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Firm Management

Essential Tips for Q4 Ad Buying for CPA Firms

There is no point in spending money on ads if you do not have objectives that align with your firm’s goals.

Becky Livingston

Sep. 12, 2023

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You are in the home stretch of the year, and it’s time to think about how this quarter could impact Q1 of next year—the busiest time for some CPAs. You can continue your passive social media efforts, but are they really paying off?

Here are essential tips to help you increase your Q4 lead generation and Q1 bottom-line results through online and social media ads.

Think like your clients.

Take the questions your clients have been asking all year and cluster them into topics. Try to create three to five topics at most.

If you aren’t sure what they might be, review your website’s keyword search terms or page views to learn what visitors like. You could send a client survey to identify what they are interested in. Or, ask a search engine.

For example, I asked Google, “What keeps mid-sized company owners up at night?” I then looked at the 2023 article “Top 8 challenges keeping small business owners up at night,” by Becker’s ASC Review and found these topics. 

  • Economic recession
  • Cash flow
  • Inflation
  • Supply chain issues
  • Employee turnover
  • High operations and labor costs

Rather than creating blog content for these topics, develop landing pages with forms and/or Calendli links to schedule appointments. View an example here.

You may want to split-test the landing page with a different headline or call to action. Then alternate them in email, social media, and online ads to determine which performs best.

Setting Objectives

There is no point in spending money on ads if you do not have objectives that align with your firm’s goals. Advertising objectives differ depending on whether you aim to generate leads, build brand awareness, or break into a new market. Each goal requires a unique set of tactics. View a sample here. [https://penheel.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Ad-Buying-Chart-Objectives.png]

Budgeting

When budgeting for lead generation, it’s crucial to consider both the cost per lead (CPL) and the conversion rate. These metrics help in calculating the ROI. Platforms that offer highly-targeted options, such as Google Ads and LinkedIn, can often result in a higher CPL, but they also usually deliver leads of better quality.

Branding campaigns often require a more balanced and sometimes larger budget compared to lead generation. The success metrics are focused on reach, impressions, and brand recall rather than immediate ROI. As branding is a long-term investment, you should be prepared for a more extended period of budget allocation

Entering a new market often involves a significant initial investment, which can be both high risk and high reward. These campaigns may require market research, localized content creation, and potential partnerships, all of which demand budget allocation. Metrics like market share and customer acquisition cost (CAC) become crucial here, as they indicate how well your company is doing in the new market. Be prepared for an initially high outlay of funds, which may gradually stabilize as the brand establishes itself in the new market.

Crafting the Right Message

The right message, delivered at the right time, and in the right way is gold. However, doing that is difficult. That’s why creating multiple messages delivered over a period of time is a best practice.

Here are sone Q4 tax deduction examples with a sense of urgency. Use them as email subject lines, online ad headlines, and social media posts.

  • Last Chance: Unlock Major Tax Deductions Before It’s Too Late!
  • Don’t Miss Out: Final Hours to Maximize Your Tax Deductions!
  • Deadline Approaching: Secure Your Tax Deductions NOW!
  • Act Fast: Time is Running Out to Lower Your Tax Bill!
  • Urgent: Take Advantage of Tax Deductions Before They’re Gone!

Then, there are value proposition messages you can use all year long in your ad, email, and social media campaigns.  

  • Maximize Profits, Minimize Stress: Expert Accounting Solutions Tailored for You
  • Secure Your Financial Future with Our Trusted Accounting Services
  • Achieve Business Success: Comprehensive Accounting Solutions for SMEs
  • Unparalleled Accuracy, Unbeatable Service: Choose Us for All Your Accounting Needs
  • Unlock Business Growth: Streamline Your Finances with Our Expert Accounting Team

This outline aims to cover all the vital aspects of Q4 ad buying for B2B companies. By following this structure, you gain actionable tips and insights that you can immediately apply to make the most out of your Q4 advertising budget.

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Becky Livingston is the owner and CEO of Penheel Marketing, a New Jersey-based firm specializing in social media and digital marketing for CPAs. With over 25 years of marketing and tech experience, she is the author of “SEO for CPAs – The Accountant’s SEO Handbook” and the “The Accountant’s Social Media Handbook.” In addition to being a practitioner, she is a dog lover, an active Association for Accounting Marketing’s (AAM) committee member, an adjunct professor, and HubSpot partner. Learn more about Becky and her firm at https://Penheel.com.