Every December, someone in your firm suddenly says, “Oh! We should send holiday cards.” Cue the scramble: envelopes everywhere, stacks of cards, and handwritten notes that start heartfelt and slowly devolve into a very generic “Warm regards.” (Sigh).

And then… nothing. For the next eleven months.

Don’t get me wrong, holiday cookies are nice. But if the only time your clients feel appreciated is during the holidays, you’re leaving a massive opportunity on the table. Client appreciation isn’t a seasonal task. It’s a growth strategy.

Why Client Appreciation Matters More Than You Think

Client appreciation isn’t about being “nice.” It directly affects three things every firm cares deeply about: retention, referrals, and reputation. Clients stay where they feel valued. Happy clients talk. And while competence matters, connection is what people remember.

Here’s the hard truth most firms avoid: clients don’t leave for better accounting. They leave for better value and better connection. That gap between solid service and meaningful relationships is where most firms struggle, and it’s exactly where appreciation makes the difference.

What Giftology Teaches Us About Appreciation

If you’re familiar with the concept of Giftology, the core idea is refreshingly simple: the most impactful gifts make the recipient feel seen. 

The best appreciation follows a few timeless principles. It’s given without expectation. It’s personal, not promotional. It focuses on timing instead of holidays. And it prioritizes quality over quantity. 

In short? It stops being about your firm and starts being about your client.

Why Personalization Always Wins

Personalized appreciation builds emotional loyalty, and emotional loyalty sticks. Think about the impact of a handwritten note recognizing a client win, a short video thanking someone for a referral, or a milestone acknowledgment that proves you actually know them.

These moments don’t just feel good. They deepen relationships, increase retention, and drive referrals. And no - you don’t need to track all of this manually in a spreadsheet. Please don’t.

From Random Acts of Appreciation to a Real System

This is where most firms get stuck. They say, “We’d love to do more appreciation, but we just don’t have time.” And they’re right. That’s exactly why consistency beats creativity.

You don’t need dozens of clever ideas. You need a repeatable system that ensures appreciation happens even when things get busy. A strong system includes automated reminders for key moments, triggers for birthdays, anniversaries, and referrals, and simple tasks that prompt personal outreach at the right time.

Automation doesn’t make appreciation cold. It makes it reliable.

Start With Feedback (Because You Can’t Improve What You Don’t Measure)

One of the most overlooked ways to deepen connection is simply asking for feedback. When you collect client feedback consistently, you gain clarity on who’s happiest and ready to refer, where small issues exist before they become big problems, and how to personalize future communication more effectively.

Data leads to insight. Insight leads to better action. And better action leads to stronger relationships.

The Real Shift: From “Thank You” to “We See You”

You don’t need a massive budget or a creative agency to do this well. Start with ideas that are simple, thoughtful, and repeatable: handwritten thank-you notes, personalized video messages, celebrating client wins publicly, acknowledging business anniversaries or birthdays, timely referral thank-yous, quarterly check-ins, post–tax season follow-ups, and client spotlights.

Simple. Personal. Powerful.

And the biggest shift firms need to make isn’t tactical - it’s mental. Client appreciation isn’t just about saying thank you. It’s about saying, “We see you. We value you. You matter here.”

When appreciation becomes intentional and supported by systems, it stops being a once-a-year task and starts becoming a true growth driver.

Ready to Turn Client Appreciation Into a Competitive Advantage?

Cajabra CRM was built for firms that want to market smarter, not louder. It helps you automate appreciation workflows and reminders, track feedback, referrals, and milestones, and ensure no client slips through the cracks. You get the benefit of consistency without losing authenticity - personal touches without manual chaos.If you’re tired of one-off gestures and ready to build a high-value, year-round appreciation system, Cajabra is your next step. Because real growth doesn’t come from chasing more clients - it comes from caring more about the ones you already have.

Let’s chat about SEO for a minute. I know I know - not your favorite cocktail-party topic.

But hang with me, because something really important is happening in the world of search, and if your firm’s content strategy hasn’t evolved in the last… oh, five years? Three? Honestly even 12 months… then you may be missing out on clients who are actively looking for someone exactly like you.

The short version: Traditional SEO is no longer the star of the show. Search Everywhere Optimization is fundamentally the new mindset.

Old-Fashioned SEO vs. Search Everywhere Optimization

Let’s start with what used to work. Remember when SEO meant stuffing keywords like “best accountant near me” into paragraphs until your content read like a ransom note? Or,writing blogs you hoped Google might eventually notice? How about crossing your fingers that someone would click your link on page 3 of the search results?

Yeah… those days are gone. (Also, no one has ever willingly gone to page 3 of anything.) Also, people aren’t just “searching” anymore they’re asking Siri, consulting ChatGPT, browsing YouTube, or getting recommendations from algorithms they don’t even understand

Search is now happening everywhere, and if you want to be found, your content needs to show up in all those places… Not just Google’s backyard.

Content Is No Longer Optional (Sorry)

Now here’s the part where accountants sometimes wrinkle their noses at me… because I’m here to tell you that content is non-negotiable.

Not “nice to have.”
Not “we’ll get to it during tax season” (you won’t).
Not “we should do that someday.”

Content is how people meet you long before they ever actually meet you. And this matters because accountants aren’t selling a transactional product. You’re selling trust. Clients aren’t scrolling through your website thinking, “Ah yes, someone who understands Section 179 depreciation rules, swoon!

No. They’re asking:

• Do you get me?
• Do you understand my problems?
• Can I trust you with the thing I worry about at 2am?

