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The Ultimate Marketing Solution for Accounting Firms: BOMA vs. the Top 5 Competitors

Charles Clark
marketing for accountants

Table of Contents

Outline

In today’s competitive business environment, accounting firms need to have effective marketing strategies in place. Marketing is not only about attracting new clients, but also about nurturing and strengthening relationships with existing ones. By keeping clients informed about changes in the market, policy, regulations etc., that could impact their business accounting firms can position themselves trusted advisors and ensure their clients come to them for answers rather than searching elsewhere. By educating and engaging with prospects accounting firms can also position themselves as the obvious choice when those prospects are looking for an accountant to work with.

Luckily firms are spoilt for choice when it comes to integrated marketing platforms. These platforms act as a marketing hub for your firm and allow you to manage your outbound marketing activities such as managing your contacts in a CRM, sending email campaigns, posting to social media channels and more.

In this blog, we evaluate six prominent platforms: HubSpot, Mailchimp, Buffer, Constant Contact, Active Campaign and BOMA. We’ll assess each platform based on key elements that are essential for successful accounting firm marketing.

Our comparison will focus on the following aspects:

By evaluating these platforms based on these crucial elements, we aim to identify the platform that best aligns with the marketing requirements of accounting firms.

Accountant Specific Content library

“Content is king” is an oft quoted adage in marketing and reflects how critical it is to have great content to share with your audience. Content is an invaluable resource, helping to establish a strong online presence and build meaningful relationships with clients and prospective clients. For many accounting firms however, sourcing top notch written content can be a real challenge and often is a massive blocker to getting started with marketing activities.

Of the six platforms we reviewed, BOMA is the only one with an integrated accountant-specific content library packed with ready-to-share articles that can be distributed via email, social media and website blog. The BOMA content library is a treasure trove of industry-specific articles, insights, trends, information, updates and reminders covering a wide variety of topics (including Tax, Compliance, Management, Strategy, Marketing, Sales, Technology, HR and more) and industries.

The articles are written by BOMA’s own in-house subject matter experts and technical experts at our renowned accounting industry partners including Wolters Kluwer, Xero, The Gap, and Tradify. The articles are country specific for Australia, the United Kingdom and New Zealand and are updated weekly.

The articles provide a wealth of accounting-specific content that can be effortlessly customised to your firm’s unique brand and voice. Each article comes in three different formats including email, social media post and blog post enabling you to distribute the information seamlessly across your digital channels. Simply select the content that resonates with your target audience, customise it to align with your firm’s tone of voice and perspective, and hit send.

The benefits of having an accountant specific integrated content library are twofold.

First you won’t be stuck writing the content yourself, or asking a colleague to do it. This is time consuming and creates the opportunity cost of not working on client specific tasks in the meantime. 

Secondly, it will save you on the cost of outsourcing. External copywriters charge hundreds per article which quickly adds up. Not to mention that they often aren’t subject matter experts which means you’ll still need to extensively brief and then review their output, again this can be a time consuming affair. 

With access to a vast repository of accounting-specific knowledge and expertise, BOMA enables you to deliver valuable insights to your clients and prospects that position your firm as a thought leader in the industry.

To learn more about BOMA’s content library click here.

AI Powered Content Creation

Artificial intelligence (AI) has transformed marketing, empowering businesses to easily craft more personalised and impactful campaigns. For accounting firms, leveraging AI can streamline marketing efforts and deliver superior outcomes. With the exception of Hubspot all the platforms we reviewed came with some form of generative AI for content creation. BOMA, with its AI-powered generative AI tool, Content Assist, is a prime example of this.

With Content Assist, you can create unique and compelling content that resonates with your audience. Simply enter a prompt, and Content Assist will generate email and blog content that you can then personalise to your liking.  You can also use Content Assist to customise and edit content library articles to match your firm’s unique branding and tone of voice.

To learn more about Content Assist click here.

You can also review our AI ‘prompt library’ which has a selection of effective prompts for creating content.

Multi-Channel Campaign Management

In today’s increasingly digital first environment having a marketing platform that enables you to easily send multi channel marketing campaigns is a must. 

The majority of the platforms we compared did enable email and social media campaigns however, there were two outliers. The first is Buffer, which does less as a social media platform only with no email capability. The second is BOMA which does more –  in addition to email and social campaigns BOMA also enables users to post content directly to their WordPress websites via a Zapier integration. And because BOMA comes with the integrated content library, sharing articles via email, social media channels and a website blog takes only a few minutes.

To learn more about BOMA’s multi channel campaign management click here.

