There are so many misconceptions about blogging and I am frequently surprised when I encounter bloggers who seek to encourage accountants in general to start blogging. I would stress that I enjoy blogging. This blog now has almost 250 posts on it – built up since 2006. I also write a tax insights and commentary blog for the Tax Advice Network and have a third blog on which I share Accountant jokes and fun.
But I’m not in practice. Given that I’m an enthusiastic blogger and spend a fair part of my time helping accountants to build more successful practices you might expect me to also advocate blogging by accountants. But I don’t.
Here are 5 blogging myths – ie: reasons often given to encourage people to blog regularly and why I think that accountants are different:
Build your credibility - This only works as regards people who see and read your blogs. Most accountants in practice are not seeking to build credibility across the UK, let alone the world. Their target audience is more local than that. Will your target audience (prospective clients, advocates and potential staff) find your blog and read it sufficiently to be influenced?
Enhance your SEO - This refers to ‘Search Engine Optimisation’. How easy is it for your target audience to find you on the web? Not the people who know your name or the name of your practice but those who don’t know you and are looking for someone just like you. Might I suggest that the best starting point here is to arrange for your website to be Optimised before you start blogging – if this is your objective.
It’s fun – I’d agree with that. But then lots of things are fun. How many fun things can you fit into your life? It’s also time consuming. Is it enough fun to warrant the time and effort?
Emphasise your niche – If you have one. During my talks for accountants I often stress the benefits of focusing on a niche and of highlighting a specialism. The strength of the argument for doing this sometimes comes as a shock after years of trading as accountants to anyone and everyone. But if you do have a niche then the same points apply in the ‘credibility’ para above.
Distinguish yourself from the others - I’m a great advocate of the idea that it’s ‘more important to be different than to be better.’ But those features that distinguish you need to be evidently of benefit to your target clients. Being 7 foot tall and always carrying a bright green briefcase will make you memorable but do those differences benefit anyone? In the same way, will anyone feel that they are getting more value for money or a better service simply because you are a regular blogger?
The other side of the coin
I’ve been blogging here for over two years now. The frequency of my posts varies but it seems to average about 3 per week. I get to post my thoughts and ideas here to help readers and I am then able to collate the posts to create articles for the press and for other websites. I also often adapt my blog posts to create supporting material for my courses and seminars for accountants.
I am aware of a relatively small number of accountants in practice who seem to enjoy blogging. I know of far more who gave it a try and then gave up. The benefits didn’t live upto the hype. I don’t think that’s a reflection on the accountants. I think it’s more to do with the hype.
What do you think? Please add your views as comments to this post.
I blogged for about three years. I enjoyed it but it took up a great deal of time and it didn’t bring me any clients despite trying to fight “small business’s corner”.
I had a direct link from our local paper’s website. Existing clients in general weren’t really interested.
I decided my time could be spent better elsewhere.
I blog regularly about accounting, tax and business growth. The blog has been going since September 2007 and has (to me) an astonishing number of subscribers and visitors.
My existing clients enjoy it because (they tell me) when they discuss accountants with other businesses, which seems to happen a lot, no other accountant locally bothers. It helps my clients feel they belong to something special and allows prospective clients to get an insight into me and how I work before they contact me – which invariably happens.
I also ran a recruitment drive back in March 2008 and it was interesting to see which of the applicants had bothered doing any research before coming to the interviews – it helped give me an insight into them as well!
My clients also know they can request articles on any relevant topics that may be of interest to a wider audience and good suggestions are always rewarded by me.
I will not stop blogging for all the reasons above, but also because it forces me keep very up to date with what is happening around us.
I have also been contacted by a prestigious business website to contribute articles there because of my blog.
Google likes blogs that are regularly updated and I read all searchs that end up on my blog and see them as a constant source of new articles – as that is what people are searching for at the time.
Businesses – accountants included – really miss out on spectacular returns and posture if they don’t blog.
Excellent blog Mark and I believe that this point about local / national / international is a very important issue.
My business coaching blog draws traffic from all over the world which in some ways is nice but as my services are only provided to UK clients, it means that 80% of visitors are not relevant to my main marketing message.
I do wonder if there is scope for provincial blogs that provide local news and can profile clients.
The problem that I see among those looking at this medium is that they’re failing to understand the ‘new’ thinking that’s needed to make blogging (or for that matter any form of new media) work for them.
