Since we faced a global pandemic, many things around us has changed. Working from home, finding new ways to socialise and simply relishing in time spent with our families and friends are some things that have changed.   

However, one thing that hasn’t changed is the need for business development. It doesn’t matter what type of business or professional service you run; it is always a good idea to think about how you can take the next steps in your brand and develop your business.   

Do you want to make these changes but are not sure where to start? To help you, I have put together some of my best business development strategies that you can try out for yourself with your accountancy firm.   

Create great quality content  

It is one thing to create content that is simply to add keywords; it is another thing to create content that will have a purpose. Blogs offer an easy way to promote your brand and can be done for free at home. But all you need to do is make sure that you write with some kind of purpose.   

Look at the current industry needs or search trends that relate to your business and make sure that these are the key topics related to your newest blog posts. It is an even better idea to make sure that you match these titles to the main questions being asked, as this will help promote your blog post and get people reading it.   

Share it  

Once you have taken the time to create content for your business, it is time to get out there and share it. In doing so, you will appeal to new clients and bring in new contacts and leads.  

The first place to share it is on your social media, but then you need to try and expand this as much as you can. Speak to website owners linked to what you do, they may be more than happy to work with you, and if they share your content, then there is a good chance this will appeal to people just like your existing clients.   

It is also a good idea to send your content to conference and event creators. They not only will share what you have sent them, but they will also think about you in the future as a speaker at their events.   

Work on the relationships that you already have as part of your business development 

Of course, you are always going to want to appeal to new clients, but what you will need to focus on is developing the relationships you already have with your existing clients.   

There are always new things to learn about every one of your clients, so make sure that you take the time to absorb some of this key information. Not only this, but your competitors will want to try and take your clients from your hands, so if you rest back and let this happen without showing them that you still care, then there is a good chance that they will move on.   

But, how do you do this? How do you work on these relationships without worrying that you are bombarding them?  

Here is the process that you should try to follow:  

• Have a list of clients and contacts that you want to stay in touch with  
• Find a reason to get in touch with them. You want to remind them of who you are and what you can do, so why not share some industry news or showcase something that you have written that will relate to them  
• Ask them for a call to discuss how their business is going; if they agree, then discuss what their next steps are (this will help you to be able to tailor your efforts to them in the future)  
• Repeat each quarter   

If you do this, you should find that your existing clients will want to use your services again in the future and may also share who you are and what you can do with like-minded contacts.   

Run online events, with a difference in your business development  

It used to be the case that joining an online event seemed like a strange idea; however, the world has changed. We are all used to doing things virtually rather than in person, and the same is true for events.  

Webinars are now a usual approach for anything you want to share that relates to your business. However, now that many people are doing it, they have become a little stale. If you want to try and make sure that you have maximum engagement and attendance in your events online, you will need to make them different from the rest.  

I have found that round tables and facilitated discussions are often the best approaches. These allow others to engage with one another and make the entire event more enjoyable. 

Taking the time for business development as an accountant will help you right now to focus your marketing efforts, but it also helps you in the future. Growing who you are and what you can do will help you secure more work in the future and grow your client base. Everything that you could want from your firm.   

Some of my services: 

Marketing Reviews and Audits

Marketing Consultancy Services

Need help?

If you would like help with your marketing then bringing on a marketing consultant with a fresh pair of eyes can make all the difference. I work with B2B businesses and professional service firms in London, Kent, UK and Europe as well as specialising as a Legal Marketing Consultant. Please get in touch or book a free 30-minute consultation.