Let’s talk about personas.
Marketers can reap immense value by narrowing their lead generation campaigns to a specific, detailed audience. Everyone wants a personal experience and they don’t want to be ‘sold.’ So who is “The One” for you? Once you know, you can create marketing that fits perfectly.
Target Client Personas for Maximum CPA Marketing Impact!
Our topic du jour: Client Personas for CPA Marketers. Tailoring your strategies to specific personas is a tried-and-true tactic, but too often we focus on our stuff in niche marketing instead of focusing on the dynamics of change that clients are experiencing. They have fears, aspirations and communication preferences. They also have influencers who they listen to. Do you know who is whispering in their ear about the future? Do you know where they turn to for the truth besides your firm?
Here is an example: The winds of technological change make it appear that compliance work is a dead-end road. In fact, larger firms are already dropping compliance-only clients. However, these dropped clients still need their annual audit by state or federal law. How could some firms lean into that service void and supply a better, cost-effective solution through remote audits and/or automation while also delivering personalized service? If you already have an audit-reliant niche, build the persona and see if there is a business case for your firm to expand it in the future.
Identifying your personas requires a future focus, for sure, but it also means understanding the unique aspects of your market, your services and your business goals.
Here’s a question framework to get started:
NEED – What do clients need to be successful and what defines their success?
SEE – What’s happening and changing in their industries and/or their lives?
HEAR – What do you hear about their struggles?
SAY – What do they say is holding them back? Is it true or can you advise them of other pressing issues and better opportunities?
DO – What do clients tend to focus on rather than what they should focus on?
Ask your shareholders these questions about their current clients. Then interview your current clients and their influencers to help you build 3-5 accurate personas for future lead generation.
What’s the next step? That’s easy! Marketing that is personalized and future focused.