And here’s where content will help. Studies show people need 6-8 touchpoints with a brand before they make a move. That means your content: articles, posts, videos, guides, checklists is doing 80% of the sales work before a prospect ever emails you.

You’re basically letting your content introduce you, warm people up, and say, “Relax, they totally know what they’re doing.”

LLMs Have Joined the Party, and They’re Hungry

If you’ve ever wondered how large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini choose which businesses or ideas to reference, here’s the secret:

They look for structured, clear, trustworthy content. LLMs favor content that directly answers real questions which is written in natural, human language. It needs to also demonstrate authority and provide context with value.Think of it as content with good manners. If your content is easier for humans to understand, it’s easier for machines to understand too.

So the goal isn’t to “beat the algorithm.” The goal is to create content that’s so clear, so helpful, and so relevant that both humans and machines nod in approval.

Rethinking Your Content Strategy for the AI Era

Here’s the mindset shift I need you to adopt: Stop thinking of content as something you create just to rank on Google. Start thinking of content not just as marketing material, but as a trust-builder, a sales engine, a relationship starter, a discovery tool, and really an everywhere strategy.

And when you make that shift, it naturally changes how you approach what you create. You start writing with clarity instead of complexity. You focus on answering the real questions clients ask you every day. You present your expertise in a way that’s actually easy to digest (even if the IRS would prefer otherwise). You use frameworks that help AI understand you, and you build content that can show up across multiple touchpoints - not just in search results.

Because the truth is, your future clients are already out there searching, scrolling, asking, and consuming. If you want to be part of their journey, your content needs to show up where they are… Not where you wish they were.

Ready to Show Up Everywhere Your Clients Are Searching?

Your firm doesn’t need more content, it just needs better content. Content that builds trust, demonstrates authority without sounding arrogant, sets you apart from every other “trusted advisor,” and works seamlessly with AI instead of getting lost in the noise. 

This isn’t a dramatic overhaul; it’s simply a shift in mindset. But it’s a shift that leads to greater visibility, stronger relationships, and prospects who already feel like they know you before they ever reach out.

And if you’re wondering, “Okay… I get it… but where do I even start?” That's exactly where Cajabra comes in. Whether you need a refreshed content strategy, AI-friendly frameworks, messaging that actually builds trust, optimized website or blog content, or just someone who can make your expertise sound like you (but with a bit more sparkle). Cajabra can take your content from “meh” to magnetic.

P.S. Your future clients are already searching. Let’s make sure they find you.

If you’re an accountant, there’s a 99% chance your day looks something like this:

A client emails you a blurry photo of a receipt from 2018 (subject line: URGENT!). Another one wants to “hop on a quick call.” Your team is drowning in deadlines. And someone, somewhere, is still asking you whether that one thing is deductible.

It’s chaos. Controlled chaos. But chaos nonetheless. And a worrying fact? Most firms think they have to wait until the chaos magically stops before they can grow. Unfortunately, it never stops.

However, I have some good news for you… You can grow your firm, attract better clients, and create more predictable revenue without adding 47 more tasks to your week. You just need a more strategic path. One that doesn’t rely on heroics, and magic tricks.

Let’s walk through the most important steps your firm can take to consistently land ideal monthly-service clients. The kind who respect your time, see your value, and pay you every month like clockwork. (Yes, those unicorns exist.)

Step 1: Know Exactly Who Your Ideal Clients Are

Firstly, not every client should stay in your firm. I’ll pause so you can sit with that.

When you’re trying to scale, “everyone with a pulse and a tax return” is not a strategy - it’s an energy leak. Ideal clients tend to have a few things in common:

• They pay monthly
• They use multiple services
• They call you first
• They respect your time
• They see you as an investment, not an annoying expense
  

If you’ve ever had a favorite client (of course you have), list out the traits that make them your favorite. That list is gold. That’s your foundation. That’s who you build around.

Step 2: Specialize. Because “Generalist” Is Code for “Commodity”

Let’s rip off the Band-Aid. When you market to everyone, you’re competing on price.
When you specialize, you’re competing on expertise.

If your messaging currently sounds like:

“We do bookkeeping, tax, and advisory for anyone and everyone,”

…then congratulations, you officially sound like the other 30,000 firms in your state.

But say something like:

“We help construction companies grow profitably through better financial visibility,”

Suddenly you’re the expert they’ve been looking for.

Choosing a niche isn’t limiting - it’s clarifying. It tells the right people, “I get you,” and the wrong people, “This probably isn’t a fit.” That is the marketing equivalent of peak efficiency.

Step 3: Build Messaging That Actually Resonates

Your clients aren’t buying bookkeeping. They’re buying peace of mind.

They’re not buying tax planning. They’re buying money saved.

Your job is not to sell tasks. Your job is to show transformation. Want clients leaning in? Tell stories. Real stories. Stories that make people whisper, “Oh no, that’s me,” In a world where AI is pumping out 10,000 pieces of content a second, “good enough” messaging is invisible. Connection is your differentiator.

Step 4: Capture Leads Wherever They Are 

Your next great client probably isn’t wandering into your office holding a fruit basket. They’re finding firms through referrals, networking, industry events, and your online presence.

And yes, your online presence matters - a lot. Your website, your Google Business Profile, your social media… These things work 24/7. (Imagine something in your firm working 24/7. Wild.)

Make it mind-blowingly simple for the right people to talk to you: Booking link. One click. No chasing. No email back-and-forth that feels like you’re negotiating a hostage situation.

