Robotic Marketer Blog Posts from May 2022

Accounting

Everything you need to know about social media for accounting firms

  • On : May 31, 2022

Social media has become a dominant force in our lives over the last few years, but some businesses and industries have been slow to adopt these new platforms. One of the areas of business that has been under using social media are accounting firms, as it can be difficult to see the connection between their business and the content that is usually posted on social platforms.

By developing a deeper understanding of social media, what users are looking for, and deploying a social media strategy that uses this information, you can leave your competitors in the dust and present your business as a leader in the social media age.

Why use social media?

More than 50% of the world’s population uses social media, around 4.6 billion people according to Datareportal. By having a presence on these platforms, you can gain access to a massive audience of potential customers that you may not have otherwise been able to reach. Traditional marketing techniques such as TV ads or billboards can only reach people during specific times and places, while social media can reach them wherever and whenever.

Accounting firms have typically struggled with the use of social media since their product is a service that everyone needs but nobody wants to think about. That’s where social media comes in, to separate your business from the preconceived idea of what an accounting firm is, and to deliver value to your audience in ways that your competitors are not.

What benefits are there?

Building relationships with current and potential customers is important for any business to survive. Social media allows you to reach new people more easily and stay at the top of your existing client’s preference. With the right content and delivery, you can also establish yourself as a thought leader in the industry and attract new talent to your business.
Now that you know why you should be using social media, here are some tips to get you started.

Frequent and diverse posts

One of the most fundamental parts of a social media strategy is: Posting more frequently is key to success on social media. You shouldn’t spam your followers with 15 posts a day but having at least one post on each platform each day will ensure steady growth and encourage engagement with your pages. Posting frequently is also helpful for staying on the good side of the algorithms, which is key for growth on these platforms.

Change it up

Users will also be more likely to engage with your content if you use different types of posts, rather than just one type of content all the time. For accounting firms, this content could be snippets from a blog on your website, or calendars for important dates for tax returns etc.

People find photos and videos more interesting than just text, so make sure to add them to posts to create more visually engaging content.

Use multiple platforms

As mentioned in the previous section, you should be posting to multiple platforms each day to keep your followers engaged and to feed the algorithm. The platforms you should focus on depend on what you are trying to achieve. For accounting firms, the most important platforms are LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The content that users expect on these platforms most closely aligns with your goals. YouTube can be very effective but requires a greater investment of time and resources to extract its full potential. Instagram can be used but it isn’t as effective, as the focus on visual content doesn’t play to your strengths as an accounting business.

Every post should be unique

While it is easiest to create one post and copy it onto all your social pages at once, you should take some time to create unique posts for each platform. You can use the same idea or theme for each post but tweak the caption for each site. For example, LinkedIn is a great place to grow your network and make connections, and is mostly used by professionals, so you should tailor the content you post here to a more professional audience. Facebook is a good place to show off a bit more personality by making your content a bit more fun and charismatic. Content here should be a bit more social, with a focus on potential clients and showing them the services you offer and how you can help them with additional posts for your current customers. Twitter’s 280-character limit makes it best for short and sweet posts and announcements. Content here should be like Facebook, focussing on social posts targeted at potential and current customers.

Social media has developed massively over the past decade to become one of the primary methods of communications that people use every day. Despite this, accounting firms have not fully embraced the new technology, reducing the ability to reach customers online. With a solid understanding of the medium and the right social media strategy, you can differentiate your firm from the competition and deliver value to your customers in new ways that your competitors aren’t. With a little bit of time and effort, you can market your accounting firm on social media and set yourself apart from the crowd.

 

Written by: Kyle Gillies

B2B Marketing

This is what every B2B marketing company should be considering when allocating a marketing budget

  • On : May 24, 2022
Whatever your company’s marketing objectives are, it’s easier to achieve them when you have a proper budget to guide you. In the age of digital marketing, it’s important to understand how to allocate your marketing budget to increase your ROI and create valuable metrics that you can use to inform future marketing campaigns. Marketing campaigns are more likely to be successful when they are planned and documented according to Gartner so properly allocating and using your budget is crucial for success.Read more

7 Marketing Strategies Every Business Must Deploy This Month

7 Marketing Strategies Every Business Must Deploy This Month

  • On : May 23, 2022

With marketing being an ever-changing landscape of trends and ideas, analyzing your marketing strategy regularly is a good way to keep on top of your competition. Many marketing strategies, especially online and digital oriented strategies, have moved passed the phase of fad to being recognized as pillars of modern marketing. Other strategies fill a niche in you marketing efforts that might not set the world on fire but will subtly elevate your campaigns and abilities beyond what others can match. Adaptability is a key component of successful marketing campaigns and being knowledgeable on and comfortable using a variety of techniques and practices is a great way to increase your adaptability.

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What Questions Should I Ask a Marketing Firm Before Hiring?

What Questions Should I Ask a Marketing Firm Before Hiring?

  • On : May 20, 2022

When partnering with a marketing firm, it can be difficult to determine which of your available options is the best fit for your business. If you are looking to outsource your marketing, you will need to be able to filter out the firms that can’t meet the needs of your business and differentiate them from the ones that can deliver the marketing strategy best suited to you. By asking the right questions during your search for a marketing agency, you will be able to find the perfect partner that can deliver the marketing solution that elevates your business above the competition. Asking about the firm’s experience, their project management, expectations, and their marketing teams will give you a clearer view of which firm is best for you.

