Many people forge career paths in bookkeeping. However, most are not the type to stand up on a chair and proclaim their talents. They’re likely too busy working in a quiet room and completing complicated bookkeeping tasks for their clients.
But when you run your own business, you must make time for marketing to expand your company. Wondering how to get bookkeeping clients without pulling focus away from the important work you do every day?
Find new clients with our expert advice and marketing tools.
With this guide, you’ll learn seven of the fastest ways to gain more clients.
Increase your customer base with these marketing best practices:
- Trade referrals with other professionals
- Write blogs
- Share testimonials
- Search job sites
- Be a guest speaker
- Monitor social media platforms
- Learn about other marketing tools
Before going into the specifics of each method, you must determine your target. What type of individual do you want to reach through your marketing work?
It’s easy to say “everyone.” But the reality is that you have a specific target. You connect better with prospects from certain industries, company sizes, or geographic areas. You may even have certain values that you share with most of your clients.
Think about the typical job titles of the people who hire you. The more you can refine your idea of a target audience, the more successful you’ll be with these initiatives.
1. Trade referrals with other professionals
You likely already know how to get bookkeeping clients through word-of-mouth advertising. It’s such a common strategy. When most people need a professional to accomplish a task for them, they usually ask friends and family members for advice. But they aren’t the only ones who offer valuable referrals.
People will also ask their lawyer, financial advisor, and members of their business networking group for recommendations. Have you talked with local professionals in complementary industries about trading referrals? Your clients may need services from others, as well. Everyone comes out ahead when they work together to grow their businesses.
2. Write blogs
Chances are, your clients ask a lot of the same questions — and you know the answers. This makes you an expert and you can share your expertise to gain clients.
Blogs are a great way to create engaging, informational, and educational content that your prospective clients will want to read. They’ll appreciate that you’re willing to share what you know for free and you’ll be top-of-mind when it’s time to find a bookkeeper.
Have a page on your business website for your blog content. Include keywords in each blog post and implement search engine optimization (SEO). This practice will allow your website to rank organically higher in search results when people look up bookkeeping-related topics on Google using those exact keywords.
Ask to write guest blogs on relevant sites where your target audience might spend time online, too. Don’t forget to add a backlink to your website so they know how to contact you.
3. Share testimonials
When addressing the issue of how to get bookkeeping clients through referrals, don’t just look to fellow professionals. Ask current clients to write testimonials on your behalf. You can have a testimonials page on your website to share these comments. Urging clients to write reviews for you on listing sites will also work.
The first step to managing online listings and reviews is to claim your business online. Claim your Google My Business profile and create a Facebook Business page. You’ll also want to claim your profiles on Yelp, Angie’s List, and any other listing site your clients may use. Fill in all the information you can in your profiles, including a list of your specialized services.
Create incentives for clients to write positive reviews about your work. Consider offering a small discount. When a review is posted, reply to each one.
Thank the reviewer if the testimonial is positive. If the review is negative, stay professional. Acknowledge the concern, apologize without making excuses, and encourage them to continue the conversation offline by providing your phone number. Your professionalism can help you gain new clients.
4. Search job sites
Today’s professional marketplace is growing — particularly in terms of remote working positions. You don’t always have to be in the same geographic region to get hired by a business. You can search job sites for ads posted from all over the country to find bookkeeping clients.
Job boards such as Upwork and Thumbtack — as well as other sites like HARO, Xero, and Quickbooks Pro — often have job postings for both freelance, part-time, and full-time bookkeepers.
Since your professional information is on your website, it’s easy to apply online. Simply provide a link to your site so the employer can quickly learn more about your niche and expertise.
5. Be a guest speaker
If writing isn’t your strength, consider presenting information in person or through video. Volunteer to present topics for industry conferences or programs. It may take time to build up the experience needed to be tapped for bigger events. Starting small will help you gain confidence in your presentation skills.
Another way to practice being a guest speaker is to host your own webinar. By reaching out to the people on your email list, you can share valuable information with current and future clients.
To be successful, prepare for your webinar thoroughly. Study the topics and include interactive questions, videos, and graphics to keep your viewers engaged. When you’re finished, you can share the webinar on your website or through social media posts.
6. Monitor social media platforms
Social media can feel overwhelming and distracting for some. To focus your social media marketing efforts, pick and develop your professional presence on one or two platforms.
Start with LinkedIn — the social media site for professionals. Create a profile with a high-resolution headshot and a summary of your educational background and career experiences. Reach out to, and connect with, all your current contacts. Ask for endorsements and return the favor.
Track your LinkedIn feed and take note whenever someone celebrates a milestone. Always congratulate them. Use these interactions to strengthen your relationships before asking about their bookkeeping needs. They may also have acquaintances who could use your bookkeeping services.
Facebook is another powerful tool for finding clients. Just like your LinkedIn feed, your Facebook Business page is an ideal place to post links to your blogs, share industry-related news, or advertise your webinars.
7. Learn about other marketing tools
Even the busiest entrepreneurs can schedule time each week to dedicate to marketing initiatives. But after learning how to get bookkeeping clients through diverse marketing tactics, what’s next? These tips are just the beginning.
Want to grow your business with the help of more digital tools like email marketing? Check out Constant Contact’s The Download. The free marketing guide is designed to help bookkeepers like you understand, put together, and implement comprehensive digital marketing plans better and faster.