Step 5: Onboarding Is Where Loyalty Is Forged

Onboarding isn’t a formality - it’s the moment your client decides whether they made the right choice.

The first 30 days set the tone. Make it smooth, welcoming, structured, consistent. A great onboarding experience makes clients loyal, compliant, and easy to retain. A bad one makes them start questioning life choices.

Step 6: Automate Like Your Sanity Depends on It (Because It Does)

Automation is your oxygen tank. Literally. In scuba diving, your tank keeps you alive so you can enjoy the experience. In your firm, automation keeps your pipeline alive so you can focus on clients, not the monotonous tasks that take up your time unnecessarily such as lead capture, nurture sequences, discovery booking, onboarding, etc. Remember, automation doesn’t replace relationships. It creates the space for them.

A New Way Forward

Growth isn’t about cramming more onto your plate. It’s about systemizing the things that drain your energy, so you can pour your energy into the work that matters.

You deserve clients you enjoy. Predictable revenue. Less stress. And a firm that runs like you always wished it would. If reading this made you realize, “Okay… we definitely need better messaging, better automations, and a better way to get clients,” that’s literally what we do.Cajabra helps accounting firms capture, nurture, close, and onboard clients without adding more work to your week.

I bet you can balance a budget blindfolded, decode IRS jargon like it’s your native language, and still have time to explain to a client why their dog can’t be a business deduction (nice try though). But your website? It might still be sitting there like a billboard on the side of the highway - nice to look at, but not driving much traffic into your office. If that sounds familiar… we’ll fix that.

Your website is not just a “look how professional we are” page. In 2026, your website must be a sales tool. It needs to draw in prospects, engage them, and gently start the conversation that leads to you becoming their trusted advisor. Here’s how to make that shift, and why it matters.

1. Nail the niche. Be specific.

Think: “Dental practices on Open Dental scaling to multi-office” not “all small businesses needing bookkeeping.” The narrower you get, the more your copy resonates. Your ideal client sees themselves in your words, and you stop being “just another accountant.” When you define the pain (“I’m buried in branches, my dashboards are a mess, I need clarity”) you become the hero’s mentor - not the hero. They are the hero. You simply unlock the map.

When your website copy aligns with their pain, you stop shouting into the void. You start having conversations.

2. One primary action (not twenty buttons competing for attention)

Too many firms lead with a menu of 100 services, five CTAs per page, and “Book a call if you dare” at the bottom. Instead: pick one primary action. For example: “Grab our 5-minute Financial Clarity Checklist for multi-location practices”. That’s it. Lead people down a guided path not a button buffet.

Why does this matter? Well, because when visitors arrive, they’re not ready to hire you. They’re ready for relief. They want value. Give them something. Reduce risk. And cue the next step.

3. Show value before asking for the check

Here’s a reality: your website should give something away. A tool, a PDF, a calculator, a video… something aligned with your ideal client’s inflection point. When prospects get value before you ask for their signature, they trust you. They’re more willing to engage. They’ve “spent” time with you already, so the barrier drops.

This is not charity. It’s smart marketing. You hand them something that helps, they say “Hey, they know their stuff,” and you’ve bypassed the “financial intimacy” barrier. Magic.

4. Win on specificity. Don’t lead with “We do everything.”

Websites that say “We offer accounting, bookkeeping, payroll, advisory and more” blur together. But one that says: “We help multi-office dental practices using Open Dental to scale from two to ten locations”? That sticks. That niche focus says “you’re talking to me.”

And your homepage? It’s not a service buffet. It’s one path, delivered in different tiers or experiences. You’re not listing 100 services, you’re offering one thing (scaling dental practices) delivered many ways. Pretty simple.

5. Your website’s job in 2026: deepen the relationship.

In the marketing world, social media is the top-of-funnel noise machine. Your website is not the same. The website is where the uncertain prospect gets comfy. They browse, they learn, they decide whether you’re credible. So your website needs elements that deepen trust:

• Logos of associations your ideal client respects (borrow trust).
• A short explainer video (5 minutes or less) on the exact pain you fix.
• A realistic average of past engagements (anonymous case examples: revenue, team size, fee) so they see you’re not in the bargain basement.
• Clear copy that says: “Yes, this is specifically you. We’ve helped people like you.”
  

When you do this, your site becomes a sales tool. It replaces hundreds of emails and intro calls. It filters the “maybe” people from the “yes, let’s talk” people.

6. Stop leading with services. Lead with problems.

The hero in your story? Not you. It’s your client. Their problem is the villain. Your website copy should name the hero (your ideal client) and the villain (their rare pain) in the first few lines. Example:

“You’re a dental-group CFO scaling from 2 to 10 clinics, wondering how to keep data, team and cash flow under control while your headquarters multiplies.”

Boom. They nod. They lean in. They keep reading.

7. One CTA. When that action happens, follow-up kicks in.

Your homepage should guide. It should entice. It shouldn’t overwhelm with choices. And that CTA? It’s not “Book a call (and hope they don’t ghost)”. It’s “Download our Scaling Clarity Checklist for Dental Groups” (or whatever your niche-specific asset is). After they enter their email, they get more value, nurturing begins, and your Sales Machine quietly starts humming.

So… what’s next?

If you’re still viewing your website as an online brochure - stop. It’s time to transform it into the lead-generation machine you need it to be. Because once your website becomes a sales tool:

• prospects self-identify faster,
• you’re talking to people who need you,
• your sales conversations start later and convert sooner,
• and you spend less time convincing and more time delivering.
  

