MARKETING TIPS TO GET NEW CLIENTS AND KEEP THE ONES YOU'VE GOT. Div Bhansali Vice President, Marketing AccountantsWorld

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1 MARKETING TIPS TO GET NEW CLIENTS AND KEEP THE ONES YOU'VE GOT Div Bhansali Vice President, Marketing AccountantsWorld

2 Webinar Overview The biggest challenges in marketing today How to maximize your online presence Your list, your content, and your Web site How they can work together to grow your business Using social media strategically The most underrated marketing tool today

3 Biggest challenges in marketing today Keeping up with new technology and techniques

4 Biggest challenges in marketing today Finding time to execute marketing Creating a budget How much does social media really cost? Hire or do-it-yourself? Build or buy? Getting noticed by an audience that has Short attention spans Limited time Marketing fatigue

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6 Now, the good news It doesn t take a genius to do marketing today The tools are (generally) easy to learn Many techniques are free or inexpensive You can measure results / ROI Start slowly Measure Expand into new areas gradually Do more of what s working

7 Importance of your online presence % of consumers who use the Internet to research products or services in their local area: 97%. So how do I get noticed? Source: BIA / Kelsey Research

8 Perfect your online listings Get on the AccountantsWorld Directory Listings Usually the top local search result for Find an accountant or Find a CPA you need to be on it! Clean up your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) online Get your exact address format from USPS Provide that info to the four key bureaus: Acxiom, Localeze, Factual, Infogroup Source:

9 Ensure you re listed everywhere else Getlisted.org Google+

10 Get client reviews Ask satisfied clients to post reviews online Do NOT tell them what to say Where to post?

11 Your Web site Useful > pretty Your site should: Explain who you are and how you work Incorporate useful tools for your clients (and other site visitors) Provide immediate access to your contact info Have links to your newsletter, blog, and / or any social media accounts

12 Your Web site One suggested way to set it up Professional Website built by Website Relief from AccountantsWorld - Your own custom domain - Customizable templates and content sections - Secure online tax organizer - Financial calculators and other useful tools for clients - Integrates with Directory Listings Your Blog powered by a leading blog engine ** - Ideal place for original thoughts / content - Fully customizable design can match your site - Search engines love blogs with strong content - Excellent sharing tools - Generally easy to set up - Inexpensive or even FREE ** Wordpress, Blogger, Tumblr

13 A sample Web site

14 Watch your words Make sure the copy on your Web site is consistent with the kinds of clients you want to attract Affordable services vs. exclusive Individual vs. small-business clients Testimonials

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16 Your list Your list = Your clients + every prospective client who has expressed interest and given you their information Lists are the foundation for most marketing activities. Everything else Newsletters Web site Active seekers List

17 Your list: How do you grow it? Ask for info when people want your content (more on that soon) Share buttons on every newsletter and Web page Brief form on your blog Ask people who follow you on social media Collect and input every business card you receive

18 Produce content Blog posts, white papers, frequently asked questions, webinars, presentations, videos, podcasts Content gives you the ability to: Grow your list of truly interested prospective clients Maintain visibility with (and loyalty from) existing clients Show up much higher on search engine results Goal is to educate and build trust

19 Examples of content 5 tax issues to consider before you invest We re proud to introduce payroll services for your business Travel expenses 101: three things you need to know 10 critical changes in this year s tax code The biggest mistakes in estate planning

20 What should you write about? What do my most important clients care about? Tips: What am I extremely knowledgeable about? Be authentic speak in your own voice Keep it simple and intuitive Readers love lists Collaborate with others (colleagues or people in your network)

21 newsletters Wait, isn t dead? NO. Spend on marketing is still increasing by 15% per year Newsletters help nurture potential clients, AND retain and upsell existing clients There s more works very well on mobile devices 72% of small-business buyers are most likely to share useful content with others via Sources: Direct Marketing Association; Salesforce blog, July 2013

22 newsletters: What should you include in them? Any original content you ve produced Introduce / explain the specific services you offer Updates from your firm: new hires, employee profiles, awards Testimonials / positive reviews from other clients Links to relevant content you ve seen elsewhere

23 newsletters: Who should send them? If your list is less than 100 addresses, you can send it through your own servers Benefits of sending through external vendors They take care of IT infrastructure, storage + maintenance Frees up your space, money and time for other applications Better spam + unsubscribes management = higher delivery rates Easy-to-use templates can simplify design All are relatively cheap, some even free for low volumes

24 Content deployment strategy 5 tips to avoid tax surprises in 2014 Checklist Blog post White paper Social Networks Link buttons Webinar Key: re-purpose, re-purpose, re-purpose.

25 Use social media strategically For most professional accounting firms, the most important social media are Everything else

26 LinkedIn 3 out of 4 members use LinkedIn to keep up on business news + to research companies. That s higher than Facebook. 3 easy steps: 1. Create a company profile 2. Add a list of your services 3. Start posting updates of key news or content

27 The Others Twitter Start by following people + retweeting interesting tweets Post links to any original content you produce (blog posts, etc.) Use hashtags: #accountant, or #marylandcpa, or Facebook and Google+ Start by simply posting your content updates to these sites as well Then ask your followers what else they would like to see

28 Socialize your printed materials All biz cards and brochures should include: All of your social media accounts Referral request If you love our service, please tell your network. Then tell us! Or simply: Referrals appreciated!

29 Paid search (sponsored listings) Sponsored listings (paid) Natural search (free)

30 Paid search (sponsored listings) Why pay for something I can get for free? Natural search, 35.4% Total Google search clicks Sponsored listings, 64.6% Go for quality > quantity Small number of keywords Bid aggressively If you don t know what to do, ask Google / Bing

31 Advanced: Segment your lists Divide based on services provided, interest or geography Send different s to each segment Or at least different subject lines Aim initially for 2-4 segments Impact of segmentation 18% more opened s 22% more clicks Source: MailChimp report Effects of List Segmentation on Marketing Stats

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33 Thank you for attending! AccountantsWorld Div Bhansali: Website Relief Directory Listings