this is not “set it and forget it.”
by michael rozbruch, cpa
the irs audit notice checklist
before i delve into social media’s place in your marketing strategy, let’s return to what i hope is already a frequently used tool in your marketing toolkit: content marketing.
more: kpis that accounting firms don’t measure but should | 10 tips for maximizing referrals
exclusively for pro members. log in here or 2022世界杯足球排名 today.
it is critical to cast a wide net to attract leads and thus new client conversions by creating educational content like special reports (white papers), articles, blog posts, videos, dvds, ebooks and books so that people with irs problems can get answers to questions or information on topics they want or need to know about.
content marketing’s purpose is to attract and retain clients by consistently creating relevant and valuable content with the intention of changing or enhancing your prospects’ behavior. it is an ongoing process that is best integrated into your overall marketing strategy.
basically, content marketing is the art of communicating with your clients and prospects without selling.
it is non-interruption marketing. instead of pitching your products of services, you are delivering information that makes your buyer more intelligent. the essence of this strategy is the belief that if we, as practitioners, deliver consistent and ongoing valuable information to people with trs problems, they ultimately will reward us with their business.
according to roper public affairs, 80 percent of business decision makers prefer to get company information in a series of articles versus an advertisement. seventy percent say that content marketing makes them feel closer to the sponsoring company, while 60 percent say that company content helps them make better product decisions. think of this – what if your prospects and clients looked forward to receiving your marketing? what if when they received it, via print, email or website, they spent 15, 30, 45 minutes with it? do you think you would have more referrals? do you think you would have more clients? the answer is yes!
content marketing is being used by some of the greatest marketing organizations in the world, including p&g, microsoft, cisco systems and john deere. it is also developed and executed by small firms and one-person shops around the globe.
i want to take this one step further. you’re already creating the content, so you might as well distribute it where many more potential clients can read it. this is where social media comes into play.
i think everyone knows how important it is to have a social media presence. facebook pages in particular place high in search results.
if people find a facebook page for your business and you haven’t posted in four months, think about what that communicates.
they will think you’re not relevant, that you don’t care, and they’ll move on to someone else. other social media that rank high in search results are twitter and linkedin. posting to these daily can help you be found by qualified prospects.
in addition, you can also gather leads directly from facebook (for now; facebook changes its policies regularly). this is called fan-gating. you can include calls to action in your cover photo on facebook so fans can click to go to a landing page where they leave their email address to receive a free report, an ebook or other offer.
here are the places i recommend for distributing your social media content/articles:
- google+
- slideshare
- youtube
- tumblr
delegate your social media to a trusted employee. you do not need to spend your valuable time on social media. don’t post about yourself and market your services all the time, because people will tune you out. post about issues that matter to your prospects and provide helpful inspiring, and interesting information.
the goal is to demonstrate your authority and expertise.
finally, don’t fall prey to companies that will give you 100 “likes” for a fee. social media platforms also use algorithms to detect fake followers. it is better to have fewer numbers and an authentic presence in social media.
be real, but don’t share everything. in a day and age of reality tv and oversharing, like posting pictures of what you eat on instagram, don’t overdo it and don’t air your dirty laundry. instead, find a balance between coming off as a real person and sharing too much information. and always be friendly and authentic.