If you’d like a little help flipping that switch, we at Cajabra are happy to walk you through a Website-to-Sales-Tool conversion - without the jargon, and without making you feel like you’re learning advanced quantum marketing while doing it.

A harsh reality is that many accounting firm websites still look like they were designed during the era of dial-up internet and Nokia flip phones. Meanwhile, your potential clients are out there scrolling, searching, and deciding who to trust long before they ever reach out. In fact, more than 80% of the buyer’s journey is complete before a prospect contacts you.

So if your website doesn’t instantly communicate relevance and trust, those high-value clients will move on without a trace.

This is why the smartest accounting firms are turning their websites into systems that attract and convert the right clients while you're busy advising, reconciling, and preventing tax season meltdowns. Let’s break down how to transform your site into a lead-generating machine.

Step 1: Say What You Actually Do 

You have five seconds. Not five minutes, not fifteen scrolls: five seconds to convince a visitor they’re in the right place. That means your homepage must clearly spell out who you serve, the problems you solve, the outcomes clients experience, and the exact next step they should take. If someone lands there wondering “Do they work with businesses like mine?”. Well… they’re probably already halfway to your competitor’s website.

And while we’re on the subject: accountants love a little jargon. But your visitors aren’t typing “proactive cloud-based financial efficiencies” into Google. They think: “I want fewer surprises and more peace of mind.” Speak the language your clients actually use. Save the tax code terminology for the IRS agents.

Step 2: CTA Buttons That Don’t Hide in the Basement

A CTA button buried at the bottom of a page is like listing your phone number on a sticky note under your desk… technically reachable, but not helpful. Your call-to-action needs to be visible the moment your page loads and should appear across every major page - not just Contact. 

The clearest and highest-converting CTA for accounting firms today is something specific like “Book a 20-min Call”, because people take action when they know exactly what will happen next. The goal: your website should constantly communicate, “Hey! right this way to financial joy”.

Step 3: Make Scheduling Friction-Free

Nothing destroys momentum like a form that asks for your blood type and childhood best friend’s name just to request a call. Clients want convenience. When you embed a simple online scheduler with 3-5 qualifying questions max, everything becomes easier. Confirmations happen automatically, reminders reduce no-shows, and leads route to the right person without the dreaded phone tag.

Your clients already pick movie tickets, hairstylist appointments, and dog grooming online. They should be able to book time with their accountant too.

Step 4: Use Strategic Video (Even If You Hate Being On Camera)

Before your eye starts twitching. No, you don’t have to become a TikTok dancing CPA (although honestly, that could go viral). But in a world where we buy from those we trust, a short video builds rapport faster than blocks of text ever could.

The winning formula is simple: a 45-60 second intro video on the homepage to show you're a real human, plus one or two short clips answering common questions. Even one simple client story or three-step explanation of how your services work can completely shift a buyer’s confidence. And yes, captions are required because no one watches with sound anymore unless they’re a dad watching golf highlights.

Step 5: Publish Answer-Driven Blogs

Your blog is not the place for generic filler like “Top 5 Motivational Quotes to Survive Tax Season.” Visitors want answers, not motivational posters.

They’re Googling things like:
• “How much does monthly bookkeeping cost?”
• “Should I form an LLC or S-Corp?”
• “Can you fix my books if they look like a crime scene?”

These decision-making topics are what rank in search, earn clicks, and even show up inside AI search results, which are rapidly becoming the first stop for business owners looking for help. A blog that confidently answers buyers’ burning questions keeps prospects engaged longer, builds authority, and naturally leads them to take action.

Invisible Conversion Boosters

Visitors make snap judgments in milliseconds, so the tiny trust signals you include make a huge difference. Fast load speeds, mobile-first layouts, large readable fonts, and clear proof elements such as testimonials, client logos, Google reviews, and association badges all work behind the scenes to reinforce: “You can trust us. We’ve got you.”

Even that quiet security statement in the footer matters. It whispers: “We won’t leak your data. Pinky promise.”

The Big No-No’s

Let’s call out the common culprits holding accounting websites back: jargon-filled headlines that don’t say anything, CTAs that force visitors to scroll all the way down to apply for help, services pages that read like a Russian novel, and blogs that haven’t been updated since before Zoom became a verb. These are fixable. And when fixed, they change everything.

Your 30-Day “Website That Prints Money” Plan

You don’t need a year-long branding project to create a high-performing website. In just four weeks, you can rewrite your homepage messaging, implement strong CTAs everywhere, embed an online scheduler, and publish three Q&A blogs that speak to exactly what your ideal clients care about. Do those four things and watch the crickets disappear.

Ready to Make Your Website Do Its Job?

Your website should be the hardest-working member of your team. The one who shows up early, never gets overwhelmed during tax season, and converts visitors while you sleep.

If you’re ready to:

• Speak human instead of tax code
• Get leads without begging for them
• Build trust before the first conversation
• Create the content your buyers are actually looking for

…then Cajabra is here to help.

We build accounting websites that convert, and you sure bet we can turn yours into a quiet, dependable rainmaker too.Want to see how your site stacks up? Book a quick Website Strategy Session and let’s start building the online experience your future clients already expect. Your website should be working harder than you do. It’s only fair.

Accountants love making video… said no accountant ever. Standing in front of a camera? Yikes. “Will I look silly?” is a frequent mental panic attack. But the thing is, your clients (and prospects) expect video now. And if your firm avoids it, you’re leaving serious opportunities on the table.

Let me walk you through why video is so powerful, share the latest insights, and (most importantly) give you tiny steps to build confidence and get started.

