How to Communicate the True Brand Value of Your CAS Firm
In the dynamic landscape of Client Accounting Services (CAS), effectively communicating your firm's...
5 min read
Marketing falling flat? Or maybe you don’t even know where to begin your new client acquisition process? Client prospecting is a tricky business.
When marketing for accounting firms, it’s always best to begin with a solid foundation. For finding new clients, it’s about knowing the types of people and businesses you want to work with, and knowing more about yourself (or your firm).
Here are four pillars that belong underneath the marketing structure you build out.
Yes, you can literally know your next customers. It’s called referrals from within your network. Friends of friends, colleagues of colleagues who you know (indirectly) coming to you for similar work you do for their network.
While that’s an aspect of knowing your customers, what we’re getting at is defining the ideal client you’re best suited to serve. Then, drilling down further to find particular personas within your ideal client. Put simply, ICPs are more about the organization you wish to attract and serve, personas are more about who you’ll speak with to close that deal. An ICP will usually have up to five personas.
It’s best to get specific here. Really begin with the end in mind.
For example, an ideal client profile (ICP) could be service-based businesses with at least 7-figures of revenue.
Now, let’s take a look at developing a persona for an ideal client.
ICPs help you communicate. For instance, if you target businesses that tend to be owned by Millennials, they hate phone calls, are fiercely independent, and want to do their own research on just about everything.
Particularly, they’re active on LinkedIn and Twitter (trying to do that grind and get more clients).
So, which is better; cold calling businesses or creating custom content that will appeal to your potential clients on LinkedIn?
Notice we used the word “better,” not “easier.” Becoming a thought leader and influencer is not easy, but it works if you know who you’re talking to, and the best channel to put that conversation.
Once you have your personas set, figure out where they gather, have social conversations, and choose the products/solutions they use. Then, it’s time to construct content that answers their questions and builds their trust (in a way that makes them actually pay attention).
The first two foundations help you understand the “who” and “where.” Now, it’s on to “what” and “when.”
The “what” answers those fears, hopes, and common questions you’re seeing from similar clients in your ideal position. For instance, flower shops earning 7-figures. They’re thinking about a lot that deals with money and want need your knowledge.
And now that you know the who and where—all you have to do is give them what they want to hear.
It’s possible you’re thinking, “Aren’t we giving away the farm?”
The short answer is “no.” The direct knowledge of these strategies isn’t the bulk of your value, but the ins and outs of turning those plans into reality. For instance, an entity change is something any business can learn about on YouTube or LinkedIn. But doing it correctly takes someone who’s going to take the time, has done it before, and cares about the outcome.
What if you were the person telling them about the strategies, building trust, and you’re also the one who can do the work?
In terms of “when,” it’s really about casting the content net. If you write that blog, record that podcast, or publish that LinkedIn post that shares valuable information, those who are in the right place and right time will see it.
That’s where the most difficult aspect of content creation resides—consistency. Consistency is about regularly sending out those signals, trusting they’ll hit the persona’s ears when they need it.
Who, what, where, when, and now how. How you speak with your ideal clients is a foundational element of marketing. The right thing said in the wrong way loses impact.
What’s the wrong way?
Communicating in a way that’s not genuine. This goes for both you and your firm. This is as deep of a rabbit hole as you want it to be. It could even shake the very services you offer to your ideal clients.
A few ways to improve your genuineness:
Perform these exercises and you’ll have the basics for what brings a solid marketing plan into view. You know the who, what, where, when, and how. Now, it’s time to ramp up your content production, figure out the best marketing channels, and get out there to find those ideal clients.
Finally, you want to make sure your firm offers the services clients need most. Increasingly, that means client advisory services (CAS). They’re higher-value, consultative, and a fit for a wide variety of businesses and individuals. Learn more about CAS, and start serving your client base like never before.
In the dynamic landscape of Client Accounting Services (CAS), effectively communicating your firm's...