Learn How to Find Bookkeeping Clients with These Easy Marketing Tools
There is no doubt about it – every business needs bookkeepers. As a bookkeeping pro you have an invaluable skill set that helps small business owners and entrepreneurs.
But, the honest truth is the challenge of finding and securing potential bookkeeping clients can be daunting, especially if you have just launched your businesses or if you are trying to grow and expand your client base (and revenue!).
If this is you, or if you are frustrated because you aren’t gaining clients as fast as you like….
I have GREAT news!
Did you know that according to the US Chamber of Commerce, “A record-breaking 5.5 million new business applications were filed in 2023.”
Bookkeeping is essential to every business, and with 5.5 million businesses formed in 2023, there are definitely clients out there for you!
When I started my bookkeeping business, it was a bit of a struggle to find bookkeeping clients, but once I got the ball rolling, I had a VERY healthy business in a very, very short period. In fact, I hired roughly one person a year for the 15 years I had a bookkeeping firm before I successfully sold and exited that business in 2023.
Nevertheless, one of the number one questions I get from my students and clients is “How to Get Bookkeeping Clients”.
If you want to know how to get clients for bookkeeping, this guide will help.
I am going to give you marketing tools and techniques to help you attract, win, and retain your ideal clients, all while building a strong and reputable professional presence in the bookkeeping services world.
So let’s dive in and help you get clients for bookkeeping services.
WHAT WE WILL COVER:
I want you to get the most out of my guide on How to Get Bookkeeping Client, so my first piece of advice is to pull up a chair, put your notifications on silent, and give yourself just 10 minutes of pure focus. This guide covers a lot of information and I want you to get the most out of it.
You will learn about:
- Your Ideal Customer (aka your target audience)
- Online Marketing Basics
- Why You Need an Exceptional Professional Bio
- The Power of LinkedIn
- Your Website
- Social Media Marketing
- And….a few of my favorite “free” marketing tools
Whether you are a freelance bookkeeper looking to get bookkeeping clients or a mom who is looking for an excellent part-time (lucrative!) gig trying to figure out how to get bookkeeping clients from home, or running a mini-bookkeeping empire this guide will help you.
Promise!
WHERE TO START – YOUR ICA (IDEAL CUSTOMER AVATAR)
What is the first step to getting bookkeeping clients?
DEFINING the type of client and business you want to work with.
In marketing, we call this DEFINING YOUR IDEAL CUSTOMER AVATAR or your ICA for short. This is also known as your “target audience”.
Even if you don’t have a single client yet, I want you to take a moment to think about your dream client. Then, I want you to take the added step of writing it down.
Trust me, you will go back to this ICA document time and time again, so take your time here, and be sure to save it in a place that is easy to access (and remember!).
Here are some prompts to help craft ICA:
- Individuals or businesses that align with your skills
- Industries you might have prior experience in or really like in general (I loved working with artists!)
- How big is the type of business that you want to work with?
- Do you want to work with “micropreneurs” or businesses that have multiple employees and or locations?
- What are the core values that you align with (hellooooooo ethical, honest clients who deeply value and appreciate you…yes, please!)
- Where do these people “hang out”? Are they online? Which platform? Are they at industry conferences? Which ones?
In the very beginning, you will likely be hungry to grow your business. This means you will work with any prospective clients that come your way.
I am here to tell you that is A-OKAY!
Growing a business is messy, but working with a variety of clients – even ones who aren’t your “ideal” – has a wonderful benefit.
By working with all types of clients and industries, you get a little taste of everything, and you can find out what types of businesses and people you really like.
One word of warning here – working with people who aren’t your ideal clients is perfectly fine, but you are a business owner, which means you must act like a CFO and CEO.
This means don’t settle, or work for, clients who aren’t respectful or who don’t pay you on time, every time. That’s a recipe for disaster and it never ends well – we refer to this type of client as a toxic client, not an ideal client!
ONLINE MARKETING BASICS
What better way for virtual bookkeepers to market their virtual bookkeeping business to potential clients than online of course!
Your marketing initiatives must include creating a strong and professional online presence, including:
- A Website
- Social Media Platforms
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It can feel very daunting and overwhelming to new business owners when starting marketing because “There is so much to do, I don’t know what to do first.”
If your head is spinning right now, stop that. Panic is not productive!
You don’t need to do ALL of the things provided in this guide, you should focus on 1-2 to start and execute them with excellence.
PRO-TIP
Remember the expression “You never get a second chance to make a first impression”?
Chances are the first time a potential client “meets you” it is going to be online. Make sure you make a great first impression!
When creating your professional profiles online, be sure to use good quality photos, use text and copy that is well crafted and concise, and look out for typos!
Remember, as a bookkeeper, you are in the business of accuracy.
If your website, LinkedIn bio, or social media marketing posts are littered with typos, this doesn’t leave your prospective clients feeling very confident that you are detail-oriented.
YOUR BIO
Before we dive into different marketing channels I want to give you a homework assignment.
I want you to write a very strong biography about yourself – right now. And if you already have one, I want you to go back, reread it, and see if you can improve on it.
This isn’t the time to be shy – this is your time to brag.
