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How to market a so-called ‘boring’ business — like accounting!

22nd Aug 2018
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Have you seen that advert on the TV…the one where the girl is having no success with internet dating? ‘Is it because you’re gay?, her friends ask. Or is it because she’s vegetarian? No, the big reveal, the thing she doesn’t want to admit to: she’s an accountant. Her friends groan. How boring! How embarrassing. ‘Do your parents know?’

It’s an age-old cliché; no one wants to be stuck next to the ‘boring’ accountant at a dinner party and accountants will adopt an apologetic air when answering the ‘what do you do?’ question.

Yet, tell people how to legitimately save on their tax bill and suddenly they’re all ears. Show businesses how to secure the funding that will catapult their enterprise into the big leagues and suddenly you’re a bona fide superstar. Not so boring now, eh?

The problem is that while you know about all of the amazing things you, as an accountant, can do for your clients, the world at large is still attached to the idea of the boring guy or gal who spends all day poring over spreadsheets.

So how on earth do you market your accounting business? How do you convince potential clients that you’re more financial superhero than spreadsheet obsessive?

1. Remember your audience

This is vital when you’re marketing any business, but is especially true if what you do is perceived as complicated or you’re dealing with concepts that can be hard to grasp.

Always remember that you’re not marketing to other accountants. The people you’re trying to reach might have a vague idea of the kinds of services you could offer them but they likely don’t have much clue about the benefits these services bring. Highlighting these benefits and showing potential clients the advantages that working with you will bring them, in a way that makes sense to them, is key.

Maybe you specialise in securing funding for growing enterprises. That’s the service but the benefit is that your client will be able to rent larger premises or expand into an international market — that’s what you have to show them. Maybe your superhero talent lies in the world of pension plans. Your marketing literature should focus on the round-the-world-trip or holiday home your clients will be able to afford thanks to your financial genius! And remember to ditch the jargon; laymen’s terms only.

2. Find your story’s main character

As humans, we always respond more positively to stories about other humans, not stories about spreadsheets or software. We love to read about people just like us who find themselves in scenarios we can picture ourselves in.

This is where a good case study can make all the difference in your marketing. Take a great client success story and describe the journey you and your client took towards business success, from the initial struggle that lead your client to you in the first place to the results they’re now enjoying as a result of your work together. This is such an effective way to showcase your skills in a way that potential clients will be able to relate to.

They’ll wonder if they could be the main character in your next success story.

3. What’s your stand-out quality?

Every business, ‘boring’ or otherwise, has to fight against a sea of competition and there’s no point in marketing yourself as just another accountant, doing the same thing in the same way as everyone else in your field.

To really achieve success with your marketing, you have to figure out what’s special about you and focus on this whenever you’re telling anyone about your business. Do you have a knack for working with digital nomads? Or maybe you specialise in working with third sector enterprises. Maybe you’re the go-to firm for the IT industry.

What you do differently — and better — than anyone else is your USP and once you’ve figured out what that is, you’ll find all of your marketing efforts suddenly take on a much clearer direction. Of course, your own USP may be less obvious than the examples above and you may struggle to decide what it is. In that case, the secret lies with your clients and other people outside of your business. Have a look through your testimonials to see what past clients appreciate about you or ask close business connections to describe your company. It’s likely that your USP is hiding somewhere in there.

4. Be helpful — even in your marketing

Lots of business people fall into the habit of mistaking marketing for sales and getting a bit shouty. But relentless rounds of ‘buy my stuff’ broadcast marketing won’t bring much success. Showing is always more powerful than telling and you can harness that in your marketing by sharing useful information with your audience and proving to them that you know your stuff. Why not give them helpful tips on dealing with MTD or GDPR or dole out advice on helping them prepare for tax bill season. They’ll soon see your marketing as a valuable resource rather than just another ad cluttering up their stream.

Forget the dinner party shame; you work in an industry worth celebrating. Channel that pride every time you embark upon any new marketing endeavour and you won’t go far wrong.

We love helping accountants grow their business. Learn more about our Partner Programme here.

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