Are leads for your business drying up? Are you having trouble retaining clients and generating interest? Is emerging fintech getting the best of your business? Let CMG be the first to tell you, it's time to make a new marketing plan. As the firm known for our revenue-generating strategies we can provide you priceless insight that will lead you to the method best suited to impact your bottom line and rise above growing industry challenges. In our opinion? Content marketing for accounting firms is the only way to go.
What Is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is a strategy to engage and retain an audience by creating and sharing articles, videos, podcasts, and more to establish expertise and promote brand awareness. It's one of the best methods to keep your brand at the top of clients' minds when they want to use your services.
Content marketing for accounting firms can be used in numerous ways. But before choosing which method to use, you must understand the values of the different forms of content marketing. It can establish and nurture relationships with customers, allowing them to think of you as more than an asset- but a partner.
This proven tactic provides a competitive edge, unlike other methods. For instance, businesses that use blogs as a form of marketing end up with 67% more leads than others. That same 67% have seen an increase in engagement and leads. 88% of people who purchase from a service credit that choice to a branded video. To get the most out of content marketing, use the correct content throughout the entire sales process: awareness, consideration, and purchase.
Why Does Your Accounting Firm Need Content Marketing?
The accounting industry is expanding- your firm now has more competition. You need a marketing plan to do the legwork to stay ahead of your competitors. 82% of marketers have reported content marketing as their preferred method.
Content marketing creates informative and relevant content directly associated with your audience's needs. More often than not, they provide them with information that becomes useful later on. They're helpful resources for customers to learn about your company in short, engaging snippets. So, how is content marketing for accounting firms beneficial to you?
- The price: Content marketing is less expensive than other methods as it doesn't require the costly printing of physical materials. You're able to reach more people and use up fewer resources.
- Brand visibility: Creating content relevant to your consumers increases your chance of being seen. When potential clients find it helpful, they're more likely to share it, simultaneously expanding your reach.
- Website traffic: The more you create and distribute, the better your web traffic will get. After all, search engines favor websites with more content. Using keywords related to your accounting firm makes clients more likely to find your site.
- Consumer engagement: Content marketing directly connects you to your audience and can establish your firm as a thought leader in the industry. Through sharing valuable, informative information, your customers are more likely to interact with your brand.
- Builds authority: Consistency in creating and sharing content that users want to engage with will help to establish your firm as a trusted authority. Customers are more likely to ask for help with their finances if viewed as a go-to source for accounting information.
4 Benefits of Content Marketing For Your Accounting Firm
When setting up a marketing plan of action, it's normal to feel overwhelmed by the options in front of you. But you can't let that stop you. A solid content marketing plan will help you stand out from other accounting firms, earn recognition as a thought leader, and build trust with potential clients. When carried out correctly, it can be a highly effective and cost-efficient tactic, building brand awareness and generating new sales.
Increase Brand Recognition
The main goal of content marketing for accounting firms is to get noticed. Two ways to accomplish this include ensuring your SEO is up-to-par so that you appear in search results- including relevant locations on your site for geo-tagging- and using accurate keywords to ensure your site pops up in Google searches. After that, you're ready to share away on social media (a handy form of content marketing) for potential clients to find your firm more easily without having to dig through pages of search results.
Generate New Customer Leads
Maintaining active, informative social media profiles and a website is a great way to generate relationships with new clients. You can accomplish this with an easy task like answering a few questions, responding to inquiries, or hosting a live stream to chat directly with them. For example, say a potential client is surfing the web for an accounting firm that's best fit to help them with their taxes. Are they more likely to go with the firm with a website stuck in the early 2000s that never answers their chat messages and uses outdated statistics? Or the firm that has a website updated weekly replies in less than a day (if over email) and actively makes an effort to engage them?
Establish Trust and Credibility
Of course, getting the attention of a new lead is only part of the job. Once you've captured their attention, it's time to reel them in the rest of the way. The best way to do this is to gain their trust by presenting your business as the preeminent source of knowledge on accounting. As a general rule, keep tabs on relevant topics and industry ongoings. It will go a long way in establishing yourself as an expert, making all the difference regarding client selection. In fact, a study conducted by Adobe revealed that customers who trust businesses are more likely to:
Make more purchases (71%)
Recommend it to friends (61%)
Join a loyalty program (41%)
Post a positive review or comment on social media (40%)
Think of it like this: Who would you trust more with your money: a friend of a friend who has a decent understanding of math or someone with a degree in accounting with a demonstrated comprehension of your needs?
Improve Local Reputation
Working to create a positive image in the community will go a long way in establish a trustworthy reputation. A simple way to do this is by sharing customer feedback, comments, and reviews through content marketing, such as a blog, video, article, or image/infographics. According to a report published by Indeed, maintaining a solid reputation will help increase revenue, gain website traffic, and lead to better SEO results.
Types of Content Marketing That Are Great For Accountants
Accounting is, of course, a fancy way to say math. And math involves a downpour of information happening at once. The average person needs to comprehend that information in a simplified form- this is where content marketing for accounting firms can be helpful. But remember, when it comes to marketing, one size doesn't fit all. What attracts one type of client may not be for another. For this very reason, you'll want to create a plethora of content ranging from the tactics mentioned above to Ebooks, guides, webinars, podcasts, and more.
Blogs: One way to establish your authority as a thought leader is by regularly posting informative content to a company blog where your audience can find help understanding accounting-related topics. They're also a great way to boost SEO results.
Videos and images: Visual content has proved highly engaging and is a great way to share quick information with an audience. 63% of marketers have reported that video content generates the most engagement with their audience.
Articles: A simple way to increase traffic to your website is by publishing an article every week. They can cover multiple topics like budgeting, taxes, and investments, providing your audience with valuable information while showing that you have an active online presence.
Ebooks: Although a longer form of content, Ebooks are invaluable. They provide larger spaces to flush out topics your clients may be interested in, can increase brand credibility, and provide a competitive ROI.
Guides: Guides are meant to help clients achieve goals and are usually more flushed out than a checklist. They typically contain step-by-step instructions for completing an objective and can appear as an article, video, or infographic.
Webinars: An excellent way to establish your brand's authority and expertise is through informative presentations or branded video-based workshops. Webinars can take different forms, including panel discussions, demos, and tutorials.
Podcasts: A great way to reach large audiences quickly, podcasts cover every topic imaginable nowadays. Why not accounting? A study published by Statista showed that over 35% of participants listened to a podcast in the last month. A podcast discussing trending financial topics and answering listener questions may be an excellent fit for your firm.
Content marketing and CMG. It Just Makes Sense.
Now that you've learned the benefits of content marketing for accounting firms, it's time to set up your strategy with the help of the pros- CMG. We'll assist you in determining your main goal, defining your target audience, auditing your content, and delivering it effectively to your customers. We'll also help position you to rise above the fierce FinTech competition with messaging that's thoughtful and human.
You're probably asking yourself, "Of all the marketing agencies in all the world, why should I choose CMG?" It's simple: our content reaches 52 million people each week and when it comes to partnering, we only work with top industry leaders. When you combine the most effective marketing method with the firm that repeatedly gets their clients noticed, you're creating a recipe for success.
What are you waiting for? The longer you wait to work with CMG, the bigger lead you're giving your competitors.
Contact CMG Local Solutions today for assistance.
