Author Archives: Karen Reyburn

Xerocon 2016 Day One: Content, community, and clients

I would say Xerocon day one is just ending, but it’s more apt to say

Good design makes for great content

Good content makes your accountancy firm marketing more powerful. But how do you get great

Your accountancy firm brand is far more than your logo

One of the foundational elements of your content marketing journey is your brand. And by

Choosing the content that fits your niche (or audience)

When it comes to generating content for your accountancy firm marketing, generic doesn’t work. Simply

Why a niche is critical for accounting firm marketing

It is no longer enough to simply market your accountancy firm.   First, digital marketing has

How the buyers of accountancy services actually buy

The more I work with accountancy firms on their marketing, the more I see how

7 reasons you need to attend Xerocon

It’s my professional opinion that Xerocon is THE technology conference for accountants. And, having been

Using social media and SEO for lead generation

Is social media the answer? Or is SEO the answer? When it comes to social

Why your accounting firm needs a branding identity

When you think of Apple, it’s likely that their clean, white website comes to mind.

BITE
On BITE 2015 and the power of events by accountants

Last week one of our clients ran what one of the Xero team remarked was

Downton Abbey and the changing landscape for accountants

Just as Downton Abbey addresses the changing landscape in Britain, there could very well be

Marketers make the worst shoppers. And, personable and practical customer service makes up for just about anything.

I will admit this: as a marketer, I make a terrible shopper. I’m constantly evaluating

Guess what, accountants: You’re doing great.

Having read this article on “Why law and accounting firms struggle to innovate”, I thought

You don’t need all your ducks in a row. You just need one duck.

Accountants are particularly prone to wanting to have all their ducks in a row before

Thoughts on Accounting Web’s Practice Excellence Conference #PEP15

This week I had the opportunity to be part of the AccountingWeb Practice Excellence Conference

Three critical elements for a high performing website: content, traffic and conversion

Websites are no longer glorified brochures. They are highly interactive, well-designed, high-performing machines that generate

Why you the accountant should never write website content

Writing website content is the worst possible use of your time as an accountant, and

Frame your marketing to turn people away

Most of us spend our marketing efforts trying to get prospective clients to come. Buy

Accountants, remember the emotional side of marketing

The best marketing always taps into the emotions of the buyer. Whether you’re selling a

Marketing your accountancy firm prices

Whether you’re looking over your shoulder at the prices other accountants are using, or staring

When your event is over, the real work begins

Running an event of any kind for your accountancy firm is exciting. Whether it’s a

The typical blog post process for an accountant

By now, most accountants have come round to the fact that you “should be blogging”.

Keep it simple

This is a root concept of all the best marketing, and the more marketing we

How to lose clients and influence nobody

This week’s tip, I am sad to say, is a real-world scenario that happened to

Market by issue, not by product or software

It’s so tempting in your marketing to focus on what you want to sell. You

10 suggestions from other Xero accountants on where to start

As I mentioned in last week’s post, one of my strong recommends if you’re looking at

Xero Roadshow: Brighton and Birmingham

Over this and the next few weeks I’ll be presenting at a series of Xero

Get a free website from The Profitable Firm

At The Profitable Firm, we’re all about giving back. And websites are one of the

Content: Why It Almost Doesn’t Matter What You Say

I take a great risk writing this marketing tip – after all, almost my entire

‘Let’s Try the Blue Instead of the Green and See What Happens’

Last week during Xerocon there was naturally some conversation around the ‘Xero vs SAGE’ debate.

Paul Redmond of RDA shares his outsourced marketing experience

We were busy with the iphone video testimonials at Xerocon 2015. It was such an

Thoughts from Xerocon on High Performing Accountancy Firms

After spending two days at Xerocon London this week, I was struck almost forcibly by

Paul Barnes on the old way of looking at marketing ROI

At Xerocon 2015 this year, we grabbed a quick video with one of our clients,

Thoughts on Xerocon, Day One

I have five minutes while getting ready for the Xerocon Awards Dinner, and I thought

Live Chat On Your Accountancy Firm Website: Why Bother?