The Big Why: Video Wins Because It Connects

Video is a trust-builder in stereo. When someone hears your voice, sees your face, sees how you talk, how you move - they start to feel like they know you. In professional services (like accounting), that’s gold.

Even if the first video is a bit rough, it humanizes your firm. People see you, not just your logo. And trust forms in those small moments before they even decide to pick up the phone.

Video isn’t just another thing to check off the marketing list. It genuinely works. Marketers report that video delivers one of the best returns on investment of any content format. In fact, more than 90% say it directly drives leads and sales. And firms that weave short, meaningful videos into their content see prospects convert faster, sometimes nearly 50% faster, because video builds connection early.

Beyond the numbers, think about your own behavior: when you land on a website and there’s a friendly, short video introducing the team or explaining a concept clearly, you stick around longer. You start to trust. That’s exactly what happens for your future clients, too.

Why Accountants Hesitate (And How to Push Through)

Most accountants have a few predictable reasons for avoiding video, and honestly, they’re all understandable. The first is the “I’ll look awkward” fear. And yeah, you probably will at first. Everyone does. The first few videos might feel stiff, a little sweaty, and full of retakes. That’s normal. Like anything else, it gets easier with practice.

Then there’s the gear excuse: “I don’t have fancy equipment.” Good news: you don’t need it. Your phone, some decent lighting, and clear audio are more than enough to get started.

Another common one is “I don’t know what to say.” The trick is not to overthink it. Start simple. Record a short 45-60 second video for your homepage. Just introduce yourself, say who you serve, and share one small way you help. No scripts, no teleprompters, no Oscars required.

And finally, the time excuse. You don’t have to produce a feature-length film. Start small. One short, clear, helpful video can do more than ten paragraphs of text.

Simple Steps to Grow Your Video Confidence

Let me give you a little roadmap you can follow:

1. Pick one “safe” place to start
   Example: homepage video, or LinkedIn intro video. Don’t try every format at once.
2. Write a mini-script
   3-5 points, not a full page. You just need to know the direction.
3. Record in short bursts
   Film 30 seconds, pause, film 30 more. Stitch together if needed.
4. Use captions/subtitles
   Many people watch without sound (especially on mobile).
5. Practice, review, get feedback
   After your first few, get honest feedback from someone who cares (team, friend) and improve.
6. Iterate & reuse
   That 60-second video? Turn it into a snippet for Instagram, add it to an email, embed it in a blog post.
7. Set a low bar
   Don’t aim for perfection - aim for progress. Each video will get better.

Video = Brand Personality + Trust Machine

Here’s where video really shows its muscle:

• Brand personality: On video, your firm’s vibe comes out. Are you serious and buttoned-up? Or friendly, fun, and a little quirky? That vibe helps people self-select - you’ll attract clients who like you, not just tolerate you.
• Trust in advance: When prospects see you speak, see your expressions, hear your voice, they start trusting you before a meeting. That’s powerful.
• Faster conversions: Because trust builds sooner, people decide faster. That stat about firms seeing conversions nearly 50% faster when using video backs this up.
• Better retention & engagement: Video on pages can make visitors stay longer - it’s harder to click away than from static text.

One Small Video, One Big Step

If you’re in the “I don’t like video” camp, I get it. But what if that one 60-second clip could land you your next dream client? What if a prospect stumbled on your homepage, watched a quick video, and thought, “These are my people”?

That’s the magic of video. It’s not about polished perfection. It’s about being real. It’s about letting people hear your voice, see your personality, and start trusting you before they ever book a call.

So here’s your challenge: record one short video this week. Post it on your homepage, LinkedIn, or even email it to a client as a warm intro. Treat it like a low-stakes experiment. Laugh at the bloopers. Learn as you go. You’ll be surprised at how something so simple can make your firm feel more approachable, memorable, and magnetic.

And if your first instinct is to fake your own disappearance rather than figure this out yourself… maybe hold off. Cajabra’s got you. We help accounting firms like yours create marketing strategies that actually work: including building video content plans, crafting scripts, coaching your team on delivery, and making sure your videos integrate seamlessly into your broader marketing.

I’ve been in the marketing industry for over 30 years, and here’s something I’ve noticed: almost every accounting firm falls into one of two camps.

• Camp A: “We have so much business we can’t take another client. We don’t need marketing.”
• Camp B: “We need more work. We have extra capacity. Bring it on.”

Sounds obvious, right? But here’s the twist: Camp A often thinks they’re doing great… until they realise that most of that work is compliance noise that doesn’t make money. Meanwhile, their team is buried in volume, never able to step back, evaluate, or invest in smarter strategies.

So: no, having too much business is not a “get out of marketing free” card. It might just be the signal that your firm is not optimized.

The Real Question: Is All That Work Actually Profitable?

Being busy doesn’t always mean being profitable. Sure, your calendar is packed and your team is logging long hours, but what’s all that effort really earning you? If most of your clients are once-a-year tax returners, you’re not building steady, predictable revenue. If you don’t have a healthy mix of monthly or quarterly service work, you’re constantly chasing the next big deadline with nothing reliable in between.

Add to that the constant juggling of apps, the endless admin, and the feeling that nobody quite knows where the “real” numbers live, suddenly all that busyness starts to look less like success and more like a vicious cycle. Margins are thin, cash flow is erratic, and there’s barely a moment to step back and think about growth. So yes, you’re busy, but the better question is: are you busy in a way that’s building long-term profitability, or just busy keeping the lights on?

