The Marketing Basics: Low Cost, High Impact

CPAs spend years learning how to advise clients on the tax code, close out a financial period or audit financial statements. But most accountants know little (and want to know even less) about branding and marketing. We've broken it down into the two questions that matter most to your clients: Who are you? How can you help me?

CLIENTS WANT TO KNOW: Who are you?

The basic function of marketing is to present your company to clients. For accounting firms, most marketing is passive, meaning it's about building a relationship with a client. Here's how you get started:

• Create a one-page brand standards document. This should include logos, colors, fonts, sample images, your values, and any key messages. Make this your guiding document for the look/feel of your brand. Do not deviate.

• Develop a good, modern-looking website. Use an online SEO scanning tool to tweak your site. Your website should be a living tool. Set aside time to make small additions and updates each month.

• Create branded content to share knowledge and expertise. To be clear, when we say "content" we mean writing, such as articles, checklists, or even posts. Share this information on your website, send out an email to your clients, and share via your LinkedIn page.

• Ensure you have a dedicated and branded LinkedIn page. Post on this at least once a week. You can use excerpts from your newsletters or blog posts. Do not, under any circumstances, post anything political or controversial.

• Make personal connections. Do not wait for clients to come to you with an issue. Proactively reach out to them. Send personal birthday or anniversary messages each year. Check in with your clients each quarter just to see how they are doing. Don't make this about work, instead celebrate birthdays and anniversaries.

• Define your industry or service expertise. If you have experience or expertise in an industry, such as construction, or service area, such as M&A, then use this to your advantage in all areas of marketing - create a section on your website, make connections with the right companies on LinkedIn, speak at a tradeshow, and write articles in a trade magazine.

• Say "yes!" if you're invited. If a client, industry organization, university, or other referral source asks you to participate with them, do it! Sometimes nothing beat good ol' fashioned networking.

CLIENTS WANT TO KNOW: How can you help me?

For nearly every small business owner, accounting is seen as a necessity, but not something that builds a business. Knowing this, help them prepare for and get through any accounting activities with the lease possible pain and time:

• Create an old-fashioned phone (or email) tree. Clients want to know who to call for a specific issue or concern. Spell this out for them to alleviate the additional, often timely, work of tracking someone down.

• Provide timelines. The first question after "How much will this cost me?" is always "How long will this take?". Proactively answer this question with a clear outline of interactions with the client and associated timeline. For recurring activities, such as quarterly deadlines, spell out the full year's expectations. A warning here that clients do not need or want to know what YOU do inside the organization, they just want to know what THEY should do.

• Give people a busy-season heads up. Every year "prep lists" and "what to expect" content are always at the top. Don't miss these opportunities to get people in the right frame of mind by reaching out with planning guides, how to lists, and scheduled prep meetings.

• Communicate regulatory changes. Whether you feel like it or not, you are the expert your clients will turn to when there are major regulatory or legal changes afoot. We encourage you to share "what could this mean for you" content before, during, and after a shift.

WHY YOUR "BRAND" MATTERS

For some professionals, "branding" can be a dirty (or at least annoying) word. We want you to think of your "brand" as the sum of all of the interactions a client has with your organization - from your website, to an email, the ton of advice, and the ultimate product you deliver. This is why brands are often described as "reliable," "fun," or "frustrating".

In other words, the brand is the personality of your company. And, nobody wants to be a dud.

Your first job as a business leader or marketer is to make sure you are creating the correct impression of your company through consistency. We hope the steps above will help you in your journey.

The information presented or made available on or through this website should not be construed as personalized financial planning, accounting, or investment advice; rather as general principles, guidance, or summary of publicly available information. Information provided may be time-sensitive based on changing trends, laws, or facts. All content should be viewed based on the date when it was created.