december2021 - 17

MARKETING YOUR FIRM
Let's Build a 2022 Q1 Marketing Plan for Your Firm
By Becky Livingston
WITH THE NEW year just around the corner, now is a great time to think about your
2022 Q1 marketing plan. If you specialize in tax, this has probably not been far
from your mind. If you provide other services, tax time is a great time to promote
them because people are already searching for CPAs and accounting firms.
Here are some things you should consider
According to Website Builder Expert, even a
putting into place now before the year starts to
get away from you.
PREPARE BUSY SEASON
AD CAMPAIGNS
If your firm has an individual tax return service
line, get ready to launch your campaign in January.
Keep in mind, the cost of tax terms increases exponentially
the closer you get to the return filing date.
So run your campaign from mid-January through
mid-March to keep those costs in check.
If you ran Google, Bing, or social media ads in
2021 Q1, review the costs and identify what worked
and what didn't. Repurpose ad creative that worked
well. Then, prepare to increase your budget by as
much as 12 percent for Q1 2022, says AdAge.
REVIEW 2021 WEBSITE ANALYTICS
This data can help you formulate a plan for 2022.
Here are a few things to check:
■ Demographics: This will help you assess if those
drawn to your website are your target market. If
not, adjustments should be made to reach your
target.
■ Geography: This also supports your target market.
Are the people visiting from the locations you're
targeting?
■ Acquisition Channel: How are people finding
your site and which tools are driving the most
traffic, e.g., email, social media, advertising, search
engines, or referrals from other sources?
■ Website Content: What are people most interested
in? Ask them. You might be surprised by the data.
It could help you create a new piece of content.
■ Site Speed: Your website load speed impacts your
search engine ranking. The slower the site, the less
likely a search engine, such as Google or Bing, will
put it on the first page.
■ Search Terms: What terms were searched within the
site also helps you craft content for the new year.
one-second difference in loading time can have a
huge impact on performance. Web pages that load
within two seconds have an average bounce rate
(enter and exit from the same page) of 9%, while
pages that load in five seconds see their bounce
rates skyrocket to 38%.
CREATE A 12-MONTH CONTENT
CALENDAR
In an Excel file or similar product, each month
identify at least one area your firm should focus
on to help meet its business goals.
For example, January - Google Text Ad Campaign;
February - Promote Webinar Playback Series;
March - Share eBook Download. Each of those items
is designed to generate leads. Include the topic,
industry line, and/or service in your calendar so
it looks something like this:
January
Google Ad Campaign
Focus:
Goal:
February
Promote Webinar
Playback Series
Focus:
Tax Returns - Individuals 2021 Tax Credits
for Families
Goal:
Gain 5-7 new clients
Subscribe 10 new
people to series
March
content and schedule it for your social media profiles.
Avoid the standard tax-related posts. Liven
things up with accounting humor (Pinterest and
Robert Half are great resources), sprinkle in some
tips from your staff, and incorporate fill-in-theblank
questions into your social media schedule.
Filler content is also a good way to keep social
media engagement going when you're busy. Try
using jokes, like those from Ageras.
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!
Is your firm celebrating a milestone in 2022? If so,
ensure emails signature are updated, web pages are
created about the firm's history, anniversary emails
are sent to clients, and celebrations are scattered
throughout the year. Encourage media coverage
by alerting local reporters to your events once the
schedule has been set.
Promote Internal
Controls eBook
Focus:
Goal:
Construction Industry
Get 20 form completions /
prospects
Complete the rest of the year based on your
firm's goals. Once you finished this activity, you'll
need to consider additional website content, such
as landing pages (e.g., pages with forms), and the
method in which you will promote the content,
such as social media, print / online advertising,
email, etc.
STOCKPILE CONTENT
If Q1 is your busy time, now's the time to stockpile
PREPARE FOR Q2
Before you know it the first quarter will be gone...
hence the 12-month calendar. In Q1, you should be
planning for Q2. If you don't have time, you should
begin planning now.
■ Get landing pages ready.
■ Prep emails and newsletters for
distribution.
■ Request to speak at a spring or
summer conference.
■ Schedule team members to record one
or two short video segments for sharing
on social media.
■ Reach out to business owners for
a post-busy-season event, such as a
document shredding party.
In short, below is your checklist.
Get ready, the ride's about to get
bumpy.
■ Prepare busy season ad campaigns
■ Review 2021 website analytics
■ Create a 12-month content calendar
■ Stockpile content
■ Happy Anniversary
■ Prepare for Q2
If you need help, reach out to an accounting
marketing consultant who can help you to reach
your goals. ■
DECEMBER 2021 ■ www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
17
http://www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com
december2021

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