With over 316,000 bookkeeping and payroll businesses and 46,000 CPA firms in the US, your competition is steep. But, if you want to grow your business and charge for a service that is perceived as having a high value, your bottom line will be much healthier when you differentiate your brand and your business.
So, how do you do that?
You start by getting crystal clear on who your ideal clients are and tailoring your marketing to attract more of them.
Red Ocean vs. Blue Ocean
In marketing, a "red ocean" represents an oversaturated, highly competitive space where businesses vie for the same customers. A "blue ocean" on the other hand is an untapped market space with little competition (like creating a specialized service package for dentists as an example).
Imagine you're an accountant in a marketplace full of other accountants selling the same tax prep, tax planning, payroll, or bookkeeping services to individuals or business owners - that's a red ocean where competition is fierce. Now picture yourself on a private island surrounded by a blue ocean where you've carved out your own niche of ideal clients who need your specialized expertise. This is why identifying your perfect customers is so critical. If you tailor your services and marketing to a profitable niche (perhaps physician practices who want concierge bookkeeping services or a unique, high value service for businesses), you dip your toes into an uncontested blue ocean of clients who will flock to you over your generalist competitors still fighting it out in the red.
Defining your avatar creates a clear path straight to your ideal clients.
On November 28th at 2 pm ET, I’m going to be covering a step-by-step process for identifying and attracting your perfect customers. Secure your seat, and join me for the free monthly Marketing Talks webinar!
Here's a sneak peek at what you'll learn.
Pinpoint Your Niche
Make a list of past and current clients you enjoyed working with the most. Look for commonalities like industry, company size, or specific needs. A niche focus brings riches.
Create Your Ideal Client Avatar
Give your ideal client a name, demographic details, photo, values, fears, and pressing problems related to your services. Be as specific as possible.
Understand Their Problems and Pressing Concerns
What struggles are they facing? What keeps them up at night? What outcomes are they desperate for but unable to achieve on their own? How does this make them feel?
Craft Resonant Messaging
Knowing their fears and frustrations allows you to position your services as the empathetic solution. Make them feel understood, and position yourself as the expert who is best able to meet them where they are and guide them to whatever their definition of success is.
Map Their Success Journey
Paint a clear before and after picture. Show clients how working with you will move them from status quo to success.
By identifying and speaking directly to your ideal clients in this way, you'll attract more of the customers you want without wasted marketing effort.
Don’t forget to register here and join us on November 28th at 2:00 ET. You'll leave with a simple but proven game plan for standing out from the crowd and differentiating your firm.
Janel Sykora
Janel Sykora
As the Co-Founder and Chief Marketing Guru of Cajabra Marketing For Accountants, Janel Sykora is no stranger to navigating the landscape of professional services sales and marketing. With a remarkable 30-year journey in the industry, she has dedicated her expertise to empowering firms in the tax, accounting, and bookkeeping sectors. Her mission? To craft and implement groundbreaking marketing strategies that not only resonate but also drive exponential growth.
Janel resides in the Tampa, Florida area with her husband Rick. She's a proud mother to two wonderful daughters. And if you're counting paws, add four more canine kids to the mix! When she's not implementing marketing strategies to transform accounting firms, you might find her soaking up the sun on the beach, paddleboarding, playing pickleball, or scuba diving.