The complete guide to accounting copywriting for practices
Whether you hire an accountant copywriter or do the words yourself, here’s how it impacts your practice.
Photo by Dan Dimmock on Unsplash
If you could have anything for your accounting practice, what would it be?
More clients on the books?
A buzzier brand that people recognise at industry events?
Longer relationships with your existing client base?
A pipeline of new leads from your website?
Good copywriting can get you closer to these goals. Because everything comes down to communication, doesn’t it? And as an industry built on healthy relationships, being able to find the right words and use them across your marketing is a business essential.
In this guide, I cover everything you need to know about copywriting for accounting practices and firms. Learn what an accountant copywriter does, how copywriting can benefit your practice, when to hire help, and what to look for in a copywriter. If you get to the end of this guide and still have questions, pop me an email – I’d love to chat.
What is accounting copywriting?
Copywriting moves people to action. A copywriter uses words to convince and convert audiences into customers. Copywriters write the ads that make you want to drop everything and purchase a new toaster, car, or ticket to the zoo. Copywriters write the websites that you always have a full shopping cart with.
Accounting copywriting helps practices move potential clients or existing ones to action. It can help you build trust, brand awareness, and momentum behind new services or the practice itself.
An accountant copywriter combines technical knowledge of tax and business finance with creative flair, making technical topics simple and engaging to the target market. A copywriter who specialises in accounting understands the industry and can help you share the right messages with your target market.
What does an accountant copywriter do?
An accountant copywriter can produce marketing, advertising, and website materials for your practice. It’s not just about words – an accountant copywriter will help you think strategically about what and how you market your practice.
For example, a strategic accountant copywriter can help you figure out which topics to write about on your website or social media to attract new clients. They can also help you define your brand voice, and build a distinctive online presence– so the next time your ideal client is considering hiring an accountant, they think of you first.
The types of projects accountant copywriters work on include:
Website copy
Blogs, guides, and educational content for your website
Adverts
Email campaigns
Social media content
Reports, ebooks, and even onboarding materials for your clients
Ultimately, what a copywriter works on comes down to the individual. Get in touch with an accountant copywriter and ask them what they offer!
Why does copywriting matter for accountants?
When folks are looking for an accountant, they’ll often turn to the internet for recommendations. That’s what I did, when I first started my business.
The challenge is, there are so many practices out there. And a sea of content – websites, blog posts, social media profiles, videos. Standing out amongst the crowd requires a touch of panache.
Effective copywriting – whether that’s on your website, social media, or physical media – captures people's attention. It helps people remember you, build a connection with you. In the same way that an eye-catching painting will make you stop and look in a gallery, the right words can make your future clients stop and take notice of your practice.
Should you hire an accountant copywriter, or do your own copywriting?
Copywriting is a skill – it takes years to hone the craft and learn what works.
But let’s be realistic: copywriting costs money. You might decide to write your own marketing materials or work with AI tools to produce website copy and content. If writing isn’t your thing, then doing your own copywriting will be laborious. Even with an AI tool. It’ll take time – time that could be better spent with clients.
I’m not telling you not to do it yourself. Some folks enjoy the process of working out their brand story and telling it online. But here’s a couple of things to consider: how much could copywriting be worth to your practice? A well-written services page could help you land more retainer clients. An experienced copywriter may be able to do this better than you can.
Equally, a compelling brand voice could help more people find you on social media, or make your practice more identifiable at industry events, and lead to more business opportunities. Copywriters are trained to do this well – it’s their full-time job. Doing your own copywriting, alongside your full time job in the practice, may not achieve the same results.
An accounting practice copywriter is an investment, and since words are something you’ll use for as long as your firm exists, it’s probably worth paying for the right ones.
How can an accountancy copywriter help your practice?
Words are powerful. Have you ever read a novel that moved you to tears? Made you burst out laughing on the train? Or perhaps it conjured a whole movie in your mind, so rich and detailed that the characters felt like real friends by the time you’d finished the final page. A great piece of writing can change us, change our decisions, influence our behavior. The same is true for copywriting.
An accounting and finance copywriter can:
Help you build a recognisable brand voice
Communicate your services more clearly and compellingly
Make your website more accessible, engaging, and useful
Convince existing clients to pay for more services
Demonstrate your expertise with blogs, articles, and learning resources
Attract traffic and generate website leads
Help you stand out to potential recruits
Examples of copywriting in accountancy
If you’re not sure how to use an accountant copywriter to grow your practice, here are some examples.
