In this Quick Hits video ClientWhys/CountingWorks PRO CEO, Lee Reams II discusses how accounting and tax referrals have changed in the review-driven world. More importantly, how referrals and word-of-mouth marketing has changed with the advent of technology and social media.
In the past, referrals were generated by family friends or business associates. Because of the level of trust through these word-of-mouth referrals, the referred professional would more than likely get hired for the job.
What has changed now is that a lot of this conversation is occurring online through sites like Google, Facebook, LinkedIn and Next Door.
And more importantly, even if a traditional offline referral occurs, that prospect is going to Google the accounting professional's name -- what the prospect sees on the Google search results is going to be a big influence on whether or not they become a client for the accounting and tax pro
If a prospect Google's your name, what will they find? What does a strong profile look like?
In the video below, Lee provides an example of what a strong five-star accountant profile should look like.
There are a few criteria that a pro needs to have:
- Pro's website should be primary, top of the search results
- Pro's website should have reviews on marketplaces like TaxBuzz.com, CountingWorks.com, Yelp, the Better Business Bureau, Angie's List etc.
- Pro should have reviews under the Google My Business listing. This is where your views can get syndicated to the Google search engine as well and directly on the maps and other places.
It is really important for accounting and tax professionals to focus on these different marketplace sites as well as building reviews on their Google My Business pages.
Having more 5-star reviews will always build your online reputation and shield you from the damage if you ever get the dreaded one-star review down the road.
Want to see more videos like this? Subscribe to our YouTube channel.
See the full referrals QuickHits video here.
To learn more about attracting reviews for your own practice or would like tips on how to combat negative reviews, contact us today at 1-800-442-2477 or set up some time to speak with one of our digital marketing experts. We're here to help! Not ready to talk to an expert? You can always try out our platform for free here.
.svg)