- Vidit Agarwal
- December 13, 2021
Accounting firms can most effectively demonstrate their expertise through their website. The majority of firms are missing out on the significant potential to target and acquire clients by not using readily available solutions.
A marketing strategy that involves a digital strategy is crucial. According to statistics, 85 percent of buyers perform online research prior to making a purchase, and that number exceeds 60% for accounting services. In today's digital environment, a company's website makes the initial impression. This means that prospective clients make most of their decisions about whether or not to work with an accounting firm/company based on its digital footprint. It is vital for businesses to leverage the appropriate technologies to portray an enticing online image.
To make decisions, we all sift through massive volumes of information quickly during the day, and accounting clients are no exception. Accounting businesses that wish to communicate effectively with clients and prospects face the problem of differentiating themselves from competitors. To differentiate themselves from competitors, businesses must have a digital marketing plan. Digital marketing may be defined as the process of utilising the internet to expand the visibility of an outreach audience by optimising content, talking with or interacting with the audience, and analysing each step.
The following strategies for digital marketing for an accounting firm can help in promoting the firm, increasing new customer acquisition, staying top of mind with current customers, and expanding services offered to current consumers –
- Define your proposition - Be crystal clear about what your firm does and how it differs from competitors. Everyone is 'professional, courteous, and proactive, providing a customised service,' so push yourself to be more precise. In fact, you are responding to the question, 'So what?'.
- Determine marketing objectives - Determine what you want your marketing activity to accomplish. Is it to get extra X leads in 2021? To increase your client base in sector Y while decreasing your reliance on sector Z? Or is it to acquire high-value clients from sector Z?
- Create a strategy and a plan - How are you going to accomplish your objectives? Which activities, when, are necessary to achieve results? Plan your year ahead with blog posts, social media campaigns, and any public relations or advertising you wish to do.
- Post consistently and persistently — If you've decided that content is critical to promoting your accountancy firm, schedule time to create it and continue posting for at least several months. You will not immediately gain an audience, but it will come with time.
- Try new formats, vary the media - Video, webinars, social media stories, TikTok, podcasting... This will ensure that your fans and, more importantly, you, remain engaged. You may discover that speaking into a camera is far more comfortable than writing and that you can save yourself hours in the process.
- Maintain an active presence, and sociable presence on social media - Social media is not a broadcast medium. Try to leave a remark on someone else's post for each one you make. Follow, connect, like, and share as often as possible. Each time you do so, your name and face, or the name and logo of your firm, will appear in someone's alerts, reminding them of your existence.
- Refresh your website — Your wonderful, beautiful and current website will not keep consistent forever. Schedule a regular assessment and budget for a once a year or twice a year. Analyse traffic statistics to determine which pages and blog articles are performing well and which are underperforming. Update older blog posts, create new service pages and ensure that any informational content reflects recent tax and government policy changes.
- Be deliberate in your SEO efforts – Making numerous random adjustments, particularly to page addresses or high-value content, may result in a drop in search ranks. Make one adjustment at a time and track the results using hard facts, not guesses.
- Sort your Google My Business listing - The box that appears when people search for your business is a critical piece of complimentary marketing content. Ascertain that you've claimed your own Google listing and that the information is not just accurate but also identical to what's listed on your website.
- Encourage reviews — We all rely on consumer feedback to determine what is good and what is not. Ask for feedback from your clients when it feels appropriate to assist other possible buyers in determining whether yours is the right accounting firm for them.
