With so many firms falling into the small business category, you won’t be alone in having limited resources to invest in marketing. Activities like updating the website, posting on social media or running ads may fall on team members who have to fit them around their ‘day job’. An out-of-date website, no recent reviews and a poor social media presence are all an instant turn-off for many prospective clients today. While you might not have the budget for a dedicated marketing professional, there are simple and effective ways to market your firm.
1. Get the word out
If someone has a memorable meal in a restaurant, they tell their friends about it – and accountancy isn’t much different. Delighted clients tell positive stories about the brilliant service they’ve had. This often happens organically, but don’t be afraid to ask supportive clients to post a positive review on Google or Trustpilot. You can also ask a client’s permission to include them in a list of case studies on your website or social media.
2. Understand your clients
Understanding your clients allows you to tailor your service to meet their needs, while also informing your marketing strategies. Companies with more resources for marketing put a lot of effort into understanding their clients – their behaviours, values, life-stage and more. An alternative to this is to build deeper and more personal relationships with them. In a world of low-cost and often impersonal accountancy services, your reputation as a trusted advisor will help you stand out. It could be as simple as considering their age – the soon-to-retire owners of a tea shop will have a drastically different plan and outlook from an ambitious start-up firm hoping to disrupt their sector.
3. Go after small and digitally savvy businesses with digital marketing
Your established clients may still be using legacy systems and manual processes. However, with the average age of a business owner continuing to fall, the generation of digitally savvy business owners will have little time for outdated practices. Of course, you’ll be using the latest tools to provide clients services, so you should portray this through your marketing efforts. Furthermore, it would be best to utilise digital platforms to deliver this message to your target audience.
Social media isn’t just for pictures of your food anymore, it’s an essential platform of everyday life, and as such, is the perfect environment to capture the attention of your prospects.
4. Penny for your thoughts
One of the best ways to sell yourself to potential clients is to demonstrate exactly what you can do. Industry blogs, business and industry magazines, podcasts, webinars, and conference panel sessions all welcome experts to comment, discuss and pen thought leadership articles on a whole range of topics. That might be about new regulations, sector-specific issues your clients are facing, or even how you’ve made service a priority.
Whichever route you take, as in most areas of business or life, it’s all about preparation. If you want to stick to the more traditional clients and don’t have a burning desire to serve the digital native disruptors, that’s fine – ultimately, it’s about delivering impeccable service to clients, whoever they may be.
