Accountants, it's time to start having some fun with your marketing!

Full disclosure - I’m not an accountant or financial professional. Most other lawyers that I know joke that they went to law school because math is…well…”not their thing.” Thus, we leave it up to the professionals.

What do people think of when they think of accountants?

Just like lawyers, most general impressions of accountants is that they are rather serious individuals.

While we’re grateful for the work that they do, and all the times that they save us money, accounting is not often thought of as being among the most exciting profession (which, to their credit, most accountants are very good sports about).

Yet for the accountants that I know, this image completely defies reality. The truth is that they’re fun, exciting, vivacious people - and in my personal experience they love to have a good time.

So why do we still think of accountants as being so….forgive me…drab?

IT DOESN’T NEED TO BE THIS WAY

While accountants are governed by a Code of Professional Conduct, there’s nothing in those rules that mandates your marketing needs to be dry, dull, or hard to understand. Again, much like lawyers, accountants should remember that their clients usually are not their peers, and will likely not have the same command of complex terms or difficult concepts.

Thus, I propose to all the accountants out there that it’s time to start having a little bit of fun with your promotions. It doesn’t need to be too corny, or even too off-the-wall, but it also doesn’t need to be too serious!

Think about some ways that you can have some fun with your next newsletter. Maybe it’s about including more stories of client successes, or even breaking down some of the latest financial news in a fun and interesting way.

The rules of accounting aside, anyone looking to build up their business needs to remember the first rule three rules of sales - your clients have to know you, like you, and trust you. That trust is key to the profession, but don’t underestimate the relationships you’ll build from being well liked.

So next time you’re preparing your next blog or newsletter, ask yourself the following questions:

• Does it say who you are and what you’re all about?

• Does it speak directly to your ideal client?

• Is it written in a format that clients will find easy to read (i.e: not too long, minimal use of jargon, explaining any technical terms, etc.)

• Does it tell a story, such as an anonymized story of past clients dealing with a scenario that you assist with frequently?

• If it discusses tax or financial news, does it explain what that news actually means to your client?

• Will your (potential) client understand why they should contact you, and how you can help them through a similar scenario?

Remember, tax rebates and smart investing may seem like rocket science, but your marketing materials shouldn’t. Accountants are busy professionals, and while some may be strong writers, writing is a time-consuming activity that takes away from an otherwise packed schedule. Outsourcing your content writing lets someone else worry about how to make you look your best so that you can focus on putting your clients first. Contact me to chat about how we can make your next publication one that your clients will remember!