Tax and Accounting firms that use PR can dramatically improve their online reputation and the trust they build with their audience. 

Tax and accounting firms build their reputations on years of being entrusted with solving their client's most complex and essential problems. CPAs, EAs, and tax professionals make their reputations on the trust that they will deliver impeccable work and deliver better financial outcomes. 

PR enables practitioners to showcase their expertise on third-party websites, blogs, and video platforms. This earned media provides the most significant boost to your online reputation. 

Please think of how many clients you would attract and the fees you could charge; every time a prospect Googled your name, they saw a long list of quotations and articles you have published on third-party websites. 

It is this social cred that makes PR so powerful. Let's get into the basics. 

The PR Best Practices You Can Start Using Today

As is true with marketing in general, one of the major goals of PR is to get the right message in front of the right person at exactly the right time. Once you accept that as truth, one of the ways in which PR can help you attract better clients becomes clear.

In a broad sense, you need to take your message directly to the people you hope to serve. Don't wait for them to come to you, because there isn't a guarantee that will happen - especially in the fast-paced digital world that we're now living in. All of this is to say that your first step should be to develop a press list so that you can more effectively reach the type of people who you want to be able to say are your clients, to begin with.

If you want to make a name for yourself as a leading accounting provider in Cleveland, Ohio, for example, you need to start learning the names of not only reporters and editors at major publications but also bloggers and online journalists as well. Pay attention to the types of audiences that read these publications and hone in on the ones that overlap with your desired type of client.

But more than that, you need to read these publications to see what types of content they are putting out into the world. Then, you can take the effective message you want to reach and A) adapt it for the outlet in question, and B) get it in front of the people whose attention you are trying to attract.

The Tax and Accounting PR Playbook

PR is an important aspect of any marketing strategy because through spreading awareness about your practice, it can help provide valuable opportunities for mentions and backlinks across various channels.

Let’s see why PR is so important in the success you have with search engines and your practice's reputation…

Link Building: Links and citations are some of the most important ranking factors when it comes to Google search and other search engines. While it is becoming increasingly difficult to get quality links, PR can help you establish links and mentions from influential and powerful websites. If you are able to get coverage in any mainstream media sites, this can elevate your SEO performance and deliver long-term benefits.

Brand Recognition: Establishing yourself as a recognizable brand creates a sense of trust with your clients. It is especially crucial from smaller businesses because Google’s results for competitive phrases tend to always favor bigger brands. So, if you can get your brand mentioned and recognized throughout different places in media or news, your brand will begin to build trust with Google or other search engines, and this can help you rank better.

Reputation Management: We all know how important reputation management is for any business. Successful PR action can help you maintain a higher degree of control over your firm's online reputation.

Rather than relying on happenstance mentions of your brand, you can trust that legitimate PR strategy will put your firm's name on reliable, authoritative websites.

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Social Proof: With successful PR coverage, leads are more likely to convert because they will recognize your name from mainstream media they trust.

Although the term "social proof" didn't originate from social media, the two are inextricable today.

Getting Coverage:

1. Write Press Releases: Press releases are an excellent way to let the right media outlets know about exciting developments at your firm.

2. Specialist Media Networks: Specialist media networks connect firms within specific industries with journalists and news outlets that specialize in that vertical.

3. #journorequest: Follow hashtags like #journorequest or #PRRequest on Twitter for PR opportunities that could get you featured on relevant media outlets. Also joining Help A reporter Out (HARO), for daily citation opportunities.

4. Campaigns: Search trending topics to create blog series or ad campaigns that will get people talking.

5. Partner with a charity: Journalists love to cover brands doing something that helps others, so consider a charity partnership.

6. Reviews: Some firms exchange a free tax or accounting service for a review of that product or service from a popular local media personality.

7. Use Research or Data: Identify industry trends and try to offer something new in the space. Journalists love that kind of content.

8. Get Quoted: Be ready when a journalist needs a quote for a piece they are writing. The best way to do this is by being a CountingWorks PRO VIP!

9. Use Photos: Use high-quality photos unique to your brand. All of your content should feature these high-res images to set you apart.

10. Tell a Story: A good story is key to success in PR. In your writing, take the reader on a journey they will relate to.

11. Current Events: You want to give journalists a reason to link your business to a trending topic. Staying on top of current events can position you well for coverage.
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Public Relations: Your Path Forward Starts Now

In a more practical sense, one of the ways that you can use PR to attract better clients involves adding some type of "press" page to your website. Most businesses have some type of "News" section on their site to go along with their blog, but it's usually limited to information coming FROM their business that is ABOUT their business. Things like company events typically live in this type of section.

What you need is a dedicated "Press" page so that anytime a publication writes about you online, you can link to it. You can also use it to showcase articles that you've authored that have been published in other places. As you start to build out this page, it not only goes a long way towards boosting your SEO (search engine optimization) efforts, but it also helps enormously with establishing you as a respected thought leader as well.

Finally, you need to get better at leveraging PR not just as a marketing tool (which is how most people see it), but as a sales tool (which is how not enough people actually use it).

Don't forget that a solid public relationships campaign doesn't just have to be limited to press releases. Yes, the kinds of press releases that you issue and the ones that are issued about you can make an impact. But it should also include blog posts, videos, and other types of content, too. All of this should be used as an opportunity to link back to not only your website but also your social media channels on sites like Facebook and Twitter as well.

All of this can be a great way to not only generate more leads for your firm, but the right kinds of leads. That will help you slowly shift over time from the type of audience that you are currently serving to the one you want to have in the future - assuming that this is one of the long-term goals that you've set for yourself.

Beyond that, you also need to make sure you're always available to those clients when they do pick up the phone and call you or come knocking at the door. Even the best PR campaign in the world won't be able to help you grow if you simply don't have the time or resources available to take on those new clients that you spent so much energy trying to attract in the first place.

You would also do well to remember that using PR isn't something you do once - it's something that you have to get into the habit of again and again for the best results moving forward.

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What does PR cost?

Typically monthly retainers with a PR agency range from $2,000 - $5,000 on the low end to $20,000 - $50,000 on the high end.

Look for an agency's ability to write, research, strategize, and their creativity. At CountingWorks PRO, we've done this part for our VIP clients.

If possible, consider a shorter contract.

Expect transparent performance reporting. You want to clearly see the work being done and how it is affecting your company.

Communicate consistently with your PR specialist. Since this is a collaborative effort you want to be included in every process.

Your PR Partner Alternative

In the end, if you want to take meaningful steps towards building the type of tax and accounting practice you always dreamed you'd one day be running, you need to take a cold, hard look at the people you're serving today. If you want to become more successful, you need to both understand who your "ideal client" is and attract a higher caliber of client in the first place. Getting to that point requires a deep understanding of PR and what it can do for you - which isn't always something you can do yourself.

CountingWorks PRO proudly offers a PR-driven service to VIP subscribers who are looking to make this shift themselves. We can handle the intricacies of public relations so that you don't have to, allowing you to focus less time on getting those clients and more time on serving the ones you already have - which is the most important benefit of all.

If you'd like to find out more information about using PR to attract better clients, or if you have any additional questions you'd like to go over with someone in a bit more detail, please don't hesitate to contact us today. You can also start your free trial here.

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