What Does Inbound Marketing Mean For Accountants?

You’re sure to have heard of Inbound Marketing over recent years. You may have heard of it referred to as content marketing, digital or online marketing or lead generation. These are more than buzzwords – these approaches are taking business growth strategies by storm. You may wonder, is it right for your firm and can it deliver more clients for less investment of your time and money?

In this article we’re going to look at what Inbound Marketing is, including the different components that make up Inbound Marketing including Content Creation and Social Media Marketing. We’ll also examine how these tactics could revolutionise your firm and rejuvenate your client base.

There has been a fundamental shift in the way clients make their purchasing decisions. The availability of free, high-quality information online has changed the way clients research accounting firms and as a consequence, accountants need to adapt the way they sell their services.

Historically, we used ‘outbound’ marketing techniques to ‘buy’ the attention of customers. Persistent sales representatives interrupted consumers, there were annoying cold-calls, pamphlets, brochures, radio, TV advertisements, newspaper ads, billboards and telemarketing. To stop the interruptions and unwanted advertising consumers bought set top boxes to fast forward through the commercials, they stopped reading direct mail and they signed up for the ‘Do Not Call’ register to block the telemarketers.

Consumers hold the power In the digital age. They can subscribe or unsubscribe from your newsletter, block a phone call and move on from your website at the click of a button.  Courtesy of the internet, there has been a massive shift in marketing techniques and in the digital and social age mass communication allows accountants to attract clients without leaving their office chair. You don’t need to go out and interrupt prospective clients to get their attention, or passively wait and hope for referrals. Inbound or permission marketing is designed to earn the attention of potential clients and draw them to your firm, usually via your website.

Some examples of marketing by gaining the permission of your audience include:

The world of marketing has changed and Inbound Marketing has superseded Outbound Marketing. By providing prospects and clients with relevant and meaningful information you position yourself and your firm as an industry expert and influencer. It’s not surprising that Inbound Marketing produces three times more leads per dollar (source: Eloqua) and it costs 61 percent less than your traditional Outbound Marketing methods (source: Mashable).

As accountants, we all need to be marketers. Technology has killed the local-minded, “build it and they will come” approach to business. Globalisation means you have more competitors than ever before and you need to keep up with and stand out from your competitors. Inbound marketing tactics have replaced conventional techniques that have lost their marketing mojo.

If you want more information on how inbound marketing will help your firm or if you’re ready to implement some of the strategies, contact us today or click the Accountant’s Accelerator Group logo below.