Experience

A firm’s experience gives you an idea of their strengths and what kinds of solutions they provide. Their previous clients and capabilities are important to know so you can get a picture of what sort of solutions they usually deliver and what industries they typically serve. If all of an agencies previous clients are B2B, they may not have the right experience to deliver the best possible B2C solution. Ask about who their previous clients are and what kind of relationship they had with the client. Were they partnered with the customer themselves, or are they a client that was managed by an employee while they worked somewhere else?

It is also important to find out if they have any current clients that operate in the same or similar industry to you. Working with one of your competitors presents a conflict of interest that may prevent them from delivering the best possible outcome for both clients. In this case, it is best to find a different marketing firm to partner with.

Example questions you could ask are:

  • Who are your previous clients?
  • Are they clients this agency has served, or have your employees served them at different firms?
  • Can you provide examples of your firm’s contributions to successful marketing campaigns?
  • What are your firm’s capabilities? (Be specific to different areas of marketing e.g., Web design, SEO, social media marketing, email marketing, content marketing)
  • Do you have any current clients that are in a similar industry to ours? Are there any conflicts of interest that you should declare?

Project management and expectations

Knowing what you expect out of a marketing firm is key to choosing the right partner. But it’s important to know that firms will also have different expectations of clients, with each agency handling accounts and projects differently. You should find out about the details of how your account will be managed and who will be managing it. Having your collaboration run smoothly is dependent on knowing what that collaboration looks like and understanding the responsibilities of each party. You should also be asking for details about communication. When will you meet? Will it be in person or online? How often will this happen and what will be discussed? These are all great questions to begin communicating the expectations of both parties and understand how the project will be managed.

You should also discuss revisions or changes to work. In some of the creative aspects of your project you will have a certain vision that their designers may not nail the first time. Discuss how revisions are made and if there are any limitations to the requests you can make.

Pricing is another factor you need to discuss with any potential marketing partner. You should know not only the total cost of hiring a firm but also when payment is expected and if any additional costs or discounts are possible based on results. Most firms will provide one clear price, but it’s always good to ask to make sure you are getting the best price possible. The firm should provide clear details on what is included in the price.

Some possible questions to ask are:

  • How will we communicate?
  • When will we meet?
  • How often will we meet?
  • What form will these meetings take (online, in-person)?
  • Who will be working on our account?
  • What can I edit for creative work?
  • Are there any limitations to revisions or requests?
  • What is the cost of hiring your firm?
  • Are there any additional costs or fees that we may incur? How are expenses invoiced?

The Marketing Team

It is typical to hire a marketing firm for around 8-12 months, so you are going to be working with them for a while. It’s important to make sure that the people you are going to work with are a good fit for your company. Good work relationships lead to greater chances of success. Questions about the company culture and asking to meet some of the team can help you determine if the firm will be a good fit for your company.

Many marketing firms will outsource part of the work they do to contractors or freelancers. You should know what kind of work is being done by employees of the agency and what work is done by people that aren’t on payroll.

Possible questions you could ask are:

  • What is your company culture?
  • Can we meet some of the people that will be working on our account?
  • What skills do you have on payroll?
  • What services do you outsource to contractors or freelancers?
  • What sort of relationship do you have with your contractors? How long have you known them?

When hiring a marketing firm to help with or take over your marketing efforts, its important to ask the right questions to find the perfect match for your company. Asking about the firm’s experience, their project management style, expectations, and their marketing team will enable you to make an informed decision about which marketing agency can deliver the best solution for your business. It can be daunting to try and sift through the many options when hiring a marketing firm, especially if you don’t have much or any marketing experience yourself. But by asking the right questions from the beginning of your search, you can put yourself in the best position to partner with the right agency for your needs.

Image Source: Shutterstock (1022272123)

Construction Companies need effective marketing strategies

Most Effective Marketing Strategies for A Construction Company

  • On : May 6, 2022
Having a marketing strategy tailored to your specific industry is important. Every industry and business is different and provides a unique set of challenges and opportunities to marketers as they try and stand out from the crowd. Construction companies have many options on how to best market themselves, especially now that the internet and social media is so prevalent everywhere you go. Having a strong brand, developing an online presence, fully utilizing social media, and encouraging reviews and testimonials are some of the ways that you can set yourself apart from your competitors.

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Marketing-Budget-Analysis

Is There A Digital Dashboard For Marketing Strategy?

  • On : May 4, 2022

A digital dashboard is a visual representation of marketing statistics such as data metrics, data points and KPI’s. It helps improve aspects such as turning data into business value by showing only the most important data points and better leverage statistics in order to improve business decisions. Every company should use a digital dashboard, but which one would be best suited to your company and your marketing strategy?Read more

Marketing-book-demo

6 Things Every Marketing Strategy Should Include

  • On : May 3, 2022

Businesses are constantly competing with one another to gain more customers and drive sales; therefore, it is imperative that key marketing strategies are carried out thoroughly and effectively. Without effective marketing strategies put in place, there is ultimately a lack of focus resulting in your ability to target any of your business goals to diminish.Read more