The Receipt Bank Blog

Digital Marketing is a key tool for accountants and bookkeepers to attract new clients. And it's especially important when it comes to tax season. We've put together four key tips to help you make the most of the busiest time of year.

Tax season represents a huge opportunity to grow your practice. While businesses will often come to you just for tax work, they can eventually become some of your most valued clients.

In order to properly take advantage of this opportunity, it is critical that you have a solid digital presence.

If your website does not look professional or you have little to no social media presence, you're doing your firm a disservice, as prospective clients are likely to look elsewhere.

Don't let that happen – follow these four tax season tips for online success.

1. Tighten up your website

If small business owners are considering outside help for bookkeeping, accounting, or taxes, you can be sure that they'll check out your website. Take the time to improve your look and add helpful information for a prospective client.

Take a minute to look into your site analytics to see how people are finding your website, where they're viewing from, and how long they're staying there. Set yourself up with ways to track this information— Google Analytics is a good example. 

Once you've got a professional-looking website, the next step is mobile optimization. Internet traffic via smartphones and tablets is increasing year after year and, given the proliferation of affordable smart devices, is likely to continue its rapid ascent. Today, responsive re-sizing is the name of the game rather than having a separate, watered-down mobile site.

Improving your website can be as simple as displaying your contact information more prominently, or collecting client testimonials for a new section on your site. But for the best results you may want to think about...

2. Starting a blog

This may sound daunting at first, but as a passionate professional services provider, writing about your business – and topics relevant to your business – can be a very cathartic and fulfilling experience. Not only this, but it can significantly improve your ability to attract and engage audiences.

Since we're focusing on tax season, think about topics that will be relevant to SMEs as they approach the IRS deadline. That said, every entry does not have to be about accounting or bookkeeping— you could write about starting your business, or why you enjoy working with business owners. The right blend of professional teaching, advisory commentary, opinions on relevant financial news, and a personal touch will humanize your firm and help you stand out among your competitors.

3. Social media

Today, so much of the conversation within your industry is happening on social media, including LinkedIn and Twitter. Rather than shying away from it because you may be unfamiliar with the territory, take a chance and seize the opportunity. You’ll be surprised by how easy and effective it can be!

If you already have a LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook page and are somewhat active on those, then you may want to think about profile optimization. Do you have a profile picture that best represents your business? What about your cover photo? On LinkedIn you can also add a media gallery which can include presentations, the aforementioned blog posts, or any other content you deem shareworthy to establish yourself as more than just a number cruncher.

4. Paid Advertising

If you have the budget for advertising, paid search and online advertising is a great boon for website traffic and leads – especially when you have a professional website, social media presence, compelling blog content, and a company message which aligns with business owners’ wants and needs.

Now that you are equipped with web analytics, you can make informed decisions as to how and where to invest digital advertising cash to ensure ROI. For tax season, you can think about certain terms which a prospective client may type into their search bar. If you have a specialty, such as tax preparation for sole proprietors, that may be a search term to invest in.

LOST WHEN IT COMES TO SOCIAL MEDIA?

If you're flustered with Facebook, troubled by Twitter or lousy at LinkedIn, you should download our handy Social Media Kit. Packed with useful tips, you'll learn how to manage your firm's social media presence in just 15 minutes a day!