Episode 114

Digital Marketing Success Strategies for Accounting Firms

MC Carter is the CEO of digital marketing agency, Practice Paradox. Dubbed “the father of modern marketing for accountants”, MC is the pioneer, globally, in advising accountants about modern marketing including blogging and social media. Since founding Practice Paradox in 2009, MC has guided the growth strategies of hundreds of now very successful accounting firms, globally. Shownotes:

  • Despite downward pressure on compliance, still not many accounting firms want to do the non-compliance advisory services
  • It's counter-intuitive, but accounting should revolve more around people than numbers
  • The big problem for the accountants who say they're proactive but are really not
  • FFAM - the secret weapon for accountants who want more advisory business
  • A very practical definition for advisory that should help accountants sell it better
  • Why compliance will never be dead, and how the compliance vz advisory debate is not helpful for accountants
  • The reason why accountants struggle so much with marketing
  • How accountants can overcome their aversion to sales and marketing
  • Beware the 'pony-tail' marketers and silver bullet vendors who sell the wrong things to accountants
  • What makes marketing such a challenge in any business
  • Calling out software, tech and marketing vendors who don't always have the accountant's best interests
  • The biggest mistakes accountants and accounting firms make with their marketing
  • The 3 traits of accountants and accounting firms who really get marketing right
  • The problem with most of the content that accounting firms put out
  • Getting into the mind of a small business client - why it's like being a parent
  • What progressive accounting firms do that most others don't when it comes to marketing and growth
  • How marketing has changed over the years, particularly with the era of digital
  • The dangers of 'interruption marketing' that many accounting firms rely on
  • The critical feature of 'inbound' marketing methods that attract leads to your accounting firm
  • The key challenge for most accounting firms in resourcing their marketing efforts
  • The myth of the 'full-stack marketer' who is good at every marketing specialties
  • What accounting firms should NOT do first when wanting to push marketing and generate leads
  • Why most accounting firms fail to give a strong brief to their marketing function or advisors
  • The three essential things required to bring about lasting change in any area of your life
  • Google 'the professionalism paradox' and find out why boring branding hurts accountants
  • Why accountants are the true trusted advisor for businesses in these troubled times

MC Carter on the Accounting Influencers podcast with BD Academy founder Rob Brown

When not working, MC plays cricket and lives a barefoot beach lifestyle with wife Isabella, teenage son Ned, daughter Milly and dog Jimmy in Queensland, Australia. Contact MC here:

Website and blog

LinkedIn

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About the Podcast

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Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.

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About your host

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Rob Brown

Rob Brown is the founder and host of the Accounting Voices Podcast, the flagship solo show of the Accounting Voices Network. Each episode offers sharp analysis and commentary on the trends, ideas and people shaping the global accounting profession.

Through this Accounting Voices Podcast, Rob helps accounting firm leaders, decision makers and professionals stay relevant and make sense of disruption in areas like AI, automation, M&A, private equity and soft skills beyond the tech. His perspective blends clarity, insight and curiosity, making complex issues relevant and practical for professionals and decision makers across accounting and finance.

He also leads two monthly panel shows, Accounting M&A and Accounting AI, which bring together senior voices to explore consolidation, strategy and the impact of technology on firms and people.

Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and a TEDx speaker whose talk The Personal Brand of You has more than 400,000 views. Over his career he has hosted and moderated more than 1,000 conversations with accounting and fintech leaders worldwide.

Based in Nottingham UK, Rob is a stroke survivor living with epilepsy, a black belt in kickboxing, a decent chess player and an average player of four musical instruments.