Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
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May 2015 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com 15 MARKETING IN PRACTICE Great Storytellers Get The Girls Te folks telling these captivating stories aren't holding some great secret. Te fact is that anyone can tell a story. Ye s , a n y o n e . A n d t h a t i n c l u d e s accounting professionals. Te greatest of storytellers have simply taken the time to defne what makes their product or service outstanding, joted down the juiciest nuggets, and developed a compelling plot. You can do this, too. We all can. You don't have to be a gifed writer to develop good content. You do, however, need to understand the basics. Te following tips were fashioned to help you channel your inner stor y- teller…no mater how deep you think she may be buried. Everyone can tell a story Te frst and probably most important step is recognizing that everyone can be a storyteller and has good stories to tell. Take yourself out of the accountant role for a moment to understand that, as individuals, we tell personal stories all the time—about our kids, sporting events, or humorous mishaps for example. Telling stories is an integral part of our lives; it's how we connect with other individuals. Te same is true for how we talk about our businesses— how we spin the tale of the company's history or services ofered. To get you started, considered a few questions to ask yourself and others. Any one of these can easily spark a story idea: • Why did you start your frm? • What was the passion behind it? • W hat memorable experiences have you had as an entrepreneur? • What pain points did you encounter and how did you overcome them? • What pain points did you identify for your clients and how did you solve their issues through your services? • What are the biggest lessons learned? On frst glance, these may seem like simple questions, but they can unleash a world of information once you really dig in. Coming up with a good story is like meeting a cool new person—you can't uncover their level of coolness without asking a few questions. Keep your eye on the client At the heart of your story should be, well, your heart—your clients. Tese are the people that keep your business pulse pumping. Tink about their needs and interests—the very people who will, hopefully, be consuming your stories. Ask yourself: " W hat stories would they want to hear?" Great story- tellers make a connection with their audience, and the best way to connect is to put your clients at the center of your plot. And don't forget about where to publish your content. Knowing the channels where your clients tend to consume content is important. For example, posting all your content to your website only restricts your reader- ship, especially if you have clients who get a lot of information from Facebook or Twiter. Te best advice is to spread it around and put your content into as many channels as you can (e.g., Face- book, Twiter, Google+, a dedicated blog on your website, etc.). Collect, review, recycle If you look intently enough, you'll fnd fantastic stories everywhere. In the age of content marketing, businesses are taking great strides to develop helpful, useful information, and publishing it all over cyberspace. Review other frms' stories for inspiration. You should also be collecting ideas internally from your employees, clients, and vendors—even ask family members. Pose a simple question: "W hat do you think makes our firm great or different from the others?" Ask a variety of people, and you'll get a variety of answers—all good stock for a bigger and beter story. Just do it Te biggest obstacle for most people, even experienced writers, is getting started. No one likes the cold refection of a blank monitor. You just have to jump in and start writing your ideas down. Start simple. You could, for example, begin with telling the story of why you started your frm or why you've made recent changes. Did you identify a problem and want to solve it? Are you a passionate entrepreneur who wants to make the profession beter? Are you running a technology savvy frm to meet the needs of a digitally driven client base? Do you have a mission to bring sexy back? Whatever your story, no one knows it better than you. So tell it. People will listen. No sugar coating here. It will take work; and it may even take a village (remember to talk to those around you for ideas, staf, vendors, family), but you can be a great storyteller if you put your mind, and keyboard, to it. By Kristy Short, Ed.D Kristy Short, Ed.D, is president of rwc360, LLC ( rwc360.com )— a frm dedicated to providing branding , marketing , and public relations services exclusively to the accounting profession. She is also a professor of English and marketing. Reach her at kristy@rwc360.com . W ell, not really the girls, but they do get a lot of atten- tion—in this, the era of content marketing. Devel- oping magnetic stor ies (content) is how companies convince over- whelmed, information-overloaded end-users that there is something worth their time and atention. It's how they pull consumers in; how they make them pause, even for a brief moment, to listen to what is being said about their product or service.