august2021 - 25

MARKETING YOUR FIRM
Using Traditional Marketing to Gain Leads
By Becky Livingston
IF YOU FEEL like all you hear about is social media and digital marketing, you're not
alone. According to Oberlo (https://tinyurl.com/3n3924bn), " Currently, there are 3.78
billion social media users - which equates to about 48% of the [global] population. "
Don't be discouraged. There are still plenty of
opportunities to gain leads using tried-and-true
traditional marketing methods. Did you know,
" 73% of American consumers (https://tinyurl.
com/xkyz6sc) say they prefer for brands to
reach out to them through direct mail because
it's something they can hold in their hands and
read whenever they want? "
Here are a several traditional marketing
efforts that still get a rather high return on
investment (ROI).
■ Phone Calls - When it comes to client communication,
lead generation might be just a
phone call away. Rather than sending an email,
give your client a call about a new service or
information that may help them solve a pain
point or save them money. They'll appreciate
the call. And you'll know it didn't get caught in
the spam filter.
■ Direct Mail - Yes, the kind postal carriers
deliver. In 2019, a USPS study (https://tinyurl.
com/aymsmdh2) found that " millennials are
more likely than Gen X and Baby Boomers to
take action based on marketing mail. In fact,
67% said they frequently and occasionally use
marketing mail as a prompt to go online. "
■ Print Advertising - For long-range campaigns,
e.g., large conferences, consider print advertising.
It could include magazines, newsletter,
promotional mailers, and similar items.
■ Speaking Engagements - Hinge Marketing
(https://tinyurl.com/jm6vm29k) found that
speaking engagements " generated about the
same amount of leads as recommendations
and referrals. "
■ Networking - Whether in person or virtually,
networking is still a great way to generate leads.
Even if it's among peers. You never know when
someone will call for assistance.
■ Billboards - If your firm sponsors a local sports
team that offers billboard space, take advantage
of that captive audience with a creative,
memorable billboard.
DIRECT MAIL EXAMPLE
Let's say you live in a community with an influx
of new families. One way to get in front of
new community
members is to
create a postcard
introducing them
to your services.
Ask the town's
welcoming committee
to place it
in their welcome kit. It could also be shared at
community events and networking meetings. If
you're not comfortable handing them out, put
them on an entrance/exit table and collect the
extras when you leave.
BILLBOARD EXAMPLE
When it comes to billboards, you have seconds
to make an
impression. Get
their attention
with eye-catching
graphics and an
unusual turn of
phrase.
If your
phone number is
easy to remember (maybe it ends in 1040) or
could be turned into a word or phrase, such as
1-800-CPA-4You, use that too.
OTHER TIPS TO KEEP IN MIND
■ When sending direct mail, rather than blanketing a
population, use a targeted approach. For example,
start by sending information to existing clients or
to people who've shown interest in the product/
services.
■ No matter the campaign method, use a code to help
you track its success, such as PromoPC for phone
calls, PromoDM for direct mail, etc.
■ If you want to increase speaking engagement
opportunities, let the AICPA, your state CPA society,
and local chamber of commerce know you are available
- especially as a last-minute, fill-in speaker.
Develop a speaker deck for 3-5 different topics, that
vary in length. Also, to be automatically notified
when speaking opportunities are announced, add
a " call for speakers " topic in Google Alerts.
■ Networking is a tough nut to crack, especially
if you're an introvert. Here are four suggestions
offered by Charlie Houpert (https://www.youtube.
com/watch?v=FAPySGLL3gg):
■ Think outside the " networking " box. You'll be much
more successful (and comfortable) if you turn
everyday situations into networking opportunities.
Consider your hobbies, places you frequent, and
people you're comfortable with. Do they know what
you do and how you can help them?
■ Be a peacock (that's my phrase not Charlie's). Is
there something subtle you can use to stand out in
the crowd without feeling uncomfortable? Maybe
it's a certain lipstick color, bow tie, glasses, jacket
/ blazer, shirt / blouse / t-shirt, hair color, shoe,
etc. Use that peacock symbol on your social media
profile, business card, tradeshows and conferences
profile, etc. People may not approach you, but they
will remember the peacock icon. Does anyone come
to mind instantly? I can immediately think of a few
CPAs who use this effectively.
■ Get people talking about themselves by asking
questions like, what brings you here; what do you
hope to get out of the conference; what are you
looking for; what are you working on right now; etc.
It helps turn the attention away from you, while
gathering information about them.
■ Play match maker to connect people with each
other, which helps you build your personal network.
Keep in mind, traditional marketing efforts
must do one thing - help you meet a business goal.
Whatever approach you take, keep that focus in
mind when it comes to creative, design, placement,
target market, and use.
I'd love to hear about a successful traditional
marketing campaign your firm launched. Share
your story in the comments. ■
Becky Livingston is the President and CEO of Penheel
Marketing, a NJ-based firm specializing in social media
and digital marketing for CPAs.
Images from Penheel marketing.
AUGUST 2021 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
25
https://www.tinyurl.com/3n3924bn https://tinyurl.com/xkyz6sc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPySGLL3gg https://tinyurl.com/xkyz6sc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FAPySGLL3gg https://tinyurl.com/aymsmdh2 https://tinyurl.com/aymsmdh2 https://www.tinyurl.com/jm6vm29k http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
august2021

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of august2021
