing and prioritizing proposals, enhancing the potential for securing new business.
Tip 7: Diversify your marketing approach
Relying solely on a single marketing channel, such as social media, may result in restricted outreach as potential clients encounter a surplus of comparable content from competing firms. Employing a diverse array of tactics ensures dynamism and appeal in your marketing endeavors, enhancing the likelihood that your message will capture attention and prompt action.
Over to you
Marketing your advisory services plays a crucial role in expanding your accounting firm and setting it apart from competitors. Ignition simplifies client engagement, payment processing, and overall firm management.
With Ignition, establishing clear communication and aligning expectations with clients is effortless from the outset. The platform offers robust online proposals, facilitating seamless business interactions and effortless payment collection. Additionally, Ignition’s automated engagement letters ensure clarity regarding pricing, billing schedules, and engagement terms, all conveniently consolidated within a single, easy-to-sign online proposal.