What I Told the National Large Tax Practice Group

August 26, 2011 by · Leave a Comment 

School is back — and the ramp-up to tax season is about to begin in earnest.

Are you ready?

Earlier this week, I was invited to present to the National Large Tax Practice Group (website here, and
an impressive organization, worthy of your checking out — if your practice fits). They invited me to
speak about social media, but as I worked with the planners, it became clear that what was MOST
important to them was an overall online marketing philosophy/strategy.

You see, even some of these “big boys” in the room have a cheap, commoditized website. And it’s
going to suck the wind out of their growth in 2012.

You see, when you don’t have an effective “lead capture” mechanism in place, a relational (and
prompt) follow-up + a systematized way to build a relationship over time — so that when the prospect is
ready, they come to you — most tax professionals simply throw up their hands in the online marketing
environment and fall back to “business card marketing”, except this time it’s in the most important
space for their entire marketing plan.

After all — right now, when people want to “check you out” they go to big daddy Google.

And unless you have a GOOD way (read: not a “Subscribe to Our Emailed Newsletter” field) to incentivize your
visitors to start that relationship with you … well, they just sort of slide on by.

Oh, and this is equally true (if not even more so) with Social Media. Tweet, post, status all you like –
unless you’re moving these tentative Social Media contacts into a more robust, regular (and controllable)
form of communication, you’re not really harvesting what you could be, even on those platforms.

So, when I ask you if you’re ready for tax season — don’t think it’s only about
prepping for the upcoming licensing requirements, or making sure your clients get a nice tax planner.

Now is the time to take a cold hard look at your online marketing strategy.

Because, it takes more than simply slapping up a lead capture form on your site to make it effective.

As I told the tax professionals in the room this week: Marketing, at its core, is about moving prospects
from “cold” to “hot” (i.e. being a client) through a relational process of selling, positioning and solving
problems. Unless that’s set up in a systematized way for your practice in the ONLINE arena, you’ll
continue to struggle there.

But it doesn’t have to be that way.

In a few weeks, I’ll be hosting a phone call about a quiet project we’ve been conducting over the
past many months. Contact our office (888.894.HERD) sign up for the call, and I’ll give you the tools to THRIVE
during the cataclysm of this online-oriented economy.

Until then, God bless you and your firm!

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