Promoting CPAs in a time of complexity, crisis
May 7, 2021 | Corey Butler
The past year has been, well, nuts.
That said, CPAs have been relied upon more than ever for their expert decision-making skills. As Donny Shimamoto put it, the pandemic turned CPAs into emergency workers helping families and business owners navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic.
To highlight this message, we created a public relations campaign that ran from November through March to inform people exactly how CPAs can safeguard them through a crisis. Below is a summary of these efforts.
Marketing brochures promoting CPA services
MNCPA members were offered three different marketing brochures to promote their services: tax planning and preparation, estate planning, and client accounting services (CAS). Each brochure was updated to reflect the recent challenges taxpayers were navigating during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Results:
- 13,150 total client brochures distributed
- 5,550 tax
- 4,200 CAS
- 3,400 estate
Google and Bing ads guided CPA seekers to MNCPA Referral Service
Members every year are offered an opportunity to have their firm listed in our CPA Referral Service. We promote this search tool on Google and Bing to help Minnesotans find the right CPA to meet their needs.
Results:
- 2,574 unique referral searches completed from Dec. 1–March 31.
- 41,304 total impressions of our Google and Bing ads.
Facebook ads received record engagement
Right up there with Google, social media is where people seek referrals and recommendations. We made sure our members were part of the conversation by posting Facebook ads throughout February. This year’s results broke all records for clicks and reactions!
Results:
- 4 Facebook ads throughout February
- 134,861 users reached
- 2,343 clicks
- 76 reactions
Media interviews feature CPA experts
When reporters needed a tax-related story, they turned to the MNCPA for subject matter experts. Our pool of media-trained spokespeople stepped up to the plate again, breaking down complex stories into understandable key messages.
Highlights:
- Your 2020 tax questions answered, MPR News
- Order and chaos: The trickiest parts of taxes this season, Accounting Today
- Tips for filing your taxes in a potentially complicated year, KARE 11
- Minnesotans who got extra unemployment payments could see big tax bills this year, MinnPost
- Small businesses that took PPP aid may face a tax problem, Star Tribune
Are you interested in helping with next year’s public relations efforts? Contact Corey Butler at
cbutler@mncpa.org.
Topics: Clients, Business Development, MNCPA Programs & Activities, Reputation
Corey Butler
Corey Butler is the MNCPA communications manager, working to enhance the professional reputations of members through content, media relations and public affairs. He's been with the MNCPA since 2013. Corey keeps busy outside of the MNCPA spending time with his wife and children, serving on his local school board, volunteering in his community and catching up on long-lost hobbies. Corey enjoys the works of John Steinbeck and Rankin/Bass Productions, and Paul Bunyan, Robin Hood and Santa Claus lore. You may reach him at 952-885-5530 or cbutler@mncpa.org.
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