And I get it, sometimes it can feel weird or uncomfortable to talk about ourselves, but your bio is your time to shine! It’s also a very crucial piece of all of your marketing efforts.
Why do you need to write a bio?
Your bio is a document or piece of “copy” you will use over, and over.
You will use your bio on your website, LinkedIn, and social media posts when you are a guest speaker at industry events in your professional network, or on podcasts.
You don’t want to write something over and over and over again, right? I didn’t think so!
If you create a short and a long bio, you will always have this information on hand. This will save you a TON of time over the long run, so trust me, write your bio FIRST.
Don’t be afraid to lean into AI here.
If you hate writing, you can record yourself on Zoom, use their AI tool to translate your audio, and then pop that into an AI tool to give you a solid first draft.
Remember though – never use AI copy directly. Once you get that first draft using AI, go in and polish up the text personally, so the voice is authentic and truly reflective of you.
I can’t stress the importance of LinkedIn these days. It is much easier to put up a strong LinkedIn profile than it is to build an entire website, so I recommend you start with this marketing channel first.
Accomplishing small tasks and getting traction helps us feel accomplished, boosts our confidence and gives us motivation to tackle bigger projects.
You can easily build out a good LinkedIn profile in a few hours, so get to it!
Not only is LinkedIn a great place for you to market yourself, but it’s also one of THE best places to do some sleuthing when it comes to finding your ideal clients. It’s a place for you to start building relationships, and establish (or expand on) your professional presence.
Remember that first impression thing I mentioned above?
Well LinkedIn could very well be your future clients’ first impression of you.
Your LinkedIn page serves as a virtual introduction to your skills, experiences, and values. Make sure it stands out over other professional profiles using these pro-tips:
1.) Craft a Professional and Engaging Headline
Clearly communicates who you are as a professional and what you have to offer. Something like: “I am a seasoned bookkeeper who loves working with creative professionals.”
2.) Use a High-Quality Profile Photo
Optimally you will have a professional photo, but if that isn’t in your budget right now, have a friend or family member take some headshots for you. You want your photo to be clear and with a background is clean and plain. Make sure this isn’t a casual photo of you on vacation, it should be a clear headshot photo.
3.) Optimize Your Summary
Remember that bio that I told you to write earlier, this is a great time to repurpose it…use it in your LinkedIn summary.
You will want to add some more details here because the summary isn’t just your bio – it’s your opportunity to be strategic with your communication and showcase your accomplishments, your passions, and what you bring to the table that is uniquely you.
It’s okay to keep the tone conversational here but remember your mission – keeping your prospective clients engaged (i.e. keep them reading!) and communicating your expertise.
4.) Dial in Your Skills And Endorsements
Use this feature to showcase your proficiencies and establish credibility. Additionally, here’s where you want to show “social proof”.
“Social proof is the psychological concept that people are influenced in their decision-making by others.”
Reach out to trusted colleagues, current clients, and/or mentors to request endorsements and recommendations.
If you are just starting it is OKAY to collect one endorsement at a time.
One endorsement is better than none! Two is better than one! You have to start somewhere, and even the most successful people start out small.
5.) Regularly Post on LinkedIn!
Be sure to regularly post! This could include links or articles that are relevant to your ideal client – say laws impacting construction if you work with the trades, or reminders about upcoming tax deadlines.
If you aren’t a writer, regularly commenting on other people’s posts, helping them with bookkeeping or accounting questions, can help you get noticed by others.
You can also reuse your social media posts from other social media profiles like Instagram and Facebook, but more on that later.
YOUR WEBSITE
When it comes to your website, this is one place I recommend investing some money.
It’s really hard to DIY a great site, and hiring a pro here is a start up cost and investment in your long-term success. Not only should you consider hiring a designer, but investing in a great copywriter so your website is engaging and informative can pay off in spades here as well.
A great website will be user-friendly, visually appealing and will showcase your bookkeeping services, skills, and expertise.
Yes, there are 5.5. Million businesses create each year, but you still need to stand out against other bookkeeping professionals.
You want a website that will appeal to potential bookkeeping clients creating a great website should be high on your priority list.
KEY INFORMATION TO INCLUDE ON YOUR SITE
- Your credentials – what makes you an outstanding bookkeeper and go-to expert?
- Include your experience, certifications, and areas you specialize in
- Your services – keep this simple and stay away from accounting jargon – use language that is clear and easy to understand
- Client testimonials from satisfied clients. Remember “social proof” people want to see positive reviews before making a “purchase” or choosing to work with you.
- How to contact you – make it EASY – super easy for people for people to get in touch or book a call with you
PRO-TIP!
Did you know that studies show the more information a person has to fill out on a website, the less likely they are to do it?
This means if you have a contact form that asks 8, 10, or a billion questions, chances are prospective clients won’t fill out your contact form! Eeeks – we do not want that to happen.
Keep your contact and discovery call scheduling form to less than 5 fields of information – such as name, email address, website, annual revenue, and/or LinkedIn profile. Less is more here!
I would not ask for someone’s phone number – people are very sensitive about sharing phone information and you don’t want ANYTHING to get in the way of your future clients from completing that contact form, right?
