If you mostly rely on referrals and traditional marketing efforts to get new clients, you’re long overdue for an upgrade! You need to get online (if you’re not there already) and make your firm seen.

An accountant’s website is no different than any other business website, but there are many small details to think about in establishing your online presence and getting people to notice you.

Here, we provide all the information you need to start a successful digital marketing campaign that will score you a host of new clients and establish you as an authority in your field.

Everything Starts With a Superb Website

If you’re not sure where to start with your digital marketing efforts, the answer is simple — your website. It’s the staple of your online presence, and that’s why you should make sure it’s amazing, both design- and content-wise.

It’s always a great idea to hire a professional, preferably someone experienced in web design for accountants. They will make sure that your site is professional-looking, fully functional, and appealing to potential customers.

If you skimp on this part, you’re automatically doomed to failure. A poor-quality website will deter people immediately and make them turn to a competitor.

Post Relevant Content Regularly

A functional, attractive website containing all the information about your firm is a great start, but it’s not enough. If you want to get noticed, you need to provide your target audience with relevant information and advice in your area of expertise.

Businesses with blogs have 67% more leads each month than those without a blog. It’s become standard practice, and customers are much more likely to engage with you if you provide them with useful information.

The key in content marketing is consistency, so make sure that your blog is always “alive” and fresh with new content. For best results, try posting on a biweekly basis.

Optimize for SEO

Only 0.78% of all Google users ever click on any link on the second page of search results. This scary number tells you that you need to make it to the first page of Google no matter what.

If you want to attract future clients, you first need to cater to the search engine and make it believe you’re worthy of being displayed among the highest results. There are many elements of a successful SEO strategy, and they include:

• Relevant content
• Relevant keywords
• Site speed
• Backlinks
• Mobile optimization, etc.

It’s always a good idea to hire an SEO expert to set you on the right path in this department.

Strong Social Media Presence Is Vital

Nowadays, everyone’s on social media, and many businesses rely on their social media profiles for marketing. The two most recommended platforms for accountants are Facebook and LinkedIn. Mind you, it’s not enough to just have profiles on these platforms. You need to post regularly and engage with your social media following.

These platforms are your chance to get a wider audience, more traffic, and reinforce your brand. By answering your followers’ questions and posting content that will get their attention, you’ll create a strong brand that people will see as reliable and trustworthy.

Use Email Marketing

Email marketing is still one of the most effective digital marketing strategies. First, you need to create a lead magnet — something of value that you can offer to your prospects in exchange for their contact details, i.e., their emails.

For this to work, you need to know your audience and what they need. It’s best to be specific. For example, you can offer an ebook on tax savings for a specific type of business. You can also offer cheat sheets, reports, case studies, and much more.

Manage Your Online Reputation

Reputation management can be extremely useful in your digital marketing efforts. Essentially, it means getting the most out of your online reviews and using them to your further advantage. As many as 97% of people read online reviews of local businesses before engaging with them, so they can be crucial for your success (or responsible for your failure).

You may even ask happy customers to leave a review on Google or any relevant reviews platform. You can then display the best ones on your website and let satisfied clients sing your praises instead of doing it yourself.

Have Call-to-Action Buttons on Your Homepage

Call-to-action (CTA) buttons should invite users to take action so that if they want to engage with you, they can simply click on it, and it will take them where they want to go. For example, you may have a “Schedule a Meeting Now” button.

It’s best when these buttons are bright and obvious. They should be in stark contrast with the background so that they’re the first thing that immediately gets the user’s attention.

Host Webinars

Webinars can take your reputation to a whole new level, strengthen your relationship with your existing client base, and capture quality new leads in no time.

Choosing a topic for your webinar should be easy — you’re well aware of what the majority of your clients struggle with. Create a quality webinar on the topic, and your audience will reward you for solving their problems with trust.

The best way to advertise your webinar is to reach out to your existing clients and tell them to spread the word. You can also use your email list as well as social media platforms.

Embrace Paid Advertising

Getting leads through organic traffic is important and necessary. However, paid advertising is a great way to increase brand awareness quickly and efficiently. It has a staggering 200% ROI!

You can use both search engine and social media ads as they’re both highly effective. The PPC (pay-per-click) model is the most popular one. A solid organic reach and some paid distribution will go a long way when combined.

Paid ads are great when you want fast results, and you don’t want to wait for your SEO efforts to bear fruit.

As you can see, with a little bit of effort and investment, your accounting firm can thrive thanks to digital marketing.

Michael has been working in marketing for almost a decade and has worked with a huge range of clients, which has made him knowledgeable on many different subjects. He has recently rediscovered a passion for writing and hopes to make it a daily habit. You can read more of Michael’s work at Qeedle.