So you’re ready to really get into video for your accountancy firm.
You realise it’s powerful and effective, and you see everyone else doing it.
But the ROI question hovers. How will recording a few videos actually convert website visitors or prospects into clients?
Wrong thinking. Back up.
These days, nothing on its own directly converts people.
The point of content marketing is that you do all the things – blogging, website pages, email, social media, video, social ads, etc., etc., and eventually people connect with what suits them best and get in touch.
It really is our experience that most people don’t even know themselves why they decided to buy. It happens with accountants who have connected with PF in some way. They attended a webinar, downloaded a few free things, saw us on social. And it just so happened that the day they were ready they got the email, saw the advert, attended the event, watched the video, and finally clicked the button to buy.
That being said, my personal experience and that of our accountant clients is that video is huge for causing people to convert faster. Here’s why.
1. You’ve given them a stronger opportunity to feel like they know you before they’ve ever met you.
You the accountant are building trust.
That trust is built easier when they have seen you, heard you, listened to the way you speak, connected with you, liked you. (And if they watch videos and don’t like you, and decide to go elsewhere, why would you want them as a client anyway?)
For example, I started recording videos to send with our proposals recently.
I’ve discovered that people agree to a proposal (or more things in it) almost 90% faster when I send the proposal with a video. Without a video, they often still decide to go ahead, but they sign up for fewer things or they take 3-9 months to decide.
Some of the reason for that is that I’m able to answer in the video a lot of the questions they have when viewing the proposal – so it speeds up the process and helps build confidence. It isn’t always the case of course – sometimes they decide not to go ahead at all. But at least we have a conversation about it. (And most accountants watch the video and say, “Oh, that’s smart…I need to do that for my clients”.)
2. It makes your prospecting process much more efficient and scalable.
We have a few clients who use video for their entire enquiry/onboarding process.
Once someone enquires, the prospect is immediately are sent to a landing page with a video from the firm owner explaining what’s coming next – the discovery call, a questionnaire, whatever.
Once the discovery call is held, the prospect is sent to another page, with another video, this time thanking them for their time and sharing a few key points relevant to those who have a call like that.
When the proposal is sent, there’s another video along with it.
And on it goes.
The prospect is walked through every step of the customer journey with videos produced by the firm owner.
That way, the firm can sell more because the owner doesn’t have to be in every sales call. (Oh, and when it comes to ROI, in the first four months they added £100k to their turnover, and they’ve increased their average fee by almost £700/month as well.)
3. So few accountants are doing it that you will stand out.
Despite the fact that you the accountant are absorbing video everywhere, you’re still not implementing it into your own business.
That’s great news for the few accountants who are.
It will make you stand out.
My own accountants send me a video every month going through the previous month’s accounts, highlighting results and pointing out how those results are moving us towards our two-year goals.
The video is only 10-20 minutes long at the most. And some months I’m a little late for our scheduled call because I forgot to watch the video first. (I’ll give credit to my client manager David who always wisely says, “Not to worry – I’ll wait while you watch it.” He knows it will make our call more effective when I’ve seen the video first.)
After a few months of doing things this way, David asked if I still wanted the PDF reports. I said no, because if I want detail I’ll go directly into Xero and find it; and because I want to look forward, not backwards. Why do I need a folder with a bunch of PDF reports from eight months or eight years ago? I could run those reports in Xero anytime I want. What I need is staying on top of my game and being current with my business’ numbers, and the video helps me do that.
This video from Paul Gough, a physical therapist, backs me up on this. (Are you seeing the pattern here? The power of video? Okay cool carry on watching it.)
“I don’t want numbers. I don’t even want to see a P&L, a balance sheet. All the stuff that juices you, does not juice the business owner. At all. Categorically. What juices the business owner is what those numbers can do for them.” Paul Gough
4. Most people prefer to consume things visually.
You the accountant are used to numbers. Your mind works that way, and when you look at a Gsheet or an Excel spreadsheet or a pile of paperwork, you can swiftly organise those numbers and details into something that makes sense.
You can explain it well to others, too. That’s why you’re a great accountant. They hire you to do that summarisation, to get that explanation. To take a year’s worth of numbers and say “I think your main problem is the fact that this product is not profitable” or “If you asked for a deposit up front, your cash flow situation would sort itself out”.
So take that amazing ability, and use video to showcase it.
Your clients will appreciate it. They’ll be far more likely to understand it. And they will thank you for it.
Oh, and to give you some inspiration, here’s a video I recorded recently to explain about our new Accelerator programme. We’ve got website pages and posts on social and blog posts…and also video.