An effective marketing strategy can help turn your business into a high-growth accounting company. This involves creating a marketing plan that identifies a clear target audience, finds a way to answer to their needs, and does so in an effective way. It also serves as a guide that contains a course of action to achieve your goals and track and analyze the marketing approaches that lead to an increase in your revenue.

A common mistake of accounting firms is using any kind of marketing plan in place, even if it’s in name only. However, it is often haphazardly planned and bound to fail.

Here are some marketing planning mistakes you should avoid at all costs:

1. Ad hoc 

Ad hoc, also known as “seat-of-the-pants marketing,” is a marketing tactic that addresses the immediate needs of your company or lets you take advantage of random business opportunities that come your way. This usually occurs when you reap the benefits of an advertising deal that is too good to pass up or you are approached to sponsor a charity event.

2. Legacy budget planning

This type of marketing approach involves continuing the same marketing plan year after year. Changes are only made when there is an overwhelming reason to do so. Implementing this type of plan can seem convenient, but settling to just making a few minor adjustments or even deciding to do the same thing next year does not facilitate growth in your business. It gives you an excuse to get complacent and fail to unleash your full potential.

3. Consensus budget planning 

Consensus budget planning usually takes place when you brainstorm marketing ideas together with your various stakeholders, setting a budget and creating a marketing plan based on a wide variety of everyone’s input. It produces a marketing plan with a little bit of everything. As a result, the plan typically lacks focus, cohesiveness, and effectiveness.

Recommended reading:

SEO for Accountants: Top 16 Strategies for Accountants

What is an Ideal Marketing Planning Approach?

Marketing planning is important for success. By developing a strategic marketing plan properly, you have better chances of defining your target audience, meeting your business, setting achievable goals, identifying market opportunities, generating revenue, and staking your claim in the marketplace.

Strategic marketing planning lets your firm develop a systematic marketing plan based on your business goals and relevant target client groups. It requires you to use your budget to maximize your probability of success. Throughout the year, you will track the results and use this information to adjust your plan accordingly.

When monitoring your progress, you can streamline your accounting workflow by taking advantage of our workflow software for bookkeepers. This can help you collaborate with your team more efficiently, get organized, meet your deadlines, and scale your accounting firm.

Conclusion

Marketing for your accounting firm can be tricky, but coming up with a carefully crafted marketing plan is essential for promoting your business and achieving long-term success. Avoid wasting money on marketing efforts that only deliver subpar results. Familiarize yourself with the marketing planning mistakes listed above and you’ll see your firm reach new heights!

Meanwhile, to maximize the effectiveness of your marketing plan, use our accounting practice management software. It can help you manage your staff, hit your deadlines, and scale your firm. Start your free trial today!