10 Proven Ways to Market your Tax Preparation Business in Austin, Texas

Now that you have decided to start your tax preparation business in Austin, there are several things you need to put in place, such as staying updated with the tax laws, tax software, and hiring qualified preparers. So how to you market your tax preparation business?

With the recent surge in the number of tax preparation businesses in the United States, one thing you shouldn’t overlook when creating a business plan is marketing. Marketing is the backbone of every business. The goal of every business owner is to get as many clients as possible.

According to Hook Agency, 48 percent of companies spend between 4% to 10% of their total annual revenue on marketing.

When creating a marketing plan for tax preparation services, remember what business owners want from tax preparers — professionalism, capacity to deliver, and best result possible.

How To Market Your Tax Preparation Business In Austin

Marketing for tax professionals is different from other professions. They are looking for marketing ideas to promote their products and services, and get tax clients. This article contains 10 ways to market your tax preparation services in Austin. They include:

1. Word-of-Mouth marketing

Oral message is a powerful tool to market your tax preparation services in Austin and get new clients. This happens when you talk to people one-on-one about your products and services.

Every day is a new opportunity to meet new people. It is also a good opportunity to spread the message about your business. You can start by telling your family and friends, before moving to the outside world. Tell them about the benefits of doing business with you.

If you can talk to at least one person per day, it will go a long way in promoting your business.

2. Optimize Your Website for humans and SEO

All small businesses, including tax businesses, need to have a website. Infact any business without a website is not a serious one. Create a responsive website that is user-friendly and attractive. Above all, make your website mobile-friendly, because most people access the internet through their phones or tablets.

According to Woosuite (2022), over 60 percent of web traffic comes from mobile users, while 61 percent of website visitors will not return to your website if it is not mobile responsive. Make your website mobile-friendly so that you won’t miss out on the traffic from mobile devices.

In addition to design, you should monitor your website’s performance and make sure that your content is relevant and SEO-friendly (search engine-friendly). You might not be able to handle all these yourself, so you need to hire an expert digital marketing firm to help you in some areas. In the end, the money you will spend is worth the investment.

Add a blog to your website and write contents about your services to increase web traffic. If you can’t handle this alone, I urge you to hire a content writer, or outsource to a content writing company.

Furthermore, you should consider registering your tax preparation business on Google My Business. This will enable your business to appear on Google search when people search for your services within your location.

While registering your business on Google My Business, make sure that your website’s phone number has a call to action feature and make it simple for clients to get your contact details when looking for your services online.

3. Social media

Social media are a good way for brands to connect with their new, existing, and potential customers, and address any issues they may have.

There are several social media platforms available for use, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, etc. However, Facebook continues to have the largest audience, as about 68% of Americans use Facebook to connect with family and friends, and customers.

Even yet, you should still use other platforms because 24% of people use Twitter and 25% use LinkedIn. However, concentrate on Facebook first, increase your followers and market share, and when you’re ready, add more social media platforms to your portfolio. Facebook allows you to do paid ads to target clients who might be interested in your products and services.

4. Find Your Target Market

According to a survey by Bain & Company, it costs 6–7 times more to get a new client than it does to keep an existing one.

Avoid wasting money targeting the wrong audience. Instead, create strategic ads for your target audience. You might be wondering who they are. One way to identify your target audience is to search through your customer database for common characteristics that they share together.

Who are your target market for tax preparation services? There are questions you need to ask yourself as you search through your client’s database, such as:

• What is their age?
• Are they married or single?
• Do they own their own homes?
• How much money do they make? (Income range)

Your answers can help you create tailored ads that can help bring customers. Furthermore, pay attention to the social media platforms that your clients often use. If you are a tax preparer for individuals and family, you should focus on Facebook. However, if you specialize in working for business owners, then you should focus on LinkedIn.

5. Use Email marketing

If you are not using email marketing for your business, then you are missing out on your potential customers, or probably losing them to business owners who do.

Try email marketing today because it has a substantial return on investment. You can anticipate a return of $38 on every dollar you spend on email advertising. Sounds good, right?

Furthermore, 80% of industry experts agree that email marketing helps you acquire and retain new customers, thus helping your business grow.

Instead of entering the emails of your customers and potential customers manually and sending them hundreds of messages one by one, use marketing tools like MailChimp, which collects email addresses automatically from your client database and enables you to send one bulk email with a special offer. Send your customers two to four straightforward messages monthly to keep them engaged.

6. Flyers and Posters

This is considered a traditional method of marketing. However, sharing flyers is a trusted way to promote your tax preparation business. Flyers are cheap, so they won’t disrupt your marketing budget.

Furthermore, you can attach them almost anywhere. But ensure you get permission, before you get fined. You can drop your flyers at pizza joints, utility poles, supermarkets, etc. According to research, flyer has a higher return on investment (ROI) than social media, press, TV and radio.

Your flyers need to be eye-catching enough to draw in passerby. It could be preferable to hire a professional to handle this task if you lack experience in graphic design or you are busy with other business activities. Your flyer must be visually appealing, in addition to having a compelling offer, well-written copy, and a clear call to action.

Once your flyer is finished, you’ll be astonished at how effective this marketing strategy can be in expanding your tax preparation firm.

7. Use referrals

Referrals are like testimony from customers who patronized your business and are happy with your services. In fact the best marketing strategy is when satisfied customers refer you to their friends and family.

The whole point of this strategy is to find individuals and business owners who had problems with tax preparers in the past and are willing to give you a chance to impress and win their confidence.

One way to get referrals from your customers is to appreciate them for their patronage. According to Nielsen, 92% of people trust referrals from family and friends more than advertisements.

Since you are required to keep your taxes private, it makes sense that people would want to feel confident working with the experts preparing their returns. A new client will have trust in a tax preparer if he or she was recommended by a satisfied client.

One way to increase the number of referrals you get from your clients is by giving them a referral discount. By doing so, they will get a discount for every new client they bring, depending on the agreement. This is a win-win for you and your clients.

8. Host a workshop

Since you manage a tax preparation business, you can host workshops on how to use the latest tax software in your industry. This way, you can establish your authority as an expert in the field.

These workshops can be hosted online or offline. Hosting offline can be expensive, especially if it is free, since you will rent space and equipment. Unless you want to charge for participation. Don’t forget that people might not want to pay for the workshop, unless they know the value of what they will learn.

Hosting workshops and webinars will give you expose you to potential customers who may want your services, and you will also collect contact details of attendees and follow up through bulk SMS, emailing, etc.

9. Attend community events

As a tax preparer, you should attend events in your community, especially events where you will meet potential clients. This is a good way to network and market your services. In addition, your business can sponsor local events, and do community services to create awareness.

10. Business cards

Using business cards to market your services is an old and effective method. Business cards are portable and come with different designs. Research shows that about 100 billion business cards are printed annually.

Only a few people you meet will become your clients. Some business owners prepare their tax returns, while others already work with someone. You must network widely to meet the people who are in need of your services.

Nowadays, people dislike being persuaded. But you’re not actually required to sell anything. Anytime you meet someone, tell them that you are a tax expert who offers preparation services. You don’t have to say anything else until they show further interest or ask questions about your services.

Conclusion: Ways to Market your Tax Preparation Business

No business can survive without clients. Tax professionals need to market their services to their potential customers. Most traditional methods of marketing, such as television and radio are expensive, and small businesses can’t afford them.

There are more than 10 ways to market your tax preparation business in Austin, Texas. All you should do is think creatively. Some strategies might not bring instant results, while some might take weeks or months. Whatever strategy you are using, evaluate them periodically to know the most effective.

Which strategy do you use to get clients? Share with us!