Lacking the budget and resources of some of the bigger accountant firms? Fortunately, there are many marketing ideas available to you which don’t leave a huge hole in your finances.
Here are 8 we came up with over coffee on this lovely Tuesday afternoon:
#1 Create Educational Videos
By 2020, many industry leaders anticipate that over 80% of internet traffic will be video-based. This is likely to be the case across industries and demographics, so accountants should definitely take notice.
The great thing is, with the proliferation of smartphone technology, it has never been easier to create your own videos. All you need is an iPhone or equivalent, some good lighting and sound, and content which your target audience will find informative and valuable.
YouTube and Vimeo are great places to upload this content, but another marketing idea is to embed your videos on your blog or news section on your accountant website.
Of course, the tricky part is coming up with content and storyboards which actually draw and engage your target audience. If you need help with this, then book a free call with an accountant marketing consultant here at AccountantLift.
#2 Social Media Networking
Are you an accountant looking to work with a particular target audience? If so, then consider the social media platforms at your disposal as a means to connect with potential clients.
For instance, are you looking to target mums? Pinterest could be a great social network for you, since the user-base is primarily female.
Or, perhaps you are looking to target business owners, legal professionals or other white collar workers? If so, LinkedIn could be for you.
Whatever you do, make sure you don’t spread yourself too thinly. Commit yourself to doing one social network really well, rather than trying to keep on top of two or three.
Also, be sure to follow the particular etiquette of the social network, especially when it comes to “connecting” or “friending” potential clients. For instnace, on LinkedIn it is generally accepted to receive connection requests from strangers. On Facebook, however, people tend to be a lot more private.
#3 DIY Infographics
The harsh truth about accounting is that the subject matter is, well, frankly often quite boring for potential clients. You have to be particularly good at accountant marketing to make your content continually fresh and interesting, enough so that people want to follow what you have to say.
One way to inject some life into your content, and encourage social sharing, is to create infographics. These beautiful, concise creations allow you to condense your content into a more visually-engaging format for your users to digest.
Try free platforms like Canva to start creating your own infographics. Remember, if you need a professional designer, you can always talk to us!
#4 Create A Client Referral Programme
Are there any creative ways you can encourage your client base to refer their friends and family to you?
You see this a lot in retail, for instance. Brands send out email campaigns to their customer base, and often there is a discount presented to the customer if they “sign someone else up”.
This can actually work quite well as an accountant marketing idea. For instance, could you offer clients a discounted rate on their tax return if they refer someone else to you for their tax return?
#5 Online Contests
This is in a similar spirit to the accountant marketing idea immediately prior. Although you’ll need to fork out some cash on a prize, the new leads you could bring in make it worth considering.
For instance, could you put out a contest on social media, asking people if they can solve an mathematical / accounting problem? You’d be surprised how many people like to jump in on these kinds of contests, especially if there’s a prize up for grabs!
#6 Business Partnerships
Many accountants we speak to are quite savvy with the way they go about nurturing business partnerships. In particular, lots of our clients like to work with IFAs on a referral scheme.
For instance, if this accountant’s IFA partner has a client who asks the IFA for accounting advice, then the IFA refers the client to the accountant. In return, the IFA gets a fee from the accountant.
This is just one accountant marketing idea in the area of business referrals, but there are other possibilities. Take note of the businesses you could potentially work with to generate these kinds of lead-generating partnerships.
#7 Guest Blogging
Are you a keen writer, with an interest in the subjects of accounting? If so, then this marketing idea might be especially of interest to you.
Are there any blogs, magazines or websites that your particular target market frequent? If so, why not try approaching the publisher and asking if you can write some guest articles?
Quite often, these publishers will be keen to accept your articles. After all, they’re hungry for content. You will need to persevere, however, as often it takes a while to get a reply from the publisher. You may also need to some some example work past them, to prove you can write and therefore reflect well on them (since they will be housing your content).
The benefit of guest blogging is it gets your brand in front of your target audience, and encourages traffic to your website and social media profiles. If these are presented well, also showing valuable content for the user, then you can plausible generate more leads – effectively for free.
#8 Email marketing
Do you have an email list which has been sitting dormant for a little while? If so, why not send out some email marketing campaigns to try and re-engage them?
There are many great programmes out on the market to facilitate this. MailChimp, for instance, is completely free until your email list exceeds 2000 users.