First, Get Your House In Order Before You Market

You can’t pour from an empty cup. Before you double down on marketing, you’ve got to tighten up your internal systems. Because if your back end is messy, adding more clients will just make the chaos worse.

One of the biggest issues we see? Too many apps doing too many things, with zero central command. Think about it: your team logs into five different tools to get one job done. Data lives in silos. Nobody knows what the “true” number is. Rework, version control, frustration - it all creeps in.

So one of the first things you should always do is build a firm operating system. Something that gives you a single source of truth. Something that reduces your app sprawl, brings order, minimizes redundancies.

Once that’s in place, then your people can operate efficiently. And then you can start investing in marketing and growth, with the confidence that your firm can absorb more without imploding.

Why Efficiency = Freedom

When you set up a smooth internal engine, a few magical things happen:

1. Empowered team: less grunt work, fewer context switches, more time for value-add work.
2. Capacity opens up: when you're not maxed out, you can step into strategy or client work that pays more.
3. Better client experience: fewer screw-ups, faster turnaround, happier clients.
4. True growth (not just volume growth): you can attract recurring services, advisory clients, retainer arrangements.

Those are the clients you actually want. Predictable, valuable, less trouble.

Introducing Arrive 

One tool that embodies what a clean operating system should do is Arrive (See what I did there).

Firms running on Arrive report margins as high as 80%, and some accountants are servicing over 300 monthly clients while staying lean. It’s being praised as possibly the best accounting firm platform of 2025. 

I’m not saying Arrive is a silver bullet. But when a platform is built to replace the chaos of “a little bit of this, a little bit of that,” it can help you ditch the spaghetti of apps and finally get organized.

Quick Audit: How Messy Is Your Tech?

Here’s a mini checklist. If you answer “yes” to more than 3, you have work to do:

• You use more than 7 different tools across client service, communication, document management, billing, reporting.
• You often copy-paste data from one tool to another.
• The team complains they can’t find correct files or numbers.
• You don’t have a unified dashboard showing firm health (revenue, capacity, bottlenecks).
• You avoid adding new clients because you’re afraid of collapse.

If that sounds familiar, welcome to reality. But the good news: it’s fixable.

What Comes After the Clean-Up

Once you’ve done the hard work of cleaning up your systems and building a strong foundation, things start to shift. Marketing stops being scary because you know your firm can handle the influx. This means you can start pricing for the actual value you deliver instead of competing on who can be the cheapest option in town.

With a clear operating system in place, you’re able to confidently promote recurring services, like monthly accounting or advisory engagements, rather than just loading up on seasonal tax prep. And instead of every new client adding another layer of chaos, growth actually feels manageable. Even enjoyable.

In other words, the clean-up phase isn’t just about reducing stress for your team. It’s about setting yourself up so when you finally put your foot on the marketing gas pedal, your firm doesn’t crash and burn. It glides.

Your Firm, Your Move

Don’t fall for the “I’m too busy to market” trap. That’s often the illusion of chaos. First, fix your house. Build the system. Tame your tech. Make your team into a well-oiled machine.

Then, when you open the doors and bring in new leads, your firm has the breathing space, the capacity, and the control to actually make money, not just make more work.

If you want help auditing your tech, mapping the right tools, or even considering Arrive as a backbone - reach out. Let’s get your firm operating so well that growth feels like a breeze.

The choice is yours. Stay stuck in “too much business” mode, or create the breathing room to market with confidence and grow on your terms. Your firm, your move.

Nobody wakes up thinking, “You know what I want today? A new CPA firm.” Nope. Most business owners and high-net-worth individuals would rather binge-watch “Shark Tank” reruns than go hunting for accountants. But here’s the catch: when they do need you, they’re going to do their homework.

And if your website looks like it was last updated when flip phones were cool? Or your blog is emptier than a salad bar at a pizza buffet? You’re invisible.

In a market where 130,000 tax-prep businesses and 46,000 CPA firms are elbowing each other for attention, your expertise can’t sit quietly in the corner. It needs to strut out front, wave its arms, and say, “Pick me! I’ve got the answers you’re Googling at midnight.”

Here’s Why Education Wins Every Time

Educational content isn’t about flexing your CPA brain with obscure tax code citations (seriously, please don’t). It’s about solving problems in plain English, with real-world examples, so that your prospects actually feel smarter after reading what you wrote.

When you consistently teach, you start to build trust because you’re answering the exact questions people are already typing into Google at midnight. You also shorten sales cycles because clients who “get it” from your articles or videos don’t need a three-hour lecture before they sign an engagement letter. 

And maybe most importantly, you start shaping buying decisions before you even meet someone. Research shows that more than 80% of buyers review a firm’s website and over 60% run general searches before they ever bother calling your references. 

Translation? Your blogs, FAQs, and case studies are basically a silent sales team, quietly working the night shift for you without demanding overtime pay.

Make Yourself Less Swappable

To most people, tax firms can feel as interchangeable as gas stations. (“Do you want the one with the slightly cleaner bathroom?”)

But as author David C. Baker says: “Expertise renders your work less interchangeable.”

When you publish clear, niche-specific advice, like S corp planning hacks or tax rules for short-term rentals, you stop being “any CPA” and start being their CPA.

The Simple Strategy You Can Actually Stick To

Let’s skip the 40-page marketing plans. You don’t need them. What you need is a rinse-and-repeat rhythm that builds authority without hijacking your life.

Step 1: Pick your “who.” Choose one or two ideal client profiles (think S-corp owners or real estate investors).

