Let’s be honest, building an email list doesn’t have to be this big complex beast. In fact, for most of us, it can start with a few simple steps using the tools you’ve already got.
Some of you might already have a CRM system that can send emails. If that’s you, great. You’re halfway there. Maybe you’ve even got some sort of list already. But if not, here’s how you get going.
Start with the basics. Literally exporting your contacts from Outlook or Gmail. It’s not glamorous, but it works. Just make sure you review those contacts before importing them anywhere. You don’t want to be pinging emails to people who didn’t sign up for it, not just because it’s annoying, but because it can get you in trouble with the Spam Act. Stick to people who actually know you and would be fine hearing from you.
If you’ve got a client CRM like XPM or Karbon, you might be able to export email addresses straight out of there and into a system that can send out emails. Think about newsletters or webinar invites. Super simple ways to start nurturing your audience.
Now, a lot of people don’t know this, but apparently there’s a way to download your LinkedIn contacts, names and email addresses. I haven’t done this myself, but if you give it a crack, just remember the same rule applies. Only bring in people who actually know you and wouldn’t find your email out of place.
Another easy win is to post your subscribe link on social media. Let your network know what you’ve got planned. Something like, “Hey, I’m kicking off a series of webinars soon. Here’s what I’ll be covering. If you’re keen, drop your email and I’ll keep you in the loop.” You’d be surprised how many warm leads you already have in your network just waiting for a nudge.
There are of course more advanced options out there like pop-ups on your website or running webinars through partnerships where someone else invites their audience, but you don’t need to jump straight to that.
Start simple. Start where you are.
And when it comes to tools, don’t stress about needing something expensive. HubSpot, Mailchimp, ActiveCampaign — they all let you send newsletters and webinar invites. HubSpot for instance has some pricey plans, but if you’re just sending emails, there’s a light version that won’t cost you an arm and a leg. We use HubSpot and love it, especially as we grow, but I wouldn’t recommend diving in deep from day one. Ease into it.
So that’s it. Building an email list doesn’t need to be fancy. It just needs to get done.
Hey there, let’s chat about something you might be overlooking on your website. It’s not the homepage, and it’s not the contact page. Nope, it’s the team page. Surprised? I was too when I found out. So, let’s get into why this often neglected page deserves a bit more love.
First off, make sure you even have a team page! You’d be shocked at how many accounting firms hide theirs away in the About Us section, or worsethey don’t have one at all. But here’s the kicker: this page is super important. It’s not just for show. It’s the second most visited page after the homepage on our site.
Why is that? Because people wanna know who they’re dealing with. Whether it’s a potential client or a future team member, they all wanna see the faces behind the name. It’s about relationships, right?
Here are a few things to consider for your team page:
- Make it easy to findput it in the main menu.
- Invest in good quality photos. Seriously, it doesn’t cost much to get a pro to take some headshots and a group photo.
- Avoid stock photos. They’re often misleading and don’t reflect your real team.
Let’s talk photos for a sec. A good headshot can make a world of difference. You don’t need anything fancy, just a clear and professional picture. And make sure to include a group photo, even if your team is small. It shows unity and gives a personal touch.
Now, on to those stock photos. Please, just don’t. They can be super misleading. You don’t want someone expecting to meet a team that looks like it stepped out of a stock photo shoot only to find something completely different. Authenticity matters.
To wrap it up, your team page is a key player on your site. It’s where relationships start and where potential clients and future employees get to know who they’re dealing with. Keep it front and center, make it authentic, and don’t skimp on the photos. Trust me, it’s worth the effort.
Cheers!
Ben Walker, Founder of Inspire Accountants and High-Performance Accountants shares about learning from his expensive marketing mistakes.
Here’s what he said on the recent ‘Creating a High Performing Accounting Firm’ webinar –
Marketing, this is an expensive one but one that definitely helps with growth.
There are problems at different stages.
Inspire 1.0
I relied on word of mouth only. I had a limited audience, which was my own network and also a limited track record. I remember I was 23 years old, I was sitting with clients who were in their forties, sometimes fifties, and sometimes I was taken as a bit of a joke. So, it took me a couple of years to build a track record and to be okay with being pretty young at the time as well.
And the other thing that I struggled with was having just not much marketing budget. I had to do a lot of things. I chose to do a lot of things myself. I learned digital marketing by doing courses and studying and getting coaching.
Inspire 2.0
I had a core group of clients and they were starting to refer clients, that was a great point. I remember that the magic number was about 12. So, once I had hit 12 clients, they started to come from that client base.
My marketing was reactive when I ran out of leads or had gaps in capacity, burning through cash with a high cost to reach new people. We were doing events in our event space. We were flying to Brisbane, Sydney, and Melbourne.
In Inspire 2.0, we were spending tens of thousands of dollars on Facebook ads and room hire and flights. Our marketing was focused on us as a firm, not the client themselves and it came across as a bit salesy at times.
Inspire 3.0
The marketing results are capped by the investment you give in time, team, and resources. So, a good bunch of my time in Inspire was actually spent in marketing. We’ve got Roze, who’s our full-time Marketing Manager and we’ve got two Assistants, Tey and Rons. And also Glaze, my Executive Assistant, does help out with coordination and a few bits and pieces with marketing as well.
We now know that social media is one of the most powerful tools to not only increase your firm’s brand recognition and trustworthiness, but as a lead generation strategy to build your client base. Download this FREE marketing plan and implement the strategies to your firm today.
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Creating a marketing machine is beneficial as it generates high-quality leads each week that fall within your target audience. It also aids in building relationships with prospects through education and value well before they become clients.
In terms of assets, having a marketing plan and a good marketing calendar is crucial so you can map out events, social posts and the overall finish of it. Creating a marketing machine is a game changer.
To bring your marketing into the current era, branding, websites and the way you come across digitally all play a massive role in success.
In the accounting industry, you have to be okay with speaking in front of a camera or in front of people, but these can all be used to generate content from the backend. It saves time if content is able to be captured upfront. On top of that, when you have a team behind you, posts, videos and blogs are all able to be delegated to them.
We now know that social media is one of the most powerful tools to not only increase your firm’s brand recognition and trustworthiness, but as a lead generation strategy to build your client base. Download this FREE marketing plan and implement the strategies to your firm today.
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