Copywriter for Accountants & Bookkeepers

It used to be if you were an accountant or bookkeeper, you had no problem getting clients. You followed a few easy steps:

• Rent office space in a business area and hang out a sign.
• Take out an ad in the local Yellow Pages.
• Pass out business cards to a few industry contacts.
• Joined the local Rotary Club or Chamber of Commerce to do some networking.

Then you waited for the phone to ring. And it did!

These days, the market is a lot more crowded and the competition is much tougher. Most likely, dozens of accounting and bookkeeping professionals operate right in your local area, and many of them are well-established and have much bigger marketing budgets than you do.

Add to that challenge the fact that you now also have national competitors. You’re no longer only competing with other local businesses. Accountants and bookkeepers from all over the country can compete for clients virtually via the internet. Customers can go to Google or sites like Angie’s List, do a search and find plenty of accounting and bookkeeping companies in seconds. They can also find plenty of DIY bookkeeping tips. 

Accountants & Bookkeepers Face These Marketing Challenges

How do you get new customers when you don’t have the time, expertise or desire to do marketing? That’s a question plenty of accountants and bookkeepers face.

See if you’ve wrestled with any of these specific issues:

• You want to grow your business but getting new clients, especially good ones, isn’t easy.
• Attrition among your clients keeps you from achieving growth milestones.
• You’re tired of not getting a good ROI on your marketing effort.
• You’re struggling with finding the right words to convey all your company is capable of.

The good news is you don’t have to solve these problems yourself. And you don’t have to spend a fortune. Marketing done right is affordable and will give you a good return on your investment.

Copywriters for Accountants & Bookkeepers

Copywriters who understand service businesses can help get the word out about your accounting or bookkeeping business. They can create marketing materials that attract prospects and convert them into leads and sales such as:

• Websites
• Brochures
• Blogs
• Press Releases
• Sales Letters
• Ads
• EDDN Mailers
• LinkedIn & Facebook Profiles
• Landing Pages

You can utilize copywriting services if you’re working in any of the following capacities:

• Accountant or CPA
• Bookkeeper
• Accounts Receivable Clerk
• Accounts Payable Clerk
• Payroll Clerk
• Auditor
• Tax Adviser or Consultant
• Actuarial Analyst
• Forensic Accountant
• Accounting Technician
• Data Analyst
• Business Adviser
• Financial Advisor

What’s Your Niche?

One of the first questions a skilled copywriter will ask you regarding marketing your business is: What’s your specialty? The key to standing out in a crowded field like accounting or bookkeeping is finding a unique niche.

Rather than attempting to be all things to all people, become the hands-down best in a specific at working in a specific area of expertise. Consider some of these business ideas:

• Work with startup businesses that need help setting up their books and establishing processes for their accounts receivable and payable.
• Do tax returns and provide tax advice to specific groups – i.e. ex-military, senior citizens, recent immigrants, divorced single parents, dentists, or clergy (yes, they pay taxes too!)
• Do business valuations for people looking to buy or sell a business.
• Do accounting or bookkeeping for established businesses in a specific industry such as construction, real estate or manufacturing
• Provide services to companies located in downtown (insert your city).
• Do financial forensics for people and businesses who need to piece together a financial puzzle (i.e. someone getting divorced or involved in litigation).
• Offer DIY help to people who want to complete their own tax forms.

You can specialize by industry, service, size or geography. The choice is yours. And you can have more than one specialty.

Once you’ve determined your niche focus, get started on creating marketing materials to tell the world how your expertise makes you uniquely qualified for their work.

Are you an accountant, CPA or bookkeeper who needs help writing your website, brochure or sales letter? Contact us here for a free estimate on your copywriting project.

Enhance your web presence

The starting point for any of your marketing activities should be your website. It’s where most clients are likely to go to learn about your business before contacting you for an appointment. Studies show that 85% of consumers conduct online research before making a purchase.

Because this first impression of your business is so important, make sure your web design, web copy and usability are all on point. They should all work together to give visitors the best possible experience.

Think about what a prospective client wants to know about your accounting or bookkeeping experience. Be sure your website answers those queries.

According to Hubstaff’s Guide, How to Win More Clients: A Guide to Marketing for Accountants, here are some tips to step up your accounting or bookkeeping firm’s website that speak to a typical client’s questions:

• Who — Include bios for your leadership so potential clients can know who they’ll meet with and why they’re qualified.
• What — List all of your services and explain what sets your accounting firm apart, whether that’s experience, specialties, your commitment to customer service, or pricing.
• Where — Make your contact page easy to find, and include a simple form or similar way for them to reach out to you.
• When — If you have a blog, add posts weekly or monthly. Make sure to provide useful, helpful information and  resources that match your clients’ needs.

You’ll also want to give some thoughts to search engine optimization (SEO). Quality information and well-written blog posts can help you rank higher on Google for your main keywords. High ranking generates traffic to your website.

Pay special attention to local search results as people searching for an accountant or bookkeeper is likely to look within their local area. Local search results are highly influenced by other online references to your website, according to Thomson Reuters in its report, “How to Market an Accounting Firm in the Digital Age.” It recommends taking control of your listings in Google My Business, YP, Yelp and similar sites to ensure your business can be found online, via Google and beyond.

Consider Working with a Freelancer

You probably think you should hire an ad agency or digital marketing firm. But they’re costly. Unless you have a large, well-established accounting, CPA or bookkeeping practice with a substantial marketing budget, you don’t need a full-service marketing firm. That’s not how you’ll get the best bang for your buck.

A freelance copywriter or freelance website copywriter for accountants and bookkeepers has the right tools, experience and industry contracts for your marketing project.

Working with freelance professionals is an economical way to get started on creating your marketing materials. Yes, you’ll probably need to be hands-on to hire the right professionals and oversee the project, but that’s something you should do regardless of the vendor you choose.

If you go the freelance route, you’ll have your choice of freelancer:

• Copywriters
• Website designers
• Website programmers/developers
• Graphic designers
• Public relations specialists
• And more

Once you tap into “the freelance network,” you’ll find plenty of talented, experienced professionals ready to assist you in growing your accounting or bookkeeping business and to even offer as much hand-holding as you need.

Get Started on Your Marketing Plan

The process is pretty simple. Figure out what you want — a website, brochure, sales letter, etc. Then contact a freelance professional, someone  with experience writing for accountants and bookkeepers, for a free phone consultation to discuss your needs, decide on some basic project parameters, and then get a cost estimate.

Most freelancers are used to working with clients who have limited marketing experience. They’re happy to take you by the hand, steer the process and lay out a plan for your project. Within a few weeks, you can have marketing materials that you’re proud to show clients and will do the job of generating leads and sales.

Clients for your accounting, CPA or bookkeeping business are out there. You just need to make it easy for them to find you. Working with a freelance copywriter or website copywriter to create a quality website and other marketing materials is an affordable solution that will help you grow your clientele and  take your practice to the next level.

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