If you’ve visited any of the websites we’ve designed for other accountancy firms, you’ll notice

The (Not So) Powerful Google Plus

UPDATE: After an email from a fellow accountancy consultant of mine, Mark Lee, I discovered

Does Your Accounting Business Have A Split Personality?

The other week I was talking to an accountancy firm about their website and marketing

Rising Above Tax Season

  It’s tax season (In the UK, at least.) Whether you’re in the UK or

Imitate, don’t copy. (9 Tips for Borrowing Ideas)

It’s tempting to just copy what other accountants or doing. Or to copy what anyone

You’re doing well. Keep up the great work.

Many of you who are following my marketing tips may at times feel that every

How to Really Get Things Done (Set Deadlines)

A terrible failing in many accountants is the habit of waiting until you have it

What Are Hashtags And How Do I Use Them?

#hashtag #profitablefirm #whatevenisahashtag Hashtags are everywhere online, particularly social media. But what are they, and

Hire An Expert, And Then Get Out Of Their Way

When it comes to marketing, working with an expert is the way to go. Actually,

Give Thanks

Every year at this time, my marketing tip for the week is simply this: Give

Stop staring at your competitors and look instead at your clients and prospects

One of the classic mistakes accountants make when it comes to marketing is spending an

Your website may be 84 years old in Internet Time

If I ask how old your dog is, and you tell me she’s 13 years

Why Strategy is An 8-Letter Word for Accountants

Lately, I’ve been discovering that strategy is an 8 letter word for accountants. This is

Showcase The Exciting (Your Clients)

Following a previous tip in which I encouraged accountants to embrace the boring, today’s tip

Apps and Systems that Karen Uses and Likes

My marketing tip this week was a recommendation from Rose, one of our amazing team

Choosing A Tagline For Your Accountancy Firm

Having a ‘tagline’ for your accountancy firm can be a good idea. It can be

Google and SEO for Accountants at the ICAEW Growing Your Practice

Yesterday I had the opportunity to speak to a group of ICAEW accountants about Google

The top 3 Things You Don’t Have: Time, Content, and Engagement

One of the great blogs I read this week was on infographics, and one of

Embrace The Boring

Many accountants I have spoken to have almost a sheepish attitude towards their own work

gobal social programme for accountants
The biggest mistake I made in outsourcing

Recently I was asked what was the biggest mistake I’ve made when outsourcing, and naturally

Dominate, Don’t Dabble

Every once in a while I hear a phrase that just sticks with me. I 

Social Media for Accountants – A Recap of Karen’s ICAEW talk

This week I was one of the speakers at the ICAEW Practice Expo in London,

Online or Offline Marketing?

Here at the Profitable Firm, we put all our attention and resources into online marketing. 

Social Media for Accountants at the ICAEW Practice Expo 2014

I’ve recently been asked to speak at the ICAEW Practice Expo in London on the

Should your accountancy firm have an app?

Look, I know it’s the latest fad, and every marketer-to-accountants is telling you that having

The Power of the Instant Response

Your potential buyers are beginning to expect an instant response to everything. The 24-7, social

Profitable Firm approved as Growth Voucher Advisor (Marketing Strategy)

Great news! If you need marketing strategy work, you could get up to £2,000 in

How Can I Get My Accountancy Firm To Number One on Google?

One of the greatest myths among the accountancy industry is the desperate need to “get

5 Steps for Marketing Your Practice (courtesy of Xero)

By now you’ll know that we at the Profitable Firm are pretty big fans of

When Your Accountancy Firm Website Looks Nice, But Doesn’t Deliver

One of the challenges you will face when having a new accountancy firm website built

The typical accountant marketing spend in a 12 month period, and why it doesn’t work

Having worked with (and for) accountants for nearly 20 years, I’ve learned a little about

The top 11 emotions of the accountant faced with new marketing opportunities (Part 2)

Last week I covered the 11 emotions many of you feel when presented with a

The top 11 emotions of the accountant faced with new marketing opportunities (Part 1)

Having worked with (and for) accountants for nearly 20 years, I’ve learned a little about

Freedom for Your Accountancy Firm

Today is the 4th of July. America’s Independence Day, and the day on which my

Networking Made Easy….with Legos

This week we came across a brilliant post by our friend Andy Bounds, on networking. 

