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WESTERN CPE BLOG

Providing the latest tax news, information, and updates for tax and finance professionals

Insider Strategies to Get More Accounting Clients

Surefire Insider Strategies to Get More Accounting Clients

For accounting firms, it can be difficult to know how to find new accounting clients and retain them. The teams that thrive in today’s competitive landscape—and the ones that will grow in the years to come—are the ones that work smarter, modernize their learning, and hustle harder. Here we’ll discuss surefire strategies to help you get more clients for your accounting firm. We’ll look at how to optimize search engine results (SEO), leverage social media presence, and offer discounts or free service trials, as well as other insider strategies that can help you get more accounting clients and retain them better. For even more information on this topic—and to earn CPE credit for learning about it!—check out the webcast CPA Firm Technologies: Helping Your Practice Grow.

Roll up your sleeves, because it’s time to get to work.

SEO Strategies to Get More Accounting Clients

One of the most effective ways to attract new clients to your accounting firm is through search engine optimization (SEO). Optimizing your website’s search engine results can make it easier for potential clients to find you online. Here are some key strategies to consider when implementing SEO for your accounting firm:

Conduct Keyword Research:

Identify the keywords and phrases that potential clients are using when searching for accounting services online. Use these keywords strategically throughout your website content, including in your page titles, meta descriptions, and body copy.

Create High-Quality Content:

Search engines prioritize websites with high-quality content that is relevant and engaging to users. Create informative and relevant blog posts, whitepapers, and other content that showcase your expertise and offer value to potential clients.

Use Local SEO:

As a local business, ranking high in local search results is crucial for attracting nearby clients. Include your business address and contact information on your website, and claim your Google My Business listing to increase your visibility in local search results. Many prospective clients searching for a firm will look specifically for local businesses, so you want to increase the odds that they find you first—not other businesses.

Optimize Your Website’s Technical Elements:

Make sure your website is easy to navigate, loads quickly, and is optimized for mobile devices. These technical elements can impact your website’s search engine rankings, so it’s important to ensure they are optimized for both user experience and search engine crawlers.

Build High-Quality Backlinks:

Quality backlinks from other reputable websites can signal to search engines that your website is trusted and authoritative. Reach out to industry publications, local business directories, and other relevant websites to secure backlinks to your website.

By implementing these SEO strategies, you can increase your visibility online and attract more potential clients to your accounting firm. Remember, SEO is an ongoing process and requires continued optimization and monitoring to achieve optimal results. For more information on digital marketing for growing your client base, see the course Attracting New Clients Using Online Marketing.

Social Media Strategies for Finding Accounting Clients

In addition to optimizing search engine results, leveraging social media presence is another effective way to find new accounting clients. With billions of users worldwide, social media platforms offer a vast audience to reach out to. Here are some strategies to consider when using social media to attract new clients:

Define Your Target Audience:

Before you start using social media to find clients, it’s important to determine your target audience. Understanding who your ideal client is will help you tailor your content to their needs and interests. You can use demographic data, such as age, gender, and location, as well as psychographic data, such as interests and behavior, to define your target audience. Have an idea of your target audience before you start your social media marketing plans, and you’ll get a better result.

As a starting point to determining your ideal clients, think about your existing happy customers. Think about which clients you’ve worked best with, as well as which accounts have been the most profitable for your business.

Choose the Right Platforms:

Not all social media platforms are created equal. Each platform caters to a specific audience and has its own strengths and weaknesses. For example, LinkedIn is more geared towards professional networking, while Facebook is more casual and social. Consider which social channels your target audience is most active on and focus your efforts there.

Create Engaging Content:

Social media is all about engagement. You want to create content that is informative, entertaining, and shareable. This can include interesting content like blog posts, infographics, videos, and other multimedia content. Be sure to include a call-to-action (CTA) that encourages users to visit your website or contact your firm.

On this note, ask yourself: what’s your firm’s unique value proposition? Your value proposition is what sets you apart from other professionals and small businesses. Your social media is a great way to showcase who you are to your target clients.

Engage with Your Followers:

Social media is a two way street. Engage with your followers by responding to comments, messages, and mentions. Offer helpful advice and share industry insights. This will help build your brand reputation and foster a loyal following.

Use Paid Advertising:

While organic reach on social media is limited, paid advertising can help you reach a larger audience. Platforms like Facebook and LinkedIn offer highly targeted advertising options that allow you to reach people based on their interests, demographics, and behavior.

