The modern accounting practice is a very different beast to firms that have operated in the past. A growing shift towards advisory means client onboarding, marketing strategies, and high-level services need a greater focus. Which means your practice can’t consist solely of staff who will pump out tax return after tax return.

The changes the industry is seeing requires you to look at staff roles and responsibilities that you wouldn’t even have heard of, let alone considered in years gone by. Here are five that you need to take your practice forward.

Social media coordinator

Your inbound marketing plan must include a social media strategy to help promote your brand, communicate your messaging, and engage with existing clients. You might ‘own’ profiles across the popular platforms, and post something every now and then, but this isn’t enough. Don’t make the mistake of overlooking the importance of your social media needs—remember most people now rely on the Internet to discover a new business or service.

With one team member responsible for this, who actually has the time and expertise to put thought into what you’re communicating, you’ll be comfortable in the knowledge that your brand is being represented consistently, professionally and often.

Client onboarding specialist

It cannot be understated how pivotal the client onboarding process is. A new client who has a positive early experience with you will be more likely to stay with your firm long-term, and you’ll have a greater chance of successfully up-selling your services or gaining referrals from them down the track. The time client onboarding takes also affects your other processes and the bandwidth of your team as a whole.

These days, there’s a high chance you’re asking clients to learn new systems or processes. So with the onboarding period being so important, it makes sense that you do everything in your power to ensure they pick everything up as quickly and smoothly as possible. And the most foolproof way is to have a client onboarding wizard who will manage it all, using accounting client onboarding software to automate routine steps so they can focus on client relationships.

Content editor

Another essential part of your inbound marketing plan is content. Well-crafted and original content will position you as an expert in your area of focus, increases your search engine rankings, gives your business a personality—there are many benefits. You need someone in your team who can coordinate and create this.