As a former professional in practice who had 10+ years of professional writing under my belt before entering this medium I had the same problem in the beginning. I was bringing old style thinking to a new medium that offers a different potential. It failed miserably.
Fortunately, I saw what was happening fairly quickly, moderated my position, relaunched, learned from my mistakes and have gone on to enjoy both direct and indirect success.
The real key is in having something over which you’re passionate that your intended audience can relate to. There are plenty of component parts to that but it IS a learning exercise.
I’ve watched as several colleagues have built multi-level businesses out of blog activity and am doing the same. It’s all a matter of understanding the medium, what it can do for you and responding accordingly.
Stuart – I wondered where your blog had gone, I kept trying to find it!
Dennis – may I ask what your criteria was for your initial blogging “failing miserably”? Lack of comments? Negative feedback? No custom as a result? I’m curious because I’m just getting back into the blogosphere.
Thanks
M
Hello Mark,
It’s interesting to see how much the world is changing – two years ago you wrote this blog about NOT advocating blogging for accountants. Your post is well written, and I agree that your comments were probably right for two years ago.
However, social media is now a viable marketing channel for all professions, including accountants. Implemented correctly a social media strategy – which has to include a blog for maximum impact – can be as successful as any other marketing channel, e.g. telemarketing, direct mail, networking. I know many professionals who are able to source a healthy and profitable stream of local clients via their social media activity.
I advocate that social media is just one part of the marketing mix for any size of professional practice.
And finally, if you want to use social media effectively to attract new clients, then a well written blog is a must.
Many thanks for this Helen.
The world IS changing, accountants (generally) are not.
I agree that social media is much more mainstream than it was when I wrote this blog.
However, in my view, the myths about which I wrote remain true today.
Social media is ONE option re marketing for new clients. I’m not convinced it’s the best one for the average accountant – even if he/she is looking to grow their practice (and most are not trying to do that anyway).
I’ve got mixed feelings about blogs but a couple of things not mentioned so far…
1) Blogs can be an efficient and effective alternative to updating websites
Some firms really struggle to maintain their websites and blogs can be a great alternative, especially considering the range of plug ins. Larger firms tend to agree everything by committee to the point that nothing gets done quickly enough and smaller firms struggle with resource. I’ve seen some really good examples of blogs being used as websites and they come across as more current, fresh, and informative that stale corporate sites that just talk about us, us, us.
2) Blogs can encourage people to work themselves more into the business than out of it!
I think this can be a danger for the one-man band with designs to grow as that key person then spends their time doing too much blogging themselves rather than make use of guest blogs, or delegate to others to do on their behalf, whilst trying to juggle other business priorities.
3) Blogs are fab for relevant and interesting detail
Sometimes it’s not appropriate to post a paragraph on a website with some detailed information and accountancy is full of these opportunities. Blogs take people straight to what they were looking for. It’s good for SEO and capturing long tail word searches and people can talk about the detail in an informative and conversational manner on a blog that would be out of context on a website.
4) Blogs show personality and business approach
They can demonstrate whether people are upbeat about business or always grumbling about something or other. They can give people a feeling of whether they would like to do business with that person or not.
I think it is fascinating to see how blogging and facebook business pages are changing how people present their businesses online
You make some really valid points Mark, especially about time and credibility. I encourage my accountant clients to blog despite the drawbacks. As to SEO, blogging means that your site is updated regularly and encourages users to return. I regard blogging as another communication tool to enable you to talk to your clients and potential clients. True, it could prove a fruitless exercise and a total waste of valuable time – but at least an accountant who blogs or dabbles in other forms of social media, will be able to provide firsthand knowledge when an existing client enquires about its use and its effectiveness. How many times do you hear accountants saying that their clients ask them for advice on a wide range of issues? There are many tools at our disposal in the communication arena – it’s impossible to use them all. You have to find which works best for you, and you won’t know until you try. Keep blogging Mark – yes, as you point out it can be fun, and that fact alone can help you differentiate from your competitors!
Thanks Simon – appreciate your comments.
I am indeed still blogging. This blog for ambitious professionals now has over 400 posts on it. My Taxbuzz blog is catching up fast and my accountant jokes and fun blog has over 500 items on it.
For me, blogging is great. However I remain doubtful of the value of blogging to the average accountant or professional adviser for all the reasons stated above. But as long as they go into it with their eyes open, it’s their choice.
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