The best online marketing methods for accountants

Accountants need a steady stream of clients to continue operating. One of the best ways of attracting clients to your business is through effective marketing. While older marketing methods can be reasonably effective  —  things like poster and billboard adverts or radio and TV ads  — the best way to attract attention as a modern business is to market yourself online. 

This article will look at the best online marketing tactics for accountants. We’ll look at a variety of topics, from creating a business website to using freelancing sites. The full list of topics we’ll cover includes:

• Create a business website
• Freelancing sites
• Email marketing

Creating a business website is necessary for you to be able to leverage most other online marketing tools effectively. A website provides an online hub for all of your social media, contact details and business information, so it’s an incredibly valuable tool for any modern business. Furthermore, it’s smart to have most of your online marketing materials direct customers back to your website at some point (i.e. website links in your marketing emails).

Having a website also allows you to be found by a wider audience, as being online means you can now promote your business to the entire world via the internet. For an accountant, this means that you may be able to branch out online accounting and serve locally-based clients.

SEO (or search engine optimisation) is a complicated subject that’s all about increasing the number of people who visit your website. Good SEO means that your website will rank high when people search for terms related to your business. Preferably, your site will appear in a visible spot on the first page of results.

The key to search engine optimisation is smart keyword use. Keywords are the terms people search online, and search engines will look for these terms when displaying results. 

For example, your business might pop up when people search for ‘accountants near me’, as keywords related to accountants and your local area will likely appear somewhere on your website. 

When improving SEO, there are many factors to consider, but a good rule of thumb is to write relevant, helpful content that uses natural language. Use your keywords, but only when appropriate, since ‘keyword stuffing’ can negatively impact your SEO. Keyword stuffing is when a website repeats a relevant keyword over and over to trick search engines into ranking them highly, even when its content might not actually be relevant 

Give our guide to small business SEO a read. It’s full of helpful tips for making your website more search-engine friendly.

Another excellent online marketing method for accountants is registering your services on freelancing websites. The most popular sites are as follows:

• Upwork is probably one of the biggest freelance marketplaces in the world and offers a variety of short-term tasks, recurring projects, and full-time contract options to choose from. 
• PeoplePerHour is great for you to apply for gigs in accordance with your preferences and qualifications. The platform has varied pricing plans ranging from hourly jobs to full-time contract offers as well.

There are several options available, and their effectiveness will depend on your niche and experience level. So it’s good to do some research to find a site that suits you best. 

Email marketing is another effective online method of promoting your accountancy business. For most accountants, email marketing is a great way to inform potential clients of your services. It also has the added advantage of keeping your current clientele updated on any recent events within your business. Here’s how you do it:

The first and arguably most crucial step in creating an effective email marketing campaign is building an email list. After all, the best marketing email in the world won’t do any good if you don’t have anyone to send it to. 

There are many different ways of building an email list, but one of the most straightforward methods is to request the email addresses of anyone who visits your website. You can do this with pop-ups that ask your visitors their email addresses, though some potential clients may find pop-ups intrusive. 

The contents of a good marketing email vary between companies, but things like links to your website and contact information are mainstays. For an accountant, helpful additions might be a breakdown of the services you offer or short articles on accounting topics you’re particularly knowledgeable in. You might also send a newsletter via email that updates customers on any changes or events within your company.

Businesses commonly automate their email marketing. Automation is a great way to save time and can be particularly helpful for accountants because of the time-consuming nature of their work. There are a huge number of email marketing services available, so do some research to find the best one for your business.