Extra-Credit Homework:
Looking back, the one marketing technique that I wish I leveraged was Google Reviews – and I think they are even MORE important now than they were then.
Optimize your Google My Business listing to improve your local search visibility (in plain English this means if people search for bookkeeping in your area, you are more likely to pop up on page 1).
Like LinkedIn and your website, be sure to provide potential clients with essential information about your business, and how to contact you.
Reach out to your current contact list and send them a link to review your business. Make it EASY for them.
Include precise instructions in the email on how to create the review – you might even want to include a few writing prompts to help them along. Here are some writing prompts for a company called Best Bookkeeping Services:
- “I like Best Bookkeeping Services because (fill in the blank)”
- “Best Bookkeeping Services really excels at (fill in the blank)”
- “I would recommend Best Bookkeeping Services because (fill in the blank)”
You are more likely to get someone to write a review for you if you make it super easy, and very quick to do so.
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Okay so I mightttttttt have an unpopular opinion with this one, but I am not always a huge fan of social media marketing.
Whenever you are engaging in ANY marketing, you need to look at the ROI – or the return on investment.
Everything in life, and especially in business, things always require MTE:
- Money
- Time
- Energy
Social media marketing, especially on Instagram and Facebook, requires an incredible amount of time and energy if you are doing it all on your own, or a lot of money if you are hiring it out.
If you get clients rolling in your door using these channels – by all means carry on.
But if you find yourself creating and editing reels, carousel posts, and stressing out figuring out “what to post next” and you have zero calls on your calendar with potential clients, it’s time to reevaluate this marketing channel.
Where I have seen SMM (social media marketing) work very well is if you have one niche, and one really strong niche and you build your content entirely catered towards those ideal clients – working with restaurants and real estate agents come to mind.
So should you have any social media profiles at all?
Well, that depends, go back to your ICA document. Where are these people hanging out? If you want to work with content creators – by all means YOU MUST market on social media.
If you desire to work with the trades, chances are plumbers, electricians, and masons aren’t online much. And if they are, they probably aren’t looking for a bookkeeper there!
If you do decide to use FB, IG, or YouTube to market your services, be sure to repurpose those posts on LinkedIn. Just bear in mind that posts on social media are generally more friendly and casual in tone, whereas your LinkedIn posts should be more formal.
You also want to post regularly, at least 2-3 times a week. To keep it simple, you could create 20-30 posts and continuously recycle them, but it’s important that your professional profiles “look alive” to potential bookkeeping clients.
If your profile hasn’t seen action for a few months, people might wonder if your bookkeeping business is well…open for business.
BONUS! THE INSIDE SKINNY ON MARKETING
Here’s my dirty little secret: I have spent tens of thousands of dollars on marketing and trying to get bookkeeping clients.
This isn’t a brag – it’s something I am ashamed of.
Much of my marketing “investments” turned out to be wasted money. I have a lot of guilt on how I could have used those funds better (investing it, saving more money for my kids college funds, a down payment on oh say …a rental property!!)
The point is, learn from my mistakes.
You do NOT have to spend a lot of money on marketing. I think the best investment you can make is hiring a great designer and a copywriter for your website.
I bet you are wondering well “What is the best marketing technique?”
Your number on marketing technique is happy clients.
Your best clients will often bring you your best clients.
Recall the expression “Birds of a feather, flock together.”
People who are successful, professional, and share character traits and values usually hang out together. Which means you want your current clients to introduce you to prospective clients. A huge part of your job is building relationships – really strong relationships. Your goal is to create a roster of long-term clients who adore you and pay you thousands of dollars year after year. You should reward people who refer you business by creating referral programs. These can be super simple! Pay someone X amount of dollars for each client they refer to you.
The next question I get is – “How much money should I pay for a referral?”
Ask yourself “How much is a new client worth?” or “How much money would I have to spend on social media, advertising, or marketing technique x,y,z to get a new client?”
When you have that answer, you can design referral programs that are a win/win for everyone and don’t break the bank.
I used to pay $200 for a referral when I first started, and then I started paying out $500 or more, depending on the value of the client. I started paying more money as the price of our services and the value of each client increased.
The point?
Never underestimate the power of networking and word-of-mouth marketing when it comes to getting clients for bookkeeping.
Your biggest assets in your business are your reputation and your relationships – be sure to leverage them!
CONCLUSION
I hope you enjoyed my “How to Get Bookkeeping Clients: A Comprehensive Guide for Bookkeeping Professionals”
Here’s a super quick recap. If you want to find bookkeeping clients, and get bookkeeping clients, or want to know how to get bookkeeping clients from home follow these steps:
- Write Down Your Ideal Customer Avatar
- Get Acquainted with Online Marketing Basics
- Write an Exceptional Professional Bio
- Create a strong LinkedIn Professional Profile
- Create Website (and ultimately hire a designer and copywriter to help you)
- Leverage Google My Business
- Ask for Positive Reviews from Current Clients
- Create a Referral Program
- Focus on Building Relationships and Creating Long Term Clients
I hope you enjoyed this guide – if you did, I would appreciate it if you shared it with your network. If you have any questions, I am only a DM away!
