Some firm professionals may find it difficult trying to convince other colleagues and staff members that setting up a marketing program is a worthwhile exercise. This may be because they do not believe that marketing is a priority. But widespread support within the firm is vital to a marketing program’s success. Below are several strategies designed to help firms energise marketing initiatives while overcoming any resistance within the firm.
Talk To Those Who Are Willing To Listen
Rather than waste time trying to drag unwilling professionals into marketing projects, spend time with willing participants. Talk to those who will give the topic a friendly reception and ignore the naysayers. With a little bit of luck, these individuals will stay in the background until your marketing program gets off the ground.
Broadcast Successes From The Marketing Program
In any new endeavour such as introducing a marketing program, it’s natural for some people to ask, “Why do we need this?” or “What’s in it for me?” People are more likely to tolerate changes when they know that the initiatives are proving successful. Sell your marketing program within the firm by broadcasting your successes. Every professional firm’s internal newsletter or another communication medium should have a section devoted to trumpeting the successes achieved in the areas of marketing, client retention and client service.
These types of successes will help generate interest in the new marketing program. Highlighting the people and efforts behind these achievements may shift the naysayers over to the “yes” side of the ledger. For marketing to succeed, it needs a continual presence within the firm, in communications, on agendas, and underlying systems.
Be Innovative
Finally, remind the naysayers that marketing is more than just designing new logos or putting your firm’s yellow page advertising in the right spot — it is really about generating new ideas, new initiatives and defining future opportunities and threats. By being innovative, you can help differentiate your firm from the competition. By focusing on identified opportunities and threats, your firm can take meaningful action to promote its long-term interests.
Marketing programs can be supplemented with additional marketing strategies that showcase a firm’s successes, services or accomplishments. For accountants, promoting services and capabilities to clients that are looking to the digital landscape for their needs to be filled can be a challenge. Especially so if there isn’t a dedicated marketing department in the firm, or if the marketing is being done internally by someone who isn’t necessarily specialised.
Newsletters, writing a blog, email marketing and website lead generation can be methods through which marketing strategies can build on a professional firm’s client base. Not every accounting firm has the time to be creating content every week though, or designing a newsletter, or writing on something topical.
That’s why here at Practice Advantage, we have solutions designed to suit the marketing needs of any accounting firm, or to supplement your marketing program’s strategy.
From newsletters, to blog writing (done for you or DIY), website design and SEO services and more, your accounting firm might find the marketing solution it’s been looking for, with us.
Come start that conversation with us today.