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We created a comprehensive list of the top 5 marketing strategies for accounting firms. Some strategies can generate revenue nearly overnight, with some taking longer but yielding a higher ROI over time. In this article:

• ROI and break-even metrics for each marketing strategy
• The top accounting firm marketing strategies by use case
• Best practices to ensure a high ROI from each strategy

 

ROI and Break-Even Metrics for Each Marketing Strategy

The following table lists each marketing strategy, the time it takes to break even from an investment in that strategy, followed by expected ROI potential from the strategy. We have also included an average cost to maintain the marketing strategy each month. 

 

Accounting Firm Marketing Strategies by Use Case

Each of our marketing strategies has a different use case where we recommend a firm incorporate the approach. 

 

Use SEO for Thought Leadership Positioning and Building a Long-Term ROI

When your firm ranks at the top of Google, you have an incredible opportunity to position yourself as a thought leader in your industry. If you provide people with information and highly relevant pages that they cannot find anywhere else, they will think of you as a thought leader. Additionally, SEO yields the highest ROI of any marketing strategy over time. 

Incorporate Google Ads to Gain Immediate Rankings and Experience High-Result Predictability

Google Ads allows you to pay to immediately rank at the top of Google, which allows for consistent lead generation after just a few months of running ads. For example, you will know that for every ~$257 you spend on Google Ads, you will get one client. 

Utilize Email Marketing to Re-Engage Old Leads & Clients

Some firms have lists of hundreds or thousands of old leads or clients that could be re-engaged. It is nearly free to reach these people, and they can be easily re-engaged and re-enter the buying cycle with a few highly targeted emails. 

Launch Meta Ads to Reach Clients Not Actively Searching for Your Services

In many cases, it can be useful to reach potential clients who are not actively searching for your services on Google. This allows your firm to build brand awareness with them, so when they do a Google search they recognize your name and are more likely to consider your firm. In some cases, depending on the service, Meta Ads can be a powerful lead driver as well. 

Begin Radio Ads to Build Brand Awareness in the Local Market

Radio is a highly trusted medium of communication. People instinctively trust the information they hear on the radio because of this high level of trust. In local markets, advertising on the radio builds trust with potential clients, as they see you as a corporation in tune with the local market and environment. 

 

Best Practices for Each Strategy

In the following section, we have listed best practices for each of the strategies listed. For a full guide on SEO for accounting firms, click here.

SEO

For SEO to work properly, there must be a heavy focus on thought leadership SEO, which is much more involved than the technical SEO performed by most agencies.

Create a Hub & Sponke to Convey Niche Expertise

 

A hub and spoke is a main, broader topic page followed by a series of more specific pages targeting variations of the same keyword. This signals to Google that you are an expert in your niche, allowing you to rank higher for those keywords and beat competitors who may have more credibility normally. 

Publish the Best Content on Google

For each page you publish, the content should perfectly match the intent of the searcher, or what they hoped to find when they clicked on the page. Answer the questions they knew to ask in addition to the questions they didn’t know to ask. Google rewards the highest quality page with a number one position. 

Publish Data or Comparative Tables to Organically Generate Backlinks

It is no longer effective to purchase backlinks, now they must be earned. The best way to organically generate backlinks is to publish data where there is no comprehensive data available or compile tables with a ranking algorithm comparing options that a consumer in your industry might be comparing. 

 

Google Ads

Many serious consumers skip over Google Ads and move straight to the organic listings. Below, we have several ways to mitigate this.

Target Lower Competition Keywords

It seems intuitive to immediately target keywords such as “accounting firm”, but this may be counterintuitive. In many cases, people searching for more specific keywords will be more apt to buy, but the keyword will cost less to target. In-depth keyword research and meticulous A/B testing are recommended. 

Write Ads that Blend with the Search

If ads are written in the typical “ad style” and are blatantly pitching, they have a higher likelihood of converting because they are clearly not organic listings. We recommend writing ads including the keyword to match search intent clearly. 

Split Test Landing Pages

Different landing pages will impact the cost per click and the cost per conversion on the page. If the page is higher quality, Google will deliver cheaper traffic. Focus on the headline first, which is of primary importance for a high converting landing page. 

 

Email Marketing

Email marketing allows you to segment and target a list by a variety of factors, then continually market to them with messages tailored to their interest. 

Segment The List

Sending the same email to your entire email list will not yield as high of results as a tailored email to what you know they are interested in. If you have an old tax lead, will be able to send tailored tax advice to them versus intermixing it with old audit leads.

Send Valuable Content Emails

Many firms make the mistake of sending emails only about the firm or becoming a client. Instead, send valuable content based, thought leadership content to segments of your list centered around what they expressed interest in. 

Manage Email Frequency

For most firms, we recommend 6 emails per year to be sent to each individual. You can experiment with sending more or fewer emails by tracking the open rate. If your open rate begins to drop as you send more emails, too many emails are being sent. 

 

Meta Ads

Meta Ads allow a firm to reach potential customers who are not actively searching for your services to be reached effectively.

Retarget Website Visitors

The highest ROI method for Meta Ads will be the retargeting of website visitors. These people already know who your firm is, and are more apt to respond to an ad due to that. This strategy is most effective once you are receiving at least a few hundred website visitors per month. 

Build a Multi-Stage Funnel

You cannot expect a potential client to convert from seeing your ad once. But, you can structure ads in a format to slowly convert people by launching video views or reach ads, then retargeting those who engage with your ads with traffic ads, and finally retargeting website visitors with lead or conversion ads.

Focus on Video

In my experience, the highest converting Meta ads are all video ads. Users on Facebook and Instagram more instinctively engage with video content, making it easier for your ads to blend in.

 

Radio Ads

With radio ads, the primary aim is to build brand awareness, not necessarily to immediately convert.

Purchase Ads on Shows your Target Market is Likely to Listen To

All radio stations and radio shows are not created equal. If you are aiming to raise your awareness with potential clients, perhaps focus on shows that have a bit older demographic (40-60) due to those ages being the most common age for business leaders.

The Ad Doesn’t Need to be a Blatant Pitch

Even sponsoring the show can be enough to raise awareness. Most people understand what accountants do and why they would need one, so a simple message about your values as an organization that resonates with the target market could be better than a blatant pitch.

Track Results

Create a special page on your site to tell radio visitors to visit for more information. Some will only look up your website, but some will go to the radio page, allowing you to get a general idea of if the radio ads are resonating with the market. 

 

Implementing a Marketing Strategy

At Focus Digital, we help accounting firms implement SEO and Google Ads campaigns. If you’d like to learn more, click here to contact us.