Video, preferably 1.5-mins to 3-mins (unless you are explaining something more complex), should do the trick.

You can share these videos anywhere: your website, a link in your newsletter, your blog, and of course, any social media page you run. I’ve found Facebook and LinkedIn to be great places to engage with followers and have them re-share your content. Even a good old YouTube page full of clips and tips works wonders.

This isn’t all meant to be prescriptive or ‘preachy’ in any way, but the harsh reality is that delivering on what your clients pay you for is only table stakes. It’s expected, so do the unexpected. Show your worth through communication as well as the work you do.

Getting started

Here’s a plan: if you aren’t producing any content, think about what you know you can do easily, and then schedule it in (i.e. Tuesday is writing day because on Friday, the newsletter goes out by 2pm).

With most content delivery systems like Mailchimp for newsletters and social media schedulers like Hootsuite or Brandwatch, you can plan what gets delivered where and when, and gain powerful performance metrics too.

If you already have a newsletter, create videos and/or post on social media—great! Now, think of how you can enhance it by highlighting some of what I mentioned earlier.

Remember your goals and objectives. Highlight your knowledge, your expertise and remind clients, in a soft but meaningful way, just why they hired you in the first place.

Things to be aware of

I am a firm believer that good content helps build good relationships. So what doesn’t work?

Well, for one, producing nothing. But content that is either overly promotional or doesn’t communicate anything of substance or importance is also damaging. Creating content that is entertaining is fine, so is humor—as long as you are being authentic and engaging.

Inconsistency is also something that does not work. If you do have a newsletter, try to give it some regularity, say, weekly. But make sure you have something useful to share. If not, no problem—instead of weekly, consider sending it monthly. And in between, share interesting content across social media. As long as your social content strikes the right frequency (i.e. regular enough without being overdone), you will be well on your way.

Try not to overthink it

The most important thing is not to overthink it. The philosophy of ‘go with what you know’ applies heavily here. Your clients already know you and trust you with what you do—you know that.

But producing regular content that highlights the fact that you are indeed the expert and are on top of the latest issues that can affect their financial lives will only further enhance that relationship and solidify your future as their accountant or tax pro.

Be honest, be mindful, be consistent, and overall, be you. Your clients will thank you for it.

• To be truly impactful, your content needs to be authentic and purpose-driven.
• Consistency across several platforms is key to establishing and solidifying trust with clients and audiences.
• Don't overthink it—go with what you know, be honest, be mindful, and overall, be you.