A welcome email sequence for newly onboarded clients
Your onboarding process is the first opportunity to build a connection with new clients, show your practice in the best light, and set up the relationship for success. Make the connection a strong one, by hiring an accountant copywriter to write your emails and encourage clients to explore your full services. A copywriter can make it easy for your clients to get up to speed – and potentially upsell one or two extra services while you’re at it.
A website page for a new landlord services bundle
If you’ve been hard at work building a specialist services bundle, don’t let the work go to waste with weak marketing materials. People need to know what you’re selling, and they need to understand it. An accounting copywriter can help you find the words to sell new services effectively, reach a wider market, and convince audiences to book a consultation.
A learning resources hub for your clients
Some clients will come to you with the same questions or concerns. An accounting copywriter can help you build a bank of learning resources your clients can use to get up to speed with software, practice processes, and tax law. Imagine how much time you could save answering the same questions, if you had professional resources at the ready for your clients?! You could also publish these resources on your website, and use them to attract new clients looking for a knowledgeable advisor.
When should you hire an accounting copywriter?
Most projects that are about communication – launching new services, improving your onboarding emails, growing on social media – require good copywriting. Here are some scenarios when you might hire an accountant copywriter:
If you’re a new practice, and you need to start marketing your business online
If you’re launching a new service, and you’re ready to get the word out
If you’re new, and you haven’t branded your practice yet
If you’re running a marketing campaign – via email, social media, or on your website
If you need to improve your SEO
If your website isn’t drawing traffic, or users aren’t converting
If you haven’t got much content on your website – and you’d like to change that
If you’re not sure what to write about on your website or blog
How much does accountancy copywriting cost?
Every copywriter charges differently. Some work on a day rate, others charge a project fee. According to ProCopywriters, the average day rate for 2024 was £440. I’ve got some example fees on my accounting copywriting services page to give you an idea.
For a bespoke quote, pop me an email: ebostorm@gmail.com.
The benefits of having a great accountancy copywriter in your corner
You don’t need to hire for a full-time post – having a freelance accountant copywriter on your team is enough. Your practice will benefit from:
Clear, engaging content and copy across your marketing materials
More relevant traffic to your website, ready to convert into clients
Better quality communications for your existing client base, to keep them engaged
Smoother onboarding processes
A recogniseable brand that you’ll be proud to talk about at industry events
Strategic guidance and a fresh perspective on marketing your practice
What to look for and where to find an accountant copywriter
You can find freelance copywriters all over the place. Google, LinkedIn, at local networking events. Directories, even (Procopywriters is a proper good one!) Of course, you’re also on my website, so there’s a chance you might already have found the right copywriter – me! But on the off-chance we’re not a match, look for a copywriter who is:
Proficient in the service you require – website copywriting, social media content, blogs, emails etc.
Aware of technical and compliance requirements, with great attention to detail
A strategic thinker who won’t just write to a brief – they’ll do the thinking required to make sure marketing materials are relevant for your audience
And a word of advice: you don’t necessarily need to hire someone who’s an accountant-turned-copywriter. Having covered various accounting topics for nearly a decade, I can assure you that an accounting and tax copywriter worth their pennies will do their research and be consistently technically accurate. I certainly am!
How do I hire an accountant copywriter?
It’s a good idea to go in with a plan for your accountant copywriter. But don’t feel you have to have everything mapped out – they’ll be able to help you figure out what you need.
First:
Make note of what you’re looking for. Is it website copy? Or a series of blog posts? Or a set of emails?
Do some research – look for folks in your niche, with experience of your target market
They don’t have to be accountants! An outside perspective is useful when it comes to breaking down complex topics and industry jargon
Reach out to them. *Cough cough*: ebostorm@gmail.com
Grow your practice with accounting practice copywriter services
Hopefully you know a bit more about copywriting for the accounting sector now. And you understand how decent copy can help your practice build brand awareness, grow your client base, and showcase your services.
Marketing accounting firms is easier when you know a good copywriter. If you’re ready to grow your practice with an accounting firm copywriter, I’d love to help you.
I’ve written for accounting industry publications, as well as a major accounting software provider. I get the topics, I know the industry, and as a freelance business owner – I understand the value of accounting services for your clients. I don’t know what I’d do without my own accountant!
Check out my accountant copywriting services, or skip the procrastination and ping me an email: ebostorm@gmail.com
