Lead generation for accountants – a critical part of a successful sales process. If people are not aware of your business then you won’t have any sales conversations. No sales conversation means no new clients.
Generating leads is one part of the process but unfortunately one that is not given enough attention – which means the rest of the process fails for lack of people to talk to and convert.
There are many different ways to get leads and I have laid out some of the ones that have worked well for my clients when done actively (depending on target audience, location and focus).
Active vs Passive
Putting a website up or posting content in a few places is not active lead generation unless you have a logical Call to Action (the thing you want the person to do) and a simple purpose (eg click here to access the free ebook on….). You want relevant people to take action and ultimately connect and engage with you so you can take them through your sales process and provide the support they need.
Which of these are you actively doing?
- LinkedIn – make connections, regularly posting written and/or video content, use as social proof of your expertise and a search tool to find and develop new clients.
- Website – a long process to rank so you may be better off using it as social proof with testimonials, a place to post content (helping you get found in Google searches) and a way for potential clients to get a feel for you and the business. Targeting “long tail” keywords in your site content can help you get found in targeted searches (long tail refers to key phrases with many words – people often search this way now eg “how to get clients for accounting business”.
- Networking – join relevant local groups or start your own depending on target audience and available slots locally.
- Referrals – from clients, contacts and friends. Do a good job, give great service and develop trust and people will refer their contacts to you. It is good to ask!
- Facebook/Instagram – depending on the niche you are targeting this can be a great way for Accountants to find clients – especially in local or niche groups.
- Twitter – a great way to start conversations and engage with people if done right.
- Google My Business – a really good way to rank and be found locally. Underrated and under used with loads of potential if used fully. Check this out if you operate locally! Seriously it works.
- Local advertising – local papers and magazines still work well (in the right places and if the numbers stack up).
- Niche sector advertising – advertising on websites and in publications for your niche is a great way to be found by the right people.
- Google advertising – done well this can get you visibility and clicks but keep in mind its an auction process so you compete for keywords with the big players which can result in a low return on investment if not managed well. Unusual and “long tail” keywords can perform well.
- Facebook/Instagram advertising – loads of eyeballs for not much money if done really well and if you have a relevant niche. This can be a money suck if not managed well
It All Works
All of these work as lead generation for accountants but they don’t all work for everyone. A lot depends on your target audience, your area and what you are willing to really put focus and attention into. They all work but if you don’t work them then you won’t get positive results.
What are you willing to do and what are you not willing to do? Be honest so you don’t waste your time on strategies you won’t follow through on. Only do those things you will do well.
Most accountants don’t do marketing with real focus – often because they don’t understand what’s involved and don’t take the time to learn. It’s easier than you think if you just give your attention to 1 to 3 things, learn them and do them well.
If people aren’t even aware of your business then they can never become your clients.
Who will you tell about your business this week?
Have a great day.
Angus
We help owners scale up, build more profitable and sustainable businesses and get more free time. We provide Business Coaching, Advice and Training to help you get clear on the route forward, create the plan and develop the systems to take your business to the next level now. With Clarity, Certainty and Confidence.