How do you promote your niche?

Having a niche in your tax and accounting practice isn’t new, but how are you promoting the niche (or niches) to your prospects and clients? We asked members of the Intuit® Tax Council for their insight and guidance. Here’s what they had to say.

Louise Cochrane, CPA, EA—L.F. Cochrane & Associates: I promote our firm’s niche three ways:

1. On my signature line on all my emails.
2. When networking, I always make sure I mention that I am a “Tax Strategist for Women Business Owners.” It is intriguing and people ask to know more about it.
3. My firm sponsors and hosts local community events that are teamed up with women-owned businesses on our beautiful private office patio. I don’t brand the heck out of it, but I do spend the entire time talking, listening, and representing women business owners.

Randy Crabtree, CPA—Tri-Merit: Our niche is specialty tax. We support tax preparers and advisors by supporting them with our tax credit and incentive services. We promote our services in a variety of ways:

• We host free monthly CPE webinars where we will educate the professional on a specific incentive.
• We write articles for various professional publications.
• We have a seven-person marketing team that is constantly getting us in front of the correct audience in various ways.

H. Randy Hughes, CPA—Counting Pennies, LLC: We promote our niche two ways:

1. Virtual webinars and classes: Offering monthly webinars or classes (paid or unpaid) to the public are excellent ways to promote your niche and speak to your target audience. Virtual webinars and classes allow for a wide range of people in multiple locations to tune in and hear what you have to say. As people learn what you do, your ideal client is more likely to reach out to you based on these consistent touches from your firm.
2. In-person presentations: There really is no equal replacement for meeting and interacting with people in person. When it comes to presentations, attendees in the audience are likely in a frame of mind to hear something new; something they’ve been searching for. When they hear what you offer and it resonates with them, you pique their interest. And when that can follow up that interest with a real-life chance to talk with you, it gives you an advantage that your competitors may not have tapped into yet.

Al-Nesha Jones, CPA, MBA—ASE Group: We promote our firm’s niche in three ways:

1. Website emphasis and blogging: We start by showcasing our specialization in various industries on our website when clients are in search of an accountant. Through dedicated pages, we address the unique needs of each industry we serve and how our expertise can benefit them. We also regularly publish industry-specific blogs to provide valuable insights and solutions.
2. Educational webinars: We host complimentary webinars focused on specific industries. These webinars delve into the challenges that our accounting, tax, and advisory services can address within each industry. By offering practical solutions and showcasing our expertise, we establish ourselves as knowledgeable partners in their success.
3. Software partnership and certification: We invest in understanding the software platforms our clients use. By participating in software “partner programs,” we become certified experts and listed as industry partners on their platforms. This not only positions us directly in front of our target audience, but also underscores our dedication to their field and enhances our credibility.

Kristen S. Keats, CPA—Sherwood Tax & Accounting: We don’t have industry niches, but we are very clear on our website and in our social media marketing about the types of clients we like to work with. You might say that the way we work with our clients forms a niche: We lean on technology and our outsourced team, and provide high-value advisory services to our clients throughout the year for fees that are commensurate with these services.  When we have a potential client reach out to us, we make sure they are aware of who we are and how we operate, so that there are no surprises later and we don’t waste any time on discovery calls with clients who aren’t the right fit.

Tatiana Tsoir, CPA—Linza Advisors: We upsell current clients, but listen to them first. We hear what they are struggling with, offer a solution, and are always ready to deliver on the solution. We also have a 90-second “what we are all about” video and a one-sheet that shows how we are different from all the other accounting firms.

Timothy Wingate Jr., EA—G+F Business & Financial Consulting LLC: I promote my niche to clients by guesting on podcasts they listen to. Then, I will remarket those podcast episodes in my monthly newsletter I send out to current clients and prospects who have booked a meeting with me in the past.

How do you promote you niche? Leave a comment below so others can learn from their peers.