Figuring out how to do digital marketing for accounting firms and tax pros can be a confusing morass of “gurus” (many of whom have never really done anything significant online), geek-speak and expensive programs.
But it really comes down to THREE key elements:
1) “Lead Magnet” / Capturing information.
2) Follow-Up / Conversion to client.
3) Traffic / Sending prospects to your site.
That’s it. Truly … all of the other “junk” out there is just details.
And like a three-legged stool, if you don’t have even one of those details handled correctly, digital marketing for accounting firms and tax pros just doesn’t work right.
Even social media (for which we here at TaxProMarketer were the first to bang the drum and manage on behalf of tax and accounting firms all the way back in 2009 ) is BEST used as a mechanism for all three. The best way to “win” with social media is to get users OFF of Social Media … and into a deeper relationship through email or direct mail.
Today, I’ll address your lead magnet — and oh, by the way: “Subscribe To Our Email Newsletter” doesn’t cut it.
Wondering why your website is nothing but a glorified brochure online? Simple … website visitors (when you get them) have no real incentive to actually begin a relationship. So, they slide/click on by.
Really…is anyone out there looking to clutter their inbox with more “newsletters”?
Frankly, many tax & accounting firms don’t even have THAT element on their site … which really negates the effectiveness of your site.
Successful online marketers understand that the real power for ANY small business resides in The List.
So, you must give your website visitors a compelling reason to hand over their valuable information, and one which speaks to what they REALLY want. This is called your “Lead Magnet”.
The primary reason I’m addressing this topic is that you can have droves of visitors, and a great follow-up system in place … but without the right strategy to start the relationship you’ve got nothing.
Really, marketing is, at its core, about building a relationship.
Fifteen years ago, when I was on staff with Young Life (a non-profit mentorship/ministry organization working with public high school kids), our credo was “Earn the right to be heard.” High school kids don’t give a dang about how great your “solution” is for their problems … until you demonstrate that you care about them in a way they respect. So, I coached football and lacrosse, I went to community events, I played backyard football with them.
I built a relationship. THEN, when the relationship was solid, we could talk about “real” things. I didn’t walk onto campus with a megaphone shouting about how great my “thing” was.
And digital marketing for accounting firms and tax pros is most effective when you follow the same model.
You first must have some reason for your prospects to start that relationship. Otherwise, you’re just another barker at the convention shouting out your wares.
So, what do your prospects WANT?
Simple. They want no-nonsense, real-world guidance through the chaos of their lives. You’ve already got a tremendous advantage, as a financial professional, to garner respect with your authority. So create something which will make them see YOU as their “port in the storm”.
Just remember: “You Must “Give Them A Reason.” Then, the keys to the online kingdom will be yours.
If you are interested in talking over this issue for YOUR online marketing strategy, and how my team could be in your corner to help, schedule a time with one of my online marketing specialists (not “sales people” — these are my team members who are doing this stuff every day on behalf of our clients) you can schedule a time by following this link.