With tax season a few months away, now is the perfect time to ramp up your marketing plan. We’ve rounded up our favorite ideas for marketing your tax business so you can find new strategies that work for your budget and schedule!
Paid Search
Most tax preparers work with local clients, and most new clients find tax professionals through an internet search. Making sure your business shows up could significantly increase the number of clients you see this year. Paid search ads are one way to ensure you’re top-of-the-list. When a client searches for “tax help near me,” your “advertisement” – a link to your business – will appear at the top of their search results.
You don’t have to be particularly tech-savvy to set up a paid search campaign, but you’ll still want to know the basics for optimal results. You can learn more about how local ads work on Google here. Also, check out Google’s 8 Steps to Prepare Your Campaign for Success and Guide to Google Ads.
Local SEO
Implementing local SEO strategies is another way you can help your business land on search results pages. So what’s the difference between paid search and local SEO? For one thing, paid search results will always be marked as an “Ad,” and users are more likely to click on organic search results. For another, paid search will cost you, while local SEO can be free.
But unlike paid search, local SEO will take time. It can take months to optimize your website, build links, and claim citations before you begin seeing results. It also takes more learning and effort to implement these strategies. Ultimately, the choice between paid search and local SEO usually comes from your budget, time constraints, and confidence with digital marketing. If you want to give local SEO a try, our Local SEO Strategies for Your Tax Business can get you started.
New Social Media Platforms
Perhaps you don’t have any social media accounts for your business. Or you have a few but haven’t posted regularly in a while. Or maybe you feel confident in your current accounts and are ready to branch out to other platforms. Wherever you stand with marketing through social media, you can likely take a few steps to connect with more potential clients and improve your engagement.
Social media is a great place to start if you’re hesitant to approach digital marketing. The learning curve is less steep than learning local SEO best practices. See our Social Media 101 for Tax Preparers for ideas on getting started, improving your existing accounts, or branching out to new platforms.
Referrals and Word of Mouth
Word of mouth is one of the most trusted and effective forms of “advertisement” – and it’s free! While it may seem like referrals are solely in the hands of your clients, there are steps you can take to encourage more clients to spread the word. Our tips on asking clients for referrals cover the different methods you can use and how to stay tactful as you ask.
Contact Former Clients
Increasing client retention is one of the best bang-for-your-buck marketing strategies. It’s typically easier and cheaper to keep a current customer than to attract a new one. In the tax industry, that can be as simple as emailing former clients before tax season begins to encourage them to schedule an appointment. Of course, postcards and text messages are great as well! Your TaxSlayer Pro software keeps track of which clients have or haven’t returned for the current tax season and allows you to send reminders easily.
Need more ideas?
If you’re already doing all of the above and still looking to strengthen your marketing plan, check out our 15 Creative Tax Preparation Marketing Ideas for some uncommon but effective strategies!