Campaign Scheduling

With Campaign Scheduling you can create and schedule email and social media campaigns days or even weeks in advance, ensuring that your marketing efforts continue seamlessly, even when you’re busy or away from the office.

All the platforms in this comparison came with campaign scheduling in relatively easy-to-use interfaces which simplify the process. You can select the exact date and time you want your campaign to go out and the platforms will automatically send the campaign at the required date and time. The only difference between the platforms was that some limited the number of campaigns you can schedule in advance based on your subscription plan whereas BOMA provides unlimited scheduling on all plans. This means you can plan and execute your marketing activities without any limitations. 

These simple types of automation will free up your time to focus on other important aspects of running your accounting firm.

To learn more about BOMA’s campaign scheduling click here.

Campaign Analytics 

Having easily understandable campaign metrics is crucial for evaluating the effectiveness of your email and social media campaigns and for making informed decisions to optimise future efforts. All six platforms we reviewed give users access to detailed campaign analytics, tracking email performance and social engagement metrics.

Key metrics to consider for email campaigns include Send Rates, Number of Opens, Open Rates as a % Number of Clicks, Click Through Rates as a %, Unsubscribed.

Key metrics to consider for social media posts include Impressions, Clicks, Shares, Likes and Comments. 

To learn more about BOMA’s campaign analytics click here.

Lead Capture Forms

Lead capture forms are a critical tool for converting website visitors into leads for your accounting firm. With the exception of Buffer the remaining platforms all come with capability to create custom lead forms that capture the exact information you need from potential clients. The information you can gather includes key fields such as their first name, last name, email, phone numbers, company name and any free text messages they wish to leave. Lead forms can also be tweaked to allow visitors who complete them to access gated content such as downloadable whitepapers, research, insights or even client specific documents such as a client onboarding form.

BOMA’s lead forms have additional functionality. They can exist as standalone landing pages or embedded on your website. They can be customised to ensure they match your brand, offering a seamless and cohesive experience that builds trust with visitors. And they have the benefit of analytics so you can see form submissions in real-time and learn more about how your users are interacting with your forms. 

BOMA offers enhanced integration too, with popular CRM platforms such as HubSpot and Salesforce, via Zapier. This integration ensures a smooth flow of captured lead data into your existing CRM and sales systems. By centralising your data, you can streamline your workflow, eliminate manual data entry, and gain a holistic view of your lead management process. This integration enables you to nurture leads effectively, track their progress through the sales funnel, and ultimately drive business growth.

To learn more about BOMA’s Lead capture forms click here.

Integrations

All of the platforms we reviewed integrated with Zapier allowing you to send information to and from the marketing platform into another platform allowing users to automate more processes. BOMA also comes with integrations to some of the most popular accounting apps including Xero, Quickbooks, Karbon, Ignition, FYI and IRIS as well as popular CRM’s like Hubspot and Salesforce and WordPress to enable you to post articles directly to your website blog.

To learn more about BOMA’s integrations click here.

Support and Training

While it’s all well and good to sign up to a shiny new marketing platform it’s important to remember that if you or your team aren’t able to utilise the technology effectively then it may well end up being a wasted investment. While all of the platforms we looked at offered customer support in some form it’s important to note that for most this was only the case for the higher cost plans. Mailchimp offeres email support only for the first 30 days on their free plans. When it comes to onboarding and training all the platforms made documentation available that users could access however direct training and onboarding support was more varied. Again some platforms only offered these services on their more expensive plans while at others, like Hubspot, it was available only as paid for add-ons costing thousands of dollars. 

While BOMA’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to manage your campaigns without having to worry about the technical details, we also believe in fully supporting our users. BOMA offers all users comprehensive onboarding assistance and account setup as well as ongoing training and support free of charge. Whether your question is about how to tag contacts in BOMA, create a lead capture form or a more general marketing question every user gets ongoing access to our fantastic support team 24/7 for chat, email and online video call support.

We also run regular webinars and workshops covering a range of marketing related topics specific to accountants. So whether you have questions about marketing your firm via social media, email best practice, AI in marketing or how to market and sell your advisory services you’ll find all the resources you need here.

Managed Marketing Services

Accounting firms often sign up to marketing platforms with good intentions only to find they are unable to fit in the hoped for activity alongside their existing client facing work. So marketing ends up the ‘too hard basket’, activity stops and the time / money invested so far is wasted. 

Some of the platforms reviewed can help firms with marketing but only BOMA is expert in the field of marketing accounting firms.

