The phrase ‘influencer marketing’ might conjure up some very specific images. Preppy YouTube stars sharing discount codes. Flawless Instagram models basking in the Dubai sun selling diet shakes. Viral Twitter comedians peddling sunset bedroom lighting under their jokes. These consumer markets are well established and oversaturated, but what about influencer marketing for accounting firms and other B2B organisations?
B2B influencer marketing is just as prevalent and profitable as its B2C counterpart – it just looks a little different. In fact, because B2B influencer marketing isn’t as established as consumer influencer marketing, now is a great time to start reaching out to influencers. 89% say ROI from influencer marketing is comparable to or better than other marketing channels. Influencer marketing for accounting firms is an especially underutilised strategy, so it’s about time we caught up with B2C markets and started collaborating!
If B2B influencers aren’t social media stars, who are they?
They could be C-Suite executives within large corporations, keynote speakers, best-selling authors, or thought leaders. It’s easy, really – an influencer is an individual that holds sway, or influence (told you it was easy), over your industry.
Let’s take a look at some examples of influencers that might improve marketing for accounting firms. Here’s a handful of popular UK-based influencers within the industry to keep an eye on:
1. Larysa Melnychuk
Larysa is the Managing Director of the FP&A Trends Club and Founder of the London FP&A Club. She’s a guiding figure in the financial planning and analysis sector – especially considering her seminars with FP&A professionals from around the world. Within these seminars, they discuss trends, create realistic models for practitioners, and finally they distribute their knowledge through various articles and webinars.
2. Steve Morlidge
When it comes to forecasting, there’s no better expert than Steve Morlidge. He’s largely associated with the Beyond Budgeting movement where he provides valuable insight on how improved forecasting can improve behaviour. As a frequent seminar leader and speaker, Steve shares practical tips and inspiration on transforming accountancy work and becoming an all-around better businessperson.
3. Andy Burrows
Andy is the Founder, CEO and CFO of SuperchargedFinance.com. From his hugely popular site, he writes about anything and everything that is the finance function. In between all that, Andy is also a keynote speaker and a freelance consultant that conducts training sessions for finance professionals.
These three aren’t the only influential people in accountancy. They’re just the few that we’ve highlighted. There are thousands of influencers out there that are ready and willing to connect with your brand. From the big name CEOs and thought leaders to micro-influencers, always make sure to research the individuals you reach out to and ensure that they align with your brand values.
What about content?
Remember that, as a B2B organisation, the content we create is going to look very different from B2C influencers. Less sunning it up abroad and more board-room insights. Any content you create needs to be shareable, consumable, and easy to spread across a range of channels. It also should be as easy as possible for the influencer to assist in content creation. You’re collaborating with incredibly busy people and a lengthy, complicated process could deter them. Or, worse, you could end up with lacklustre content.
It’s for these reasons that interviews are so popular. They don’t take up too much of the interviewee’s time, they’re widely shareable and can be distributed across a range of channels. A 15-minute video interview could be turned into a podcast, an article, shorter video snippets and a collection of key quotes. Send it out over email in a newsletter, put it on LinkedIn, use it to boost SEO. Whatever you do, just make sure to distribute your new content as far as you can. Your organisation gets more out of its content and your audience gets a wealth of information. It’s a win-win!
Influencer marketing for accounting firms doesn’t just stop at digital content, though. Like the influencers we’ve already spoken about, hosting offline events is a great way to generate buzz for your business. Hosting events with thought leaders like seminars with just a handful of attendees creates a much wider reach than a single interview.
Maintaining relationships
One of the most important aspects of influencer marketing for accounting firms is maintaining a great relationship with your influencers. If you’re hosting annual events to get your accountancy firm’s name out there, you’ll need a good reputation to carry you through. Even when it comes to influencer marketing for accountants, everyone wants to feel special and appreciated. Even CEOs!
By creating a community of influencers that you’ve worked with, you can encourage them to work together, feel included, and maybe even foster a healthy sense of competition. Starting a messaging group, like WhatsApp, is a great way to make all your influencers feel included and a part of something bigger. It’s also a super-effective way to distribute new ideas and content directly to your influencers for them to discuss!
To discover how we can help your accounting firm make influencer marketing a success, check out our service page here, or contact us today for a free consultation.
