Get a Website

If you are reading this lens and your accounting firm isn't on the web yet, please consider yourself slapped backside the head

Seriously, if you don't have a GOOD website then don't come whining to me about selling your services for you. If you take marketing seriously then you have a website, if you don't, then I can't help you.

Here is a helpful link. Start your search here and Compare Accounting Website Providers until you find one you like. Get yourself a website. Then come on back. If you look at the providers sites they'll offer you all kinds of reasons, and they're all good ones, to get a web site. But none of them are going to lay out the real reason for you because they don't sell websites by insulting their prospects. Well... you're not paying ME so I, on the other hand, and not going to patronize you.

If you don't have a website it sends most business people the message that you can't keep up. You might as well wear an "I'm with Stupid" T-shirt with an arrow pointing straight up.

Winning The Media Game

Believe it or not if you can wrap the package right, the media will gladly help you grow your business!

The media is always starving for new stories. Believe it or not, if approached correctly, reporters will not only be willing, but eager to help put your name in the newspapers.

Clients like that. They enjoy the prestige of working with a recognized expert.

Here are ten ways you can start generating free publicity by using the media:

1. Send out press releases

A press release should report, in one or two pages, a focused news item. This could include information about new clients, seminars you are offering, significant changes to your management or procedures, new services, etc. Send press releases out regularly, but keep in mind that editors will only print your news if they can see that it is of clear interest to their readers. Try to frame your press release in such a way that it's easy for the reader to identify a broader news item if one applies. For example,

"Local Accounting Firm can help you deduct charitable contributions" is BORING! Try "Local Firm Warns about Restrictions to Charitable Contributions"... scary! Good guys... bad guys... fear and hope... That's called news.

2. Set up one-to-one meetings with reporters

Target reporters who cover accounting and business. It's important that the reporter you are speaking with understand the issues, otherwise they may not see the opportunity for news. Make meetings friendly and informal. Reporters will often be generous in their advice on the best way to get coverage in their publication or on their station.

3. Contact editors and reporters with Story Ideas

Editors and journalists are often under constant pressure to produce stories with a fresh angle or point of view. Share ideas and trends that you identify in the course of your business with an editor or reporter. If they use your idea, they will most likely want to site you as an "expert" within their story.

4. Invite the media to important firm events

Celebrating some big firm event, such as an important anniversary, a new managing partner, or other significant milestone? Invite members of the press to attend. This will give them an opportunity to get to know you, your firm and its employees better.

Don't expect free publicity every time you do this (especially the first time), but it will open a lot of doors for you when you have story ideas in the future.

5. Write articles for local publications

Even if you can't write a line, look for opportunities to publish articles or stories that will display your accounting and business expertise. As long as you can supply a copy writer with facts, you can get a professional to do the polished article and you'll be surprised how cheap it is. I often hire copywriters off CraigsList. Send an article or some helpful business tips to your local newspapers, or a technical article to a trade journal. Your article may be read by a reporter looking for a quotable source (or a prospect shopping for the right accountant).

6. Offer to speak at functions/seminars etc.

When you speak regularly you increase the prestige and visibility of your firm within the community. Because you are constantly communicating ideas to new groups of people. You will both encounter new business opportunities, and expand your referral network.

Contact local business associations, trade show organizers, and any other groups that might welcome information on accountancy related topics.

Begin with small gatherings, and make sure your speech is short and "punchy". Don't be too clever, get to the point. You don't want to bore any prospects in the audience! Ask someone you respect to give you feedback on your performance before the event. Note: speeches can often be turned into articles, and vice versa.

7. Stay ahead of the curve

Keep your marketing innovative. That's newsworthy enough to catch the interest of reporters. Spend some time with your staff every month and generate ideas.

Reinforce client satisfaction and bring in new clients.

Start small, and then present the refined product to a larger audience. Success is more likely to depend on your creativity than your spending.

8. Identify unusual or interesting events in your business

This is HUGE!

Look out for human interest stories that could be of interest to local reporters. The accounting business is full of outlandish but true tales. Reporters are always tripping all over themselves for these kinds of stories. Don't keep them to yourself. Sadly, a good human interest story is even more likely to get published any creative solutions to an accounting problem. These stories can provide you with the perfect material for interacting with reporters. If you intend to use names, or identify those involved in some other way, make sure you ask permission.

9. Distribute a good newsletter

A newsletter can be a highly effective marketing tool, and will be appreciated by both clients and prospects alike. If you distribute your newsletter by email you won't have to worry about printing and postage costs, and it can benefit your practice both by increasing your firm's name recognition in your area and by developing a sense of community among your clients.

Add a personal note to some newsletters from time to time, and highlight articles that might be of interest to a particular client or prospect.

10. Stage a series of seminars

As an accountant, you deal with business and personal financial issues on a daily basis, so you know which topics are likely to draw people to a seminar. Create an entertaining and informative program. Try it out on a few friends first. Then invite clients, referral sources, and the media - and encourage them to bring friends and family. Once you are comfortable with this approach, widen your guest list to include prospects, too.

Don't let inexperience in PR stand in your way. Anyone can make good use of publicity. Attend seminars, read books and articles, and talk to anyone who has experience in dealing with the media.

Here are the rules of media marketing...

When a reporter comes to see you, put other responsibilities aside until they have all the information they need for their story.

Never give a reporter incorrect information. It's better to admit you don't know something than it is to get it wrong. Sometimes you may have to put them in touch with other sources who can answer questions you cannot.

NEVER EVER EVER ask to approve the reporter's manuscript - this will change their attitude to you entirely, and ruin a potentially productive relationship. You cannot control what they write about your firm. This is not paid advertising, and the credibility and visibility that goes with editorial exposure is far more powerful than anything you can pay for.