By leveraging social media presence, you can build brand awareness, attract new clients, and retain existing clients. Remember to tailor your content to your target audience, choose the right platforms, create engaging content, engage with your followers, and use paid advertising to supplement your efforts. Social media is a powerful tool that can help you grow your accounting firm if used effectively.

illustration of woman using a discount to get more accounting clients

How Offering Discounts and Free Trials Can Help You Get More Accounting Clients

As an owner of a CPA firm, you know how important it is to attract new clients while retaining your existing ones. One effective strategy to accomplish this is by offering discounts or free service trials to potential customers. Doing so can provide several benefits that can help your accounting firm grow in the long run.

Firstly, offering discounts or free trials can give potential customers a taste of what your firm can offer them. By experiencing your services firsthand, they can better understand the quality of work you provide, which can build trust and confidence in your firm. Moreover, this can help them comprehend the value of your services, which can lead them to become paying clients once the trial period is over. It also shows them that you’re capable, trusted professionals.

Secondly, providing discounts or free trials can attract more potential customers to your accounting firm. People are always looking for ways to save money, and this can be a strong motivator for them to try out your services. By offering an attractive discount or free trial, you can entice more people to check out what your firm has to offer. This can result in more leads and inquiries, which can help expand your customer base over time.

Thirdly, discounts or free trials can keep your existing clients happy and loyal to your firm. Providing these types of promotions can show your current clients that you value their business and are interested in their continued satisfaction. This can encourage them to recommend your firm to others and become long-term customers, ultimately increasing the revenue per client. Rewarding your loyal customers in this way helps build relationships and open the door for you to ask for referrals. What’s more, happy customers leave good reviews, and that kind of social proof can be very persuasive to a new potential client.

It’s important to note that offering discounts or free trials should not be viewed as a “loss” for your firm. Rather, it should be considered as an investment in the growth and success of your accounting business. By attracting new clients and retaining the loyalty of your existing ones, you can create a solid foundation for your firm to thrive and succeed in the long term.

To review, offering discounts or free trials can have numerous benefits for your accounting firm. It can help potential clients experience your services firsthand, attract more leads and inquiries, and increase customer loyalty and revenue per client. Consider implementing this strategy in your marketing efforts to help grow and expand your accounting business.

Other Insider Strategies – How to Get More Clients for Your Accounting Firm and Retain Them Better

Apart from leveraging social media and offering discounts/free trials, there are other insider strategies that owners of CPA firms can explore to attract more clients, retain their existing clients better, and increase revenue per client. Here are some of these strategies:

Leverage Referral Marketing:

Word-of-mouth referrals are powerful, especially in a service-oriented industry like accounting. Research shows that referrals from past clients have a higher likelihood of converting into paying customers than other marketing channels. As such, CPA firms should actively encourage their satisfied clients to refer their friends, family, and business associates to their firm. To incentivize a successful referral, you can offer clients discounts or other rewards when they refer someone who ends up becoming a paying customer through a direct referral.

Attend Networking Events:

Networking is all about meeting new people, building relationships, and creating opportunities. Look for large-scale business events, as well as local business groups. Even small towns often have events where you can mingle with other local businesses, and you’ll often find local business owners and other like minded people who could make good use of your services. Look for online opportunities as well, like Facebook groups for local businesses and industry professionals. Online groups can be a great way to find new leads, general new business, and can feed right into your social media marketing strategy.

Attending relevant networking events can help you get in front of potential clients and industry influencers who can refer business to you. When you attend events, make sure to have a clear pitch of what your firm does, and how you can help potential clients.

Also, find ways to add value to those you meet, such as offering helpful advice or sharing relevant industry insights. If you hit it off, you may find opportunities to do speaking engagements, which is brilliant marketing for any small business. You’ve probably got plenty to teach others about accounting topics, surviving tax season, etc.

Offer Niche Specialization:

Specializing in a specific niche can help your firm stand out from the competition and attract more clients who are looking for specialized expertise. For example, you can specialize in accounting for startups or accounting for small businesses in a specific industry. By doing so, you can develop a reputation as an expert in that area, and potential clients seeking services in that niche will be more likely to choose your firm over others.

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Key Takeaway: Have a plan.

Overall, leveraging a variety of strategies can help you find new accounting clients and retain them better. SEO and content marketing are effective ways to increase your online visibility, referral marketing is an excellent way to get more leads from past clients, attending networking events helps you meet potential customers in person, and offering discounts or free trials gives potential clients the chance to experience your services firsthand. Combining these approaches with a well-crafted social media presence will give you the best chances for success when it comes to finding new accounting clients.

If you’ve found this article helpful, be sure to check out what else Western CPE has on offer. We offer group packages on everything from our acclaimed CPE conferences to on-demand digital CPE courses and America’s #1 Federal Tax Update, so you can keep your team competitive and confident.