Posts Tagged ‘advertising’
How To Build Your Firm’s Brand Standards in 3 Easy Steps
Branding can be an elusive concept. For many, a company’s brand is usually associated with a visual element, like a logo. Retail giants like Target, Amazon and Best Buy have all created brands that go beyond the logo by associating their name with the assurance they give to their customers. In professional services, a brand…
Read More5 Steps to Creating a Sponsorship and Advertising Policy
Writing a check to every organization and opportunity that comes across your desk may have created a “nice guy/girl” reputation among your community, but this strategy isn’t going to help you achieve the growth goals you’ve set for your firm. We know it’s hard to say no. We also know how common it is for…
Read MoreUsing a Marketing Incentive Program to Kick-Start Your Growth Culture: A Case Study for Marketing Incentive Programs
The Challenge A 6 partner CPA firm with 3 offices was struggling with stagnant growth and an incomplete team. The firm needed to kick-start their growth culture and get more people involved in their progress. The firm didn’t currently have a full-time marketing professional on staff and had not invested in education around marketing. While…
Read More5 Rules for Creating Brand Loyalty in Today’s Accounting Firm
I had the pleasure of hearing Peter Shankman speak at a conference I attended recently about brand loyalty. For most accounting firms, the term brand is an elusive concept. What does it mean and how do you create brand loyalty? After all, you aren’t Coke or Nike. You aren’t selling a tangible product. While there…
Read MoreLeverage Your Marketing Activities
As accounting firms prioritize growth and marketing, many are expanding their marketing programs and increasing the time spent on strategic networking, content creation, and developing packaged service offerings. While most partners understand the benefits of ramping up marketing efforts, many feel overwhelmed by the increase in their non-billable hours. Fortunately, there is a simple answer…
Read MoreWhat Accounting Firms Can Learn From Southwest Airlines’ Service Model
If you go to any accounting firm website, you will likely see service as one of their value propositions. The reality is that very few accounting firms can truly place a stake in the ground around service. Why? First, people don’t hire an accounting firm with an expectation that service is going to be terrible.…
Read MoreClients Are Your Best Marketers—Leveraging Referrals and Testimonials in the Age of Social Media
I am a first-time homeowner of a very old house that hasn’t been remodeled in a long time. And I’m new to the neighborhood. My life revolves around referrals and testimonials on a daily basis. I mention both referrals and testimonials because these days it is not enough to just have one or the other.…
Read MoreWhy Marketing Isn’t Dead and Never Will Be
I recently read an article that claimed “marketing is dead, and loyalty killed it.” While the Harvard Business Review normally publishes thoughtful articles, I don’t believe this one could be further from the truth. In fact, I am more than disappointed they would publish such a one-sided article from an author who is clearly out…
Read MoreKey Components of a Marketing Rewards Program
We all know that moving a firm’s business development efforts forward in a meaningful, long-lasting way (i.e., not solely dependent on a business development professional or the marketing department) requires an organized team effort. It also progresses faster with frequent communications, elements of fun and surprise … and an incentive program that excites people. The…
Read MoreWe Are the Same, But Different. How do marketing department trends for accounting and law firms compare?
Marketers for accounting and law firms often network together and attend the same conferences. We all share a passion for helping practitioners move beyond their technical expertise to build marketing programs and develop business. And we often compare stories of our experiences from working with our firms. So just how similar are the marketing department trends…
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