Step 2: Pick your “what.” Focus on themes tied to higher-value services like tax planning, entity selection, or compensation design.

Step 3: Pick your “where.” Your website is home base (anchor articles). From there, repurpose into email newsletters, LinkedIn posts, and even a monthly Google Business Profile update.

Step 4: Pick your “when.” Aim for one anchor article per month. Then slice and dice it into four smaller pieces (social posts, short videos, FAQs) you drip out over the next four weeks.

Step 5: Pick your “how.” Use FAQs from client emails, interview a subject-matter expert, or brainstorm the top 10 questions prospects ask you every month. Block an hour, draft it, or outsource it to someone who loves writing about tax (yes, those people exist).

Your 30-Day Content Example

Week 1: Publish your anchor article on the website.
Week 2: Record a 2-minute video + share a LinkedIn post summarizing the article.
Week 3: Email a quick tip pulled from the article to your list.
Week 4: Share a case story, testimonial, or FAQ.

Boom. One idea fuels a month of content.

Do It in One Sitting

Here’s the good news: creating content doesn’t have to take over your life. You can knock out an entire month’s worth of material in one focused block of time. 

Start by choosing your anchor topic, the big idea that will serve as the foundation for the rest of the month’s content. Then either create the anchor article yourself or outsource it to a copywriter who enjoys this kind of thing. Once it’s drafted, review it to strip away the jargon and add a little story to make it resonate with real people.

From there, repurpose it into shorter pieces - maybe a LinkedIn post, a quick video, or a tip for your newsletter. Load everything into a scheduling tool, hit publish, and congratulate yourself. 

Measure What Actually Matters

Now, when it comes to tracking results, resist the urge to obsess over vanity metrics like likes or impressions. Those are fun to look at, but they don’t tell you much about whether your content is actually working. What matters is whether people are spending time on the page, clicking through your emails, or engaging with you on LinkedIn. 

And the real gold standard? How many consultations you’re booking and what your average first-year fees look like as a result. Consistency is the king here - cash can stay the prince. You won’t see results overnight, but if you keep showing up with valuable content, your pipeline will get healthier and stronger, compounding month after month.

What This Means for Your Firm

Your clients don’t just want someone to crunch numbers. They want a guide who helps them make smarter decisions, avoid painful mistakes, and keep more money in their pocket.

And the only way they’ll know you’re that guide? You’ve got to make your expertise visible. Because in this crowded market, the firms who teach with focus stand out, spark better conversations, and attract higher-value clients.

Ready to share your expertise? At Cajabra, we help accounting firms like yours turn that expertise into marketing that actually works. From building out your content rhythm to automating the way you capture and nurture leads, we make sure your firm stands out where it matters most.

If you own an accounting firm, you already know the drill: endless deadlines, staff turnover, and clients who suddenly remember they need last year’s tax return…tomorrow. It’s enough to make anyone feel like they’re trapped in an endless loop of spreadsheets, email chains, and caffeine refills.

The problem? Most firm owners get so caught up solving client problems that they forget they’re running a business. Not a job. Not a glorified practice. A business.

Did you know there are nearly 56,000 CPA firms and over 88,000 accounting services firms in the US. Let that sink in for a second. That’s a lot of accountants doing a lot of accounting. Which means (unless you think and act like an entrepreneur) you’re just another firm in a sea of sameness.

So the question isn’t “How do I get through this week?” The real question is: How do I make my firm stand out in a way that builds growth and profitability for years to come?

Clients Don’t Want a Calculator, They Want a Transformation

The reality is that no one wakes up excited about hiring “a person who balances my books.” They want the transformation that happens because of what you do.

• They want peace of mind because their numbers aren’t a mess.
• They want clarity because someone finally explained cash flow without sounding like a robot.
• They want confidence because their accountant gave them a strategy, not just a stack of reports.

But most firm owners only market the transaction: “We do taxes, we do bookkeeping, we do audits.” Newsflash: so does everybody else. Entrepreneurs don’t sell transactions. They sell the future state of their clients’ lives.

That’s why thinking like an entrepreneur is about shifting your perspective from “what service do I provide?” to “what transformation do I deliver?” Your website copy, your emails, your conversations - it all needs to tell that story. Otherwise, you’re stuck selling features while the entrepreneurial firms are out there selling results (and winning bigger clients).

Growth Doesn’t Happen by Accident - It Happens by Intention

Let’s do a little experiment: pull out your calendar. (Yes, I know it’s digital… Pretend with me.) Now, tell me where you’ve blocked time this week for working on your business instead of in it.

If the answer is “never,” congratulations, you’re just like most accounting firm owners. And that’s the problem. Entrepreneurs don’t wait until everything calms down to focus on growth. They know “calm” is a myth. They make time for strategy, no matter what.

This doesn’t mean you need to spend six hours a week dreaming up the next Uber-for-tax-prep. It means setting aside time to ask questions like “How is my firm different from the other 55,999 firms?”, “Where do we build trust at scale instead of one client at a time?”. or “What’s one thing I could systemize or automate that would give me back five hours a week?”.

If you don’t block that time, you’ll always be stuck playing defense - i.e. staffing fires, client fires, tech fires. And no one ever built a thriving, profitable firm while running around with a bucket of water.

Blend In and You’ll Disappear. Stand Out and You’ll Thrive.

Here’s the scary part - the accounting profession is changing fast. Labor shortages, private equity, automation - it’s not just “future talk,” it’s here, now. The firms that refuse to think like entrepreneurs are going to blend into the background until they vanish.