At BOMA, we understand the challenges of running an accounting firm and therefore offer our managed marketing service to those firms who need someone else to do the heavy lifting for them. We’ve crafted exclusive packages to enhance your firm’s online presence, ensuring you stay ahead in a competitive digital landscape without having to lift a finger. Depending on the plan, these BOMA packages can include SEO optimisation, review generation and BOMA campaign management, so you can focus on what you do best – serving your clients.

To learn more about BOMA’s Managed Marketing Services click here or you can book in for a discovery call here.

Website Builder Service

A strong online presence is crucial for businesses, especially for professionals like accountants and bookkeepers who are looking to expand their reach and connect with potential clients. Mailchimp and Hubspot, have website building capacity within their platform however both require a relatively high level of comfort with design so are not suitable for the inexperienced. Buffer, Constant Contact and Active Campaign have no website builder service. 

Recognising the need of many accounting firms, either launching or upgrading their website, BOMA offers a full-service website design and build service, designed to help accountants establish a robust online presence.

 

Learn more about BOMA’s website builder service here or book a consultation here. We will guide you through the process, give you a clear understanding of the investment required, and show you the final outcome you will receive. 

Conclusion: Why BOMA Is the Best Choice for Accounting Firms

While all the platforms we reviewed are great in their areas, their one-size-fits-all approach aims to capture a huge variety of businesses, often retail and B2C focused.However, BOMA is tailored to the unique challenges and opportunities of the accounting industry. This means that you get a comprehensive suite of marketing tools that are designed to help accounting firms succeed.

BOMA’s extensive library of content, created specifically for accountants, helps you engage your audience with the right content at the right time. BOMA’s AI-powered content creation tools make it easy to create custom content that’s unique to your firm. With BOMA, you can create marketing campaigns that resonate with your clients and prospects, helping you build trust and a strong brand.

BOMA’s multi-channel campaign management capabilities make it easy to manage and execute campaigns across multiple platforms. This centralised approach ensures consistency, efficiency, and a unified brand voice, helping accounting firms connect with their audience effectively and consistently. Plus, BOMA’s user-friendly interface and comprehensive training resources make it easy to get started and get the most out of the platform without needing specialised technical expertise.

 

By choosing BOMA, you’re choosing a marketing partner that can help you grow your firm, increase your visibility and establish your firm as a leader in the accounting industry. With BOMA, the possibilities are endless and you can take your marketing to the next level. Harness the power of BOMA and transform your firm’s marketing and client communications today.

BOMA is the gold standard for accountants, offering a comprehensive marketing solution that seamlessly integrates an accounting specific content library, AI-powered content customisation and creation and multi-channel campaign management. Experience the future of digital marketing and unlock the true potential of your firm with BOMA. Sign up for a trial now and discover the power of tailored marketing that drives results.

 

Don’t just take our word for it—here’s what BOMA’s satisfied customers have to say on Xero Marketplace:

“Boma has been awesome to help me with my email newsletters, blogs and social media content! A platform that is easy to use and they send out the new content often so we know what new information we can post or send to clients. Also the team are really helpful! Cheers Boma team!”  Stacey Armstrong, Manage My Cashflow

“I am a newby to Boma and I got to say FINALLY there is an easy way to market accounting services. YAY. Thank you BOMA.”  Louise Stodart, Quantum Link

“Boma allows me not only to provide super relevant content to our clients but also allows us to compete with any accounting firm in the country. Having a resource like this and the time required to prepare and set up the content in house would costs thousands which a firm our size just couldn’t do! It frees me up to focus on small adjustments and working on our clients creating real value on both fronts. Thanks Ian, Cat and the team as they have been super helpful with the whole process as well!” Stuart Ruddel, JBM & Associates

“Get into it!!! Boma is SUPER, super easy to use and intuitive, I LOVE IT! It’s a timesaver platform for me, incorporating all of our social media (Facebook and LinkedIn) and our newsletter in one platform. Hip Hip Hooray for Boma!” Michelle Fox-Bishop, Rural Accountants

“We have been talking about client communication for a long time, but never had the time or resources to do this properly. Boma has enabled us to start a regular newsletter. The value for us was in initially in lowering the threshold – i.e. knowing that pre written content was available. However we also love the extensive image library, easy to use interface, and, last but not least, the most fabulous customer experience team who bend over backwards to assist in making Boma work for our practice. Highly recommend (though selfishly we would prefer to hold this to ourselves!)”  Linda Hodgson, Frank HQ

See more customer reviews at our Xero Marketplace listing.

If you’re in need of an accounting-specific marketing platform to propel your business forward, BOMA is the answer. Register for a trial today and witness first hand how we can assist you in achieving your marketing aspirations.

 

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