Javier and the Treehouse (or, Why Your Accountancy Firm Should Outsource)

A few months ago I was visiting my family in the States. My dad has

Why do you think Xero is good for future accounting business?

“Why do you think Xero is good for future accounting business?” “Will cloud systems put

Accountants Got Talent? Marketing Thoughts on #BGT2014

Last week I caught up on Britain’s Got Talent 2014.  I can’t tell which is

How To Choose a Website Designer for Your Accountancy Firm Website

So, your accountancy firm needs a new website. How in the world do you choose

How Millennial Is Your Accountancy Firm?

One of the things accountants are facing today is the fact that your prospects are

Potterjourney -harry potter lego
How Accountants Should Be Like Harry Potter (Wizards Who Make Their Clients Rich)

This week on Twitter, I read a comment that really struck me: Accountants are like

Website interaction: Turn your website visitors into customers pt 2

Following last week’s blog about how to turn your website visitors into customers, by now

Should Your Accountancy Firm Use Infusionsoft?

Last week I shared my thoughts on ICON14, the annual conference (more like a family

Accountex2014: Gary Turner Preaches Truth in Cloud Accounting

Last week I spent the day at #Accountex2014. If you haven’t been before, it’s a

Turn your website visitors into customers (part 1)

Lots of accountants focus on website visitors – how can I get them, and how

Thoughts on ICON14 for Accountants: Culture Matters

After 3 years of using Infusionsoft for our marketing and CRM system, this year I

Should you DIY or outsource your video production?

If you’re going to use video as part of your accountancy firm’s website and online

27 Ideas for Website Calls to Action

I’ve shared in a previous post the principles of good website calls to action.  Now

Why online marketing means accountants don’t have to sell anymore

Selling. Most accountants avoid it like the plague. Great news: You’re absolutely right to do

7 Things Your Accountancy Firm Should Never Do on Twitter

Last week we looked at 13 things your accounting firm can and should post on

13 Things Your Accountancy Firm Can Post on Twitter

When your accountancy firm is ready to start using Twitter regularly, the first question you’re

Coming up with Video Content for your Accountancy Firm

For accountancy firms, video content may seem a little hard to come by. Unless you’re

4 Epic Pitfalls to Buying An Email List

This post comes to you courtesy of Dave Coghlan, who’s currently working with Experian on

4 Ways for Accountants to Build an Email List

This post comes to you courtesy of Dave Coghlan, who’s currently working with Experian on

Website Calls To Action

Accountants are beginning to realise that their website – and all the various landing pages

Social Media = Content + Engagement

If you’re going to use social media for your accountancy firm, one of the first

5 Steps to Creating a Hyper Efficient Organisation (by John Leishman)

This week we’re happy to provide a guest blog courtesy of John Leishman, who is

We love helping accountants with online marketing

It’s Valentine’s Day today. For many accountants, perhaps this is just another day at the

Pros and cons of ghost blogging for your accountancy firm

One of the ways to get your accountancy firm noticed in terms of expertise is

End of Tax Season Celebration and Party and… Marketing?

You did it! Congratulations, it’s the 1st of February! The UK tax season is officially

I See Fire: Getting online marketing projects completed in one day.

If you haven’t seen the new installment of the Hobbit films (“The Desolation of Smaug”),

The Marketing Poirot: Detective work for your online marketing

One of the greatest conundrums for accountancy firms in online marketing is the fact that

Thoughts on Innovation for Accountancy Firms in the New Year

I recently finished watching the film ‘Jobs‘. I plugged in my Apple earbuds, watched the

How your accountancy firm can track its marketing spend properly.

I have no doubt that your accountancy firm tracks its marketing spend closely.  Most likely,

Xero and the Accountancy Firm’s Mindset Change

Taking on Xero for your accountancy firm will probably be one of the best decisions

Happy Thanksgiving!

Every year at this time, my marketing tip for the week is simply this: Give