But the firms that embrace entrepreneurial thinking? They’ll win.

They’ll build systems that let them scale without burning out.
They’ll communicate their story in a way that actually connects with clients.
They’ll position themselves as advisors, not just compliance factories.

And most importantly, they’ll stop treating their firm like “just an accounting practice” and start treating it like the business it truly is.

Because at the end of the day, you’re not just an accountant. You’re an entrepreneur who happens to run an accounting firm. And the sooner you start acting like one, the sooner your firm stops surviving and starts thriving.

Want your accounting firm to show up in LLM tools like ChatGPT? Here’s a fun, practical, and SEO-friendly guide to help CPA firms build trust and visibility with content that LLMs love.

Let’s start with the obvious:

You’ve probably used ChatGPT. Maybe to draft an email, maybe to write off the third time someone asked about S Corps at a dinner party. But here’s the thing you might not know: ChatGPT is powered by something called an LLM, or Large Language Model.

(Yes, that’s what the cool kids are calling it. No, you don’t have to like it. But you should understand it.)

An LLM is basically a brainy robot librarian that has read the entire internet, remembers everything, and tries to answer questions by pulling the most helpful, expert-level information it can find.

So when someone types, “What are the best tax strategies for a landscaping business in Ohio?” - the LLM isn’t just spitting out guesses. It’s scanning billions of web pages, trying to find an answer from a source that is expert, helpful, and trustworthy.

Sound familiar? That’s your job. Literally. You are the expert, the helper, and the trustworthy voice your clients need.

Now here’s where it gets interesting… If you want to show up in LLM searches, you don’t need tricks. You need trust. Let’s break it down.

Why LLMs Matter More Than Google 

Google is still the big dog in search, but it’s no longer the only way people find answers. Tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are fast becoming the go-to for business owners asking complex questions.

And if you’re still relying on word-of-mouth and the occasional “We do tax prep” blog post, your firm is gonna be invisible to these new AI overlords.

LLMs don’t care about ads. They care about answers. So instead of shouting “Pick me!” you need to quietly (and consistently) build a Trust Asset.

What’s a Trust Asset and Why Should CPAs Care?

Think of your content like a Roth IRA.

You put in a little effort now, and it grows over time - tax-free visibility, baby! A Trust Asset is the sum total of your digital credibility: your website, articles, LinkedIn presence, Google reviews, and anything else that screams “we know what we’re doing.”

This is your foundation. And LLMs are trained to sniff it out like bloodhounds on a mission. If you’ve built a rich, helpful, niche-specific content library, the LLMs will find you, and recommend you.

If you’ve just got a “We help small businesses” page and a dusty blog from 2019? Well…let’s just say your odds are slimmer than a tax refund in Q4.

The Three Pillars of LLM Visibility (a.k.a. The Accountant's Organic Marketing Stack)

Pillar 1: Your Digital Office Lobby

This is the foundation of your online presence - and it starts with a few important assets:

• Your website -  make sure your website is modern, fast, clear, and specific to your niche.
• Avoid generic language like “we do taxes.” Instead, clearly state who you help and how. If your firm serves real estate pros, dentists, or doggy daycares - say it loud and proud.
• Your google business profile fully filled out, up to date, accurate (especially your contact info) and full of fresh, relevant photos - not ones from your 2008 BlackBerry
• Don’t forget: Reviews matter a lot.

Pillar 2: Your Expertise on Display

This is where the magic happens - LLMs crave real expertise.

Here’s what they’re looking for:

• Specific, helpful, clearly written content
• Real answers to real questions
• No “SEO soup” or fluff

Start here:

• Think about the questions clients ask you all the time
• Identify common points of confusion (e.g., new tax laws)
• Write blog posts to answer those questions
• Use a conversational tone
• Share personal stories and insights

Be generous with your knowledge. The more helpful your content, the more likely an LLM like ChatGPT will source your insights when someone asks that question online.

Pillar 3: Your Digital Handshake

Great content is only valuable if it’s seen. Here’s how to share it effectively:

• Use LinkedIn as your main platform
  
  • Post your blogs and articles with thoughtful captions
  • Engage with others in your niche
  • Comment, connect, and show up consistently

This builds digital trust - with both humans and algorithms. The more your content circulates in professional spaces, the more likely it is to be viewed as credible and relevant - by people and machines.

Want to Show Up in an LLM's Answer? Be the One Who Already Answered the Question.

This part is beautifully simple. If you want to be featured in an LLM’s answer, make sure you’ve already written that answer.

Start by brainstorming the top 10 questions you get from your clients. Things like, “How do I handle the new 1099-K changes?” or “What tax deductions am I missing as a contractor?” Then, write clear, helpful articles that address those questions head-on. Bonus points if you use the exact question in your title.

An article titled, “3 Things Every Florida Small Business Must Know About Sales Tax,” is far more likely to be used by an LLM than a generic “Services” page. Specificity wins. Clarity wins. And when that article gets referenced in an answer, that’s your moment. The one where a future client discovers you because you were the clear expert.

Use LLMs to Help You Write the Stuff That Attracts LLMs

Look, if writing isn’t your jam, don’t sweat it. You can use ChatGPT (or any LLM) to help you create the very content that gets you discovered.

Ask it to help you brainstorm blog titles. Have it draft an outline for your next article. Let it take your notes and turn them into a rough draft. Then go in, clean it up, and infuse it with your firm’s voice and expertise. LLMs aren’t just something to impress - they’re a tool you can use to speed up content creation and finally keep that blog from collecting cobwebs.

Don’t Chