There’s a proven marketing strategy that allows practices to generate and retain high quality clients, without hiring external consultants. By implementing some simple marketing practices, firms will be able to effectively promote their products and services to specific audiences and target markets. The following are some practical marketing strategies that generate real results.

Develop your brand

Developing a brand is about more than just a logo or a name for your company. It’s about creating a vision and developing that vision into key marketing messages which tell the world who you are and what you stand for. Your brand should reflect your values, your vision, your mission, your staff, your products, your services and your business philosophy. Define your brand and promote your brand to your current clients, your target clients and the business community.

Identify your company marketing objectives

Once you have a clear definition of what your brand represents, you can focus on your vision for the next 12 months, 2 years, 5 years, or even 10 years. Once you have a plan and you know in which direction your business is heading, you can set goals and objectives for every area of your business. Clearly define your marketing objectives as a part of your long term vision. Your marketing objectives will be instrumental in helping you to achieve your future vision.

Market your services to a specific target market

It is important for you to identify your specific target market or target clients. When you determine who your target clients are, you can focus on marketing your services to your target clients by generating brand awareness among your target market. Marketing your services to a specific target market or specific clients will save you time and money in the long term. Define your target market and prospective clients – research the market as well as individual companies and then focus your marketing activities on those prospective clients.

Develop and implement a marketing plan for your business

Your marketing plan will be born of your marketing objectives and your future vision. Your plan will be the pathway to help you achieve your vision and your business goals. Develop your own marketing plan as part of a set-by-step process. Your plan should be customised to your business and should contain your ideas for marketing your business to your target market. Develop an action plan that will sit alongside your marketing plan and will encourage you to implement your plan in stages and by taking simple steps.

Build your brand and the profile of your practice

Developing a brand is crucial to defining your practice, but building your brand is paramount to ultimate business success. Build your brand by creating brand awareness among your target clients, your competitors, the media, the business community,professional organisations and associations. Identify your defining factor, your unique quality or special service that makes you stand out from the competition. Then build your brand around your strengths and your unique capacity for success.

Introduce custom publications

An excellent way of staying top of mind with your clients and target clients is to send out custom publications. This can be done through a weekly e-mail, monthly newsletter, conducting events, posting business tips on your website, creating marketing material for specific products and services, etc. Should you decide to introduce custom publications on either a regular or an ad hoc basis, then you should have all the information available to you, so you can make an informed decision when the time comes.

Effectively network

Most people that I have spoken to or worked with, have not been fond of networking. Some have openly expressed apprehension and even an aversion to attending functions with a focus on networking. But whether or not you choose to network overtly or covertly, publicly or privately, passionately or prudently, you can choose to make the most powerful impression on people by the way you conduct yourself and what you say. Learn networking etiquette and aim to make a powerful and lasting first impression.

Prepare and deliver powerful presentations

Making a powerful first impression is important, but sustaining that impression throughout the course of a relationship is paramount to business success. Whether you are delivering a presentation to an audience, or delivering your business plan to a board, or explaining your marketing plan to your staff, the way you present your viewpoint is often more important that the actual words you use. Focus on preparation as you plan your presentation. Deliver powerful, concise and relevant presentations, whether you’re making a statement or standing up for one.

Create and implement a client care program

For most businesses, clients are the most important source of revenue and are often the most neglected. If this doesn’t make sense theoretically, it’s because it doesn’t make sense practically. The importance of having some sort of a client care program where clients are made to feel special and are treated with respect and with a high level of customer service is invaluable to a business. Clients who know that their needs are important to you, that they as individuals and people are important to you, will be your biggest advocates and perhaps your most successful source of referrals. Form your own unique client care program that will guarantee tremendous customer satisfaction.

Monitor and measure the success of marketing initiatives

Once you have developed your marketing plan or action plan, in order for you to justify the effort required to implement these plans, there needs to be a system in place for measurement of your actions. If you do not see the results on your bottom line, then something isn’t working, and you need to be able to fix it right away. The results of any plans you implement should be measurable and you need to monitor your success on an on-going basis so that you are aware of market trends and can stay ahead of them. An ideal situation is when you can generate maximum $ revenue with minimal $ spend and a limited time investment.

Develop on-going public relations strategies

Once you have a marketing plan and sales success, satisfied clients and projected revenue growth to meet your future vision and business goals, you need to think about sustaining your success. Develop on-going public relations strategies which will enhance your continued business success. By taking some simple steps you will be able to ensure that the success you enjoy comes with longevity and business growth.

The information presented today is an overview of marketing practices for accountants and has been drawn from the publication The Essential Marketing Toolkit for Accounting Practices, written by Rebecca Laskary.

The Essential Marketing Toolkit for Accounting Practices is a do-it-yourself guide to promoting your business. This toolkit has been created in response to the increasing need among accounting firms to generate brand awareness within a target market. This toolkit will help you define the unique qualities and services that your firm has to offer and make you stand above the competition. The toolkit consists of:

• A workbook which is a step-by-step guide to developing and implementing marketing strategies for your firm.
• A CD containing case studies, practical examples and checklists for each chapter, to facilitate implementation.
• Marketing Solutions for Accounting Practices – Volume 1 which is a DVD containing a one-hour marketing presentation by me.

Every chapter in the toolkit is geared towards assisting you to develop consistency in your approach to marketing and communications, which will lead to strengthening your brand. You will stand out from your competitors and appeal to your target market. And the results will directly affect your bottom line.

This is a practical step-by-step guide to developing marketing strategies for your business and promoting your brand, without employing external consultants.

If you would like to learn more about marketing your practice then contact Rebecca at www.profilepublicrelations.com.au, or visit www.marketing-for-accountants.com.au