7 ways to win accounting leads and drive growth

Key takeaways

• Captivate potential customers early in the sales process by creating blog posts, email newsletters, and video content that offer actionable tips
• Choose a niche audience or specialize in a service to stand out in a crowded market and attract more high-quality leads
• Optimize your Yelp Business Page to put your best foot forward for potential clients already set on hiring an accounting firm

Nurturing your existing customer base can help your accounting firm stay afloat. However, if you want to achieve business growth and thrive in the long run, you’ll also need to regularly win new clients for your company.

Capturing contact information from as many potential clients as possible allows you to follow up with everyone who shows interest in your services. While not all who come across your business will end up hiring your firm, having a steady stream of accounting leads gives you the chance to build relationships and persuade people to choose your brand. Use these seven accounting lead generation strategies to start driving new business to your firm—without ever hiring a lead generation service agency.

1. Start a referral program

The loyal clients you already have can be your greatest brand advocates. When you give customers an incentive to recommend your accounting firm, you can win high-quality leads at a much faster rate than before. To do so, create and promote a referral program that rewards current customers—like discount pricing on accounting services, free consultations, or gift cards—when they successfully refer a new client to your business. Even if you don’t close a sale right away, you’ll gain a new lead you can follow up with in the future.

2. Attract accounting leads with an email newsletter

Your clients may not always need your professional assistance in their day-to-day finances, but they might be interested in ongoing guidance from your team to help them manage their finances throughout the year. Even if they’re not ready to set up an appointment right away, you can attract new customers by offering a weekly or monthly email newsletter that includes helpful accounting tips subscribers can implement on their own.

For this email marketing strategy to work, be sure to promote your newsletter on other platforms. Leverage social media, website pop-ups, and other channels to share the benefits of subscribing, and direct people to an email sign-up form to boost your conversion rate (the percentage of visitors who complete the action).

3. Optimize your business page

When customers decide to hire an accounting firm, many turn to online business platforms like Yelp to decide which company they want to work with. In fact, 90% of people on Yelp are comparing their options, and 83% of users hire or buy from a business they found on Yelp.

To make a good impression, take time to optimize your presence on these platforms.

To start, add or claim your Yelp Business Page to update and complete your business information. Then, add high-quality photos—like images of your office and CPAs—to attract more clients. Moreover, your business page is where you can respond to client reviews to demonstrate your firm’s attentiveness and commitment to the client experience.

You can also take advantage of Yelp’s “Request a Consultation” feature to instantly capture accounting leads. When users click on this call to action (CTA) button, they’ll be asked to enter their contact information and other helpful, industry-specific details. This automation allows you to follow up with personalized support as soon as you get notified about your new lead.

4. Attend local networking events

There’s no better way to make a great first impression than by meeting potential customers in-person. Some people may interpret online messages as more negative than they actually are, which means real-time, face-to-face networking can actually help you impress your target market.

Whether you’re attending a conference or a general mixer, make sure to focus on building relationships with local business owners—perhaps by asking open-ended questions and listening—rather than selling. This can help your potential client feel appreciated while giving you the chance to assess if they’re a good fit for your accounting company. If they are, feel free to deliver a brief pitch and ask for their business card, contact info, or LinkedIn. Then, remember to follow up the next day.

5. Write blog posts that rank on search engines

Customers begin the buying process long before they decide to get accounting services from a professional. Early in the sales funnel—when your potential clients first recognize a pain point in their lives—they’re seeking general solutions for their problem and often turn to search engines for answers.

One way to prove your expertise while driving potential accounting leads to your site is to write blog posts that target relevant keywords and meet their needs. Start by using a keyword research tool to identify what users are searching—for instance, “how to file taxes as a freelancer” or “best accounting practices for nonprofits”—then craft high-quality content on your website landing pages that provides helpful answers. 

Make sure to implement search engine optimization (SEO) techniques, like adding your target keyword to your header, to show up high in search engine results. To ensure you don’t miss out on capturing accounting leads, give readers a way to input their contact information, such as a contact form at the end of your blog posts.

6. Establish a niche in your industry

Plenty of providers offer the same accounting services. However, accounting companies in a crowded market can stand out by specializing in one area, whether that’s a specific target customer (like startups in the software and gaming industries) or a specific service (like payroll management). When you build your niche, you can better attract high-quality accounting leads best fit for your company.

Once you know your niche, align your small business branding and marketing efforts with your specialty. For instance, if you mainly want to attract bookkeeping leads, you might consider adding “bookkeeping” to your business name and regularly share bookkeeping tips on your blog.

7. Share helpful videos on social media

When your target market isn’t actively researching solutions for their accounting needs, they may be scrolling through social media. The average internet user spends over two hours on social media daily, giving your brand plenty of opportunities to engage potential clients with your content.

With many social media apps pushing video, one of the best ways to get your accounting firm noticed is by adding video to your content marketing strategy. This engaging content doesn’t have to be professionally filmed and produced. Your small business can capture your target audience’s attention just by recording yourself talking about relevant topics—like bookkeeping tips, tax season prep, and financial services—on your phone. When you start to get comfortable behind the camera, consider doing a live Q&A or webinar to engage with your potential clients in real time.

Make sure to end each video with a clear CTA, like “book an appointment with a CPA by calling [phone number],” to capture accounting leads.

Give your accounting lead generation a boost

Your accounting firm doesn’t need to hire a lead generation company to grow its contact list. When you use these seven strategies, you can drive leads to your business by using free and affordable digital marketing strategies. Attract potential clients who are still at the top of the sales funnel by writing helpful blog posts, sharing tips on social media, and offering a valuable email newsletter. Then, leverage branding, referrals, and online business platforms like Yelp to get more high-quality leads who are more likely to become customers.

Next, upgrade your marketing strategy with 15 effective marketing tips to drive your small business success.