3 reasons why a strong personal brand is the secret to your accounting firm’s brand

As your firm’s leader, you are the gateway to your firm’s brand, values and culture. If people can understand you as a brand, then they should have an understanding of how you run your business. And that forms a critical part of their decision to become your client or not.

Not only that, building your brand can help you attract top talent (which is especially important during the growing Great Resignation).

Here are three key reasons why investing in your personal brand will help grow your accounting business:

1. Build trust

In yourself as a professional

Potential clients choose brands they can trust. And when they’re looking for an accountant, the value they place on this trust increases. After all, whoever they choose will be tasked with managing and growing their livelihoods.

So, people want to be confident their accountant is knowledgeable, is on top of trends, and is always looking for better ways to help grow their business.

And you can easily demonstrate this by investing in your online presence.

If, as your firm’s leader, you are well-known and active online (and at industry events), providing useful tips and insights, you are demonstrating to potential clients that you are knowledgeable and trusted in your field.

In yourself as a person

At the same token, potential clients want to trust you as a human.

What’s the use of showing people you can be trusted to handle complex tax issues, but don’t connect with them on a human level?

Whatever it is, it’s the human experience that makes them feel safe. And that safety is rooted in trust.

Consider building trust in yourself as a person by being candid online about your experience starting, running and growing your firm.

Think of it like providing people with a peek behind the curtain about your own values, which in turn, paints a picture of your firm’s values, culture, and commitment to clients.

2. Growth

If you’re trying to grow your accounting firm, building your own personal brand can play a critical supporting role.

You might be trying to reach new industries, new geographical client bases, or even just expanding within your niche. Whatever the growth target, building your personal brand will get you there.

When you invest in your personal brand by methodically building an online presence, creating content and sharing your insights, you’re more likely to be invited to share your expertise. You may be asked to:

• Attend industry events

• Speak at webinars

• Guest write for industry platforms like Karbon Magazine

And when you take advantage of these opportunities, you reach wider audiences, putting your firm in front of brand new people.

3. Become a destination employer

Sneaking a peek behind the curtain at your firm isn’t just interesting to potential clients. Potential employees will find this invaluable in understanding you as an employer.

Think of your personal brand as a way to indirectly demonstrate what it’s like working at your accounting firm, what it’s like working with you, and what you value as a person, business leader and mentor.

With more open roles than ever before, taking even the smallest (and unique) steps to become a destination employer will help your efforts to attract and retain top talent.

People connect with people first, and brands second

Maximize your growth efforts by selecting the best ways to grow your accounting business by building your personal brand. Consider it as another prong of your accounting firm’s overall growth strategy. 

Keep in mind three key elements to building your personal brand:

1. Build trust as a professional and as a person

2. Leverage your brand to reach new audiences

3. Attract talent by painting a picture of what it’s like to work at your firm

Of course, there is always the chance that you’re interested in building your own brand as a personal challenge to yourself. The beauty of that is, if you do it well, you will indirectly build trust, attracting new clients and talent—just by being yourself.