How to Get Accounting Clients: 16 Unique Ideas

Clients are the fuel that powers an accounting firm’s engine. Like a car needs fuel, an accounting firm needs clients to operate, drive growth, and achieve its goals.

However, attracting new clients can be tough in a competitive market. To stand out and attract new clients, you need fresh ideas that go beyond traditional marketing. That’s where these unique strategies come in. They’ll show you how to get accounting clients.

16 Unique Ideas to Get Accounting Clients

1. Focus on a niche

If you haven’t already, you need to niche down. By specializing in a specific industry, like technology, healthcare, real estate, e-commerce, or non-profits, or a service like tax planning, auditing, or financial consulting, you can establish yourself as an expert. This expertise not only makes attracting clients looking for specialized services easier, but it also allows you to develop deeper industry knowledge, improve service efficiency, and potentially command higher fees.

2. Determine your ideal clients

Who is your target customer? Understanding your target customer is crucial when finding a niche. By knowing who you’re looking for, you can tailor your marketing efforts – messages and services – to resonate with them and address their specific needs. Your ideal clients can be determined by creating detailed buyer personas while considering factors like demographics, behavior, and pain point.

Need help creating one? Check out this template.

3. Offer free consultations and resources

Give potential clients a taste of your expertise by providing valuable insights and assistance upfront. This could be through complimentary consultations or downloadable resources like bookkeeping checklists and templates. Doing this helps build trust with potential clients and encourages them to consider your services for their accounting needs.

4. Leverage content marketing

Content marketing is a powerful tool to attract organic leads and position yourself as an authority. You can build brand awareness and drive organic traffic to your website by consistently sharing valuable content, like blog posts, social media content, webinars, or short explainer videos. Focus on topics relevant to your ideal client and their pain points, and use a conversational and engaging writing style to keep them interested.

5. Network effectively

Actively connect with potential clients and other professionals to expand your network. Attend industry events and conferences, join accounting communities, participate in conversations, and have genuine conversations with others. These types of interactions and relationships can lead to valuable client referrals.

6. Utilize online directories and marketplaces

List your services online to increase visibility and reach clients seeking accounting assistance. Optimize your profile with relevant keywords and compelling descriptions that showcase your expertise on sites like Upwork, Fiverr, or local business directories. Actively engage with client reviews by responding promptly and professionally. This builds trust and demonstrates your commitment to client satisfaction.

7. Partner with complementary businesses

Collaborate with businesses offering complementary services to tap into their client base and create mutual referrals. For example, team up with an insurance broker or business lawyer to offer a comprehensive suite of services. By leveraging each other’s expertise and client bases, you can expand your reach and offer more value to clients. These partnerships can lead to a steady stream of referrals and exciting new business opportunities.

8. Provide exceptional client service

There’s a popular maxim that says: “A happy customer tells a friend and an unhappy one tells the world.” Client acquisition is just one piece of the puzzle. Retaining happy clients is the key to sustained success.

This can be achieved by delivering high-quality work, responding to inquiries on time, addressing concerns, and appreciating customers. Neglecting client satisfaction, however, risks losing existing clients and facing reputational damage.

9. Ask for referrals

Word-of-mouth recommendations can be incredibly powerful in growing your client base.

Don’t be afraid to ask existing clients for referrals. If you’ve done a good job with them, they’ll happily oblige you. Furthermore, you can incentivize them with a discount, a free service, or other perks to sweeten the deal.

10. Implement a referral program

Formalize your referral program by developing a structured plan outlining the rewards clients will receive for successful referrals. This could include discounts on future services, cash bonuses, or free consultations. A formal program makes it easier for clients to refer you and for you to track referral activities.

11. Engage in public speaking opportunities

Showcase your expertise by speaking at industry events, seminars, and workshops. It positions you as a thought leader and attracts potential clients seeking a knowledgeable and experienced accountant. It also connects you with a wider audience, and depending on the type of public speaking, you can engage directly with the target audience.

12. Build a strong online presence (for your firm)

It’s no longer a question of whether or not to have a digital presence; it’s a matter of how well you can establish and run it. Maintain an active online presence with a professional website and accounts on LinkedIn, X, Instagram, and other social media platforms.

Employ SEO strategies to get your website to rank on search engines. Also, consistently post on social media and engage with your followers.

13. Build your personal brand by sharing your knowledge and expertise

Consider tapping into your experience as an accounting leader and building a personal brand away from your firm’s brand. This involves sharing your knowledge on social media, answering questions in communities/forums, writing guest articles, etc. Eventually, as your brand grows, it brings more attention (and clients) to your firm.

14. Get involved in your community (CSR)

Get involved in your community through corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives. Giving back to the community not only helps those in need but also enhances your firm’s reputation and fosters goodwill.

Volunteer at charities, sponsor local events, engage in community initiatives, or even create your own initiatives to make a positive impact. This’ll demonstrate your commitment to social responsibility and attract clients who share similar values.

15. Consider offering bundled services

Create targeted service packages that address specific client needs to provide clients with comprehensive solutions while increasing your revenue streams. This does three things:

• Simplifies the buying process for potential clients
• Saves them money
• Demonstrates the range of expertise your firm offers beyond basic bookkeeping and tax preparation.

16. Make use of reviews and testimonials

Humans are social creatures and are influenced by the experiences of others. This makes testimonials very important. They are powerful endorsements of your services and can reassure potential clients of your value. So, display positive feedback from satisfied clients to get new ones.

Use reviews and testimonials to showcase your track record and the positive experiences of your past clients. You can also encourage clients to leave reviews on your website, social media pages, or third-party review platforms.

Manage Clients’ Tasks Effectively

One of the most effective ways to attract new clients is to keep your existing clients happy.  After all, happy clients are your best marketing tool, as they can effortlessly refer new business to you.

To keep clients satisfied, focus on delivering work promptly, meeting deadlines consistently, and ensuring high-quality results across the board. Utilizing an accounting practice management tool like Financial Cents can streamline your client management tasks, improving efficiency and client satisfaction so you can get more business.

For instance, we have a workflow dashboard which lets you track work status and impending deadlines so things don’t fall through the cracks, causing you to disappoint your clients. There is a ‘Due Today,’ ‘Due This Week,’ ‘Due Next Week,’ and ‘Overdue’ tab which helps you stay on top of deadlines.

There’s a client request portal so you can request the necessary files you need from clients without manually sending messages to them. You can also set auto-reminders that go out at intervals until they complete your request.

With our capacity management feature, you can see your entire team’s workload, which helps you distribute work more evenly so that no one is underworked or overworked.

We also have free workflow checklist templates across different areas like bookkeeping, audits, tax returns, etc. This standardizes your process and helps you complete tasks faster.

Grow your accounting practice with these strategies

We’ve shown you some unique ways to get clients for your firm. Now, these ideas are general, so when implementing them, tailor them to your individual needs and target audience. It’s more effective that way.

Focus on providing exceptional service and value to clients to retain your current clients and gain word-of-mouth referrals, which will help you grow faster.

If you need help managing your firm and keeping track of client deliverables, check out Financial Cents.

Use Financial Cents to manage your accounting firm.