What happens to your marketing during tax season? Other than a Christmas card or e-card, how do you communicate with your existing clients?

Do you maintain the same level of marketing activity as you’ve done throughout the year, or does it dwindle due to the increased volume of accounts and tax returns to process?

For many business owners, December and January are key times for reviewing the previous year’s business performance and planning the forthcoming 12 months. What are you doing to help them at this time?

Most accountants retreat to their offices at this time of year. However, the accountancy firms that stand out from their competitors are still actively marketing by: attending networking events; advertising; sending targeted mailings; using telemarketing to arrange appointments; advertising; offering free business reviews or organising seminars – yes even in January!, to name just a few activities.

So, what can you do to keep your profile raised and offer to help business owners during these key months?

• Ideally plan in advance. Prepare and schedule appropriate adverts, blogs and posts so they will automatically display on your website and social media during your busy times.
• Use Google Adwords to promote business planning and tax services during December and January, again these can be set up in advance so you’re not having to make arrangements in your busy season.
• Organise ‘business planning clinics’ whereby you set aside specific dates in the diary (say 3 or 4 afternoons in December and January) for clients or prospective clients to drop in to discuss their business needs. Advertise these clinics locally and mail/email your clients to invite them to book a slot at one of the clinics.
• Issue a ‘Guide to reviewing your business and making plans for the future’. Send this as a mailing, but also have available on your website and mention on social media and in your newsletters.
• Use your printed Christmas cards to maximum effect to make the most of this profile raising opportunity. First, make sure your firm name and/or your logo is showing on the front of the card, so your clients, prospects and business associates are constantly reminded of your firm when they see the card on their desk or hung up on a wall. Insert an invite to the above-mentioned business planning clinics or business planning guides. Give them more than just a faceless card with a few signatures on.

Where time and lack of in-house resource is a problem, why not consider outsourcing some of your marketing and client communication activities during these busy months?

If you ask a business owner how they’d rate their accountant, more often than not their response would be “technically very good, but they’re not very proactive in helping me develop my business”. So what steps can you take in the next few weeks to demonstrate you are proactive and you are keen to help your clients when they most need it?