1. Google Ads and Facebook Ads

Utilizing paid advertising platforms like Google Ads and Facebook Ads can be an effective strategy to reach a wider audience and generate leads for your bookkeeping services.

Google Ads: With Google Ads, you can create targeted ads that appear in search results when potential clients are actively looking for bookkeeping services. Set up relevant keywords, ad copy, and a compelling call-to-action to attract clicks and drive traffic to your website. You can also target specific locations to reach local clients. It’s important to optimize your landing page to provide clear information about your services and encourage visitors to take action, such as contacting you or requesting a consultation.

Facebook Ads: Facebook Ads allow you to create ads that appear in the Facebook news feed or sidebar, targeting users based on their demographics, interests, and behaviors. This can be particularly useful for reaching small businesses and entrepreneurs who may be seeking bookkeeping services. You can create visually appealing ads with engaging content, such as informative videos or client testimonials. Consider offering a limited-time discount or a free consultation to entice potential clients to take the next step. 

2. Networking

Utilizing networking opportunities can be highly effective in expanding your client base and raising awareness of your bookkeeping services within the local business community. To maximize your networking efforts, consider the following strategies:

Engage with local business associations: Joining local business associations provides a platform to connect with like-minded professionals and potential clients. Attend meetings, seminars, and networking events to build relationships and showcase your expertise in bookkeeping.

Attend industry events: Keep an eye out for industry-specific events, conferences, or trade shows related to bookkeeping. These gatherings offer valuable opportunities to meet potential clients, learn about industry trends, and establish your presence in the field.

Participate in online forums and webinars: Engaging in online communities, forums, and webinars dedicated to bookkeeping allows you to connect with a broader audience. Share your insights, offer helpful advice, and interact with potential clients who may be seeking bookkeeping services.

Leverage personal referrals: Existing clients can be an excellent source of referrals. Don’t hesitate to reach out and ask them if they know of any colleagues, friends, or associates who might benefit from your bookkeeping services. Personal recommendations carry significant weight and can lead to new client opportunities.

3. Offer Subcontracting

If you’re a bookkeeper looking to lighten your workload or expand your business opportunities, collaborating with other bookkeepers can be a beneficial strategy. In the bookkeeping field, it’s common to reach a stage where managing 40 or 50 clients becomes overwhelming for a single individual.

To address this challenge, consider connecting with fellow bookkeepers and expressing your willingness to take on subcontracting work. By doing so, you increase the likelihood of finding potential clients who are seeking assistance with their workload. This collaborative approach allows you to share the responsibilities and benefits of working with a broader client base.

4. Up-work and Other Platforms

An easy way to get more bookkeeping clients right from home is to use Upwork, Freelancer, and similar platforms allow you to bid on job postings. Sign up for an account and look for potential posts that match your expertise. It might take just a few days to find clients on freelance sites.

5. LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the social media platform for professionals, and it has a few ways to get clients:

Post in relevant groups

Message potential clients to introduce yourself

Connect with others

If you look for potential clients on there and message them, you’ll be surprised to see how many others are searching for bookkeeping services.

6. Source Leads from Job Listing Sites

This might not sound like the -best- way to find leads, but it can be a great source of prospective clients. Sites like LinkedIn, Facebook, or even NextDoor often have posts from people looking for specific services.

Those leads are hot, because they’re already expressing interest in exactly what you do. Just make sure to follow the rest of these tips to ensure you close those deals.

7. Encourage Client Testimonials and Social Proof

One surefire way to distinguish yourself from other bookkeeping services is to ask current clients to write testimonials on your behalf. You can add a testimonials page to your website to share these comments or request that they write reviews for you on listing sites like Yelp or Google.

The first step to managing online listings and reviews is to claim your business online, such as with Google My Business; we have a full guide on how to create a Google Business Profile to help you. You can also create a business page on Facebook. Be sure to fill in all the information you can in your profiles, including a list of your specialized services. Create incentives for clients to write reviews of your work and consider offering a small discount. When they do write a review, reply to each one.

8. Write blogs

Chances are, your clients ask a lot of the same questions — and you know the answers. This makes you an expert and you can share your expertise to gain clients.

Blogs are a great way to create engaging, informational, and educational content that your prospective clients will want to read. They’ll appreciate that you’re willing to share what you know for free and you’ll be top-of-mind when it’s time to find a bookkeeper.

Have a page on your business website for your blog content. Include keywords in each blog post and implement search engine optimization (SEO). This practice will allow your website to rank organically higher in search results when people look up bookkeeping-related topics on Google using those exact keywords.

Ask to write guest blogs on relevant sites where your target audience might spend time online, too. Don’t forget to add a backlink to your website so they know how to contact you.

9. Cold Email

Cold email is largely a under-rated method for getting clients. Leverage cold email to get meetings. Cold email is a great tool to maximize your chances of securing meetings and generating meaningful connections. Here are some key steps to leverage cold email effectively:

• Research your target
• Craft a compelling subject line
• Personalize the email
• Hook with an engaging opening
• Clearly state your value proposition
• Call to action
• Follow up strategically
• Maintain professionalism and credibility
• Track and analyze results
• Build relationships, not just meetings

10. Social media marketing

Social media can be a valuable tool for expanding your client base as an accountant or bookkeeper. While numerous platforms exist, LinkedIn is an excellent starting point, enabling you to establish business connections and engage with potential clients at a professional level, even without in-person meetings. For further guidance on leveraging social media effectively, explore the “Social Media Tips for Accountants and Bookkeepers” resource, which offers insights tailored to your field. Embracing social media strategically can enhance your visibility, foster relationships, and attract new clients to your practice.