The marketing toolkit offers a wide range of channels for you to market your firm. You might already be implementing a lot of marketing strategies now. Sure, you have a website, you’re active on social media, and you’re constantly sending email newsletters. All these are great ways to market an accounting firm online. Question is, with all these channels you already have, do you really need a blog? The answer is very simple. Yes. Accounting firms need a blog, and let us tell you why.
1. A blog drives traffic to your website
People are asking a lot of questions every day. That includes your potential clients. And where do a lot of people usually turn to if they want answers to a question? Search engines. This is why it is essential that you create content that answers your target audience’s biggest questions.
This is where a blog comes in handy. A blog can be a good repository of relevant and helpful references for your target clients. You can write about a lot of things (and we mean content that your audience actually cares about, of course. Not just writing something for the sake of writing it). This is a great opportunity to demonstrate your expertise to prospective clients, educate your audience on certain topics relevant to them, and answer the burning questions your target clients have. To have any chance of driving traffic to your website from all of those relevant search terms in Google, you need to have a blog with relevant content on your website. As they say, you need to be “in it to win it”.
2. A blog is good for SEO
Content is vital in SEO (Search Engine Optimisation). And just like what we’ve previously mentioned, having content available that uses the right keywords will help you rank higher in Google search results. For example, if someone googles “How hard is it to change accountants for a small business” and you have a piece of content on your blog that answers that exact question, you’re effectively in the running to attract that traffic back to your website. The more content you have, the more pages search engines like Google can “read”, the more chances your website has to rank high in search results.
Having a blog is also good for inbound and outbound links, which is good for SEO. You can get inbound links or backlinks when your content is being cited on other websites or digital publications. Backlinks give Google a signal that your website provides high-quality content that people love to use as a reference on their own sites. Basically, this boosts your website’s authority in the eyes of Google, which helps you get higher rankings in search results.
Quick tip: It is good practice to link your content to other high-quality websites such as resources or references on the ATO website.
3. A blog boosts your credibility
Your content is your opportunity to demonstrate credibility as an accountant and trusted advisor. A blog can be a good avenue for you to showcase your knowledge and expertise in the industry. Constantly writing articles that educate business owners, bring light to their questions, or inform them about important tax and accounting news and updates helps you establish yourself as a valuable source of useful information. Plus, teaching your audience something helps you earn their trust and gives you a greater opportunity to convert them into your clients.
4. A blog gives you a tonne of shareable content
Blog articles are very easy to share in various forms and channels. For one, this could be a great source of content for your social media. One blog post can be shared in a variety of ways through the use of micro-content. You can take a piece of an article and create an infographic out of it, share images, or even produce videos on the same content. One blog post could turn into 8-10 different pieces of content you can share over a number of weeks through your various digital channels.
5. A blog helps with lead generation for accountants
You probably may have already realised this, blogging helps get people to your website. And with the right calls to action embedded throughout your content, this can also be a good lead generation strategy. You can add in calls to action at the end of your blog articles. You may invite them to subscribe to your email newsletter or even download an eBook related to your topic. If your content is compelling and has made a positive impact on your audience, they will be very willing to give you their information to keep hearing more, thus giving you an opportunity to reach out to them easier.
When it comes to digital marketing for accountants, content is front and centre. Your content, if done well, can work greatly to your advantage. Needless to say, content is a must-have in your firm’s marketing arsenal. Utilise the power of blogging to build trust and credibility, spark discussions and connect with your audience, and generate new leads for your accounting firm.
We understand if you’re still a little hesitant to start building your own blog. It may not be an easy thing to do. Why don’t you check out these tips on how to create successful blog posts to help you get started? We can also help you create regular content on your blog if you like. Get in touch with us so we can discuss how we can help you with our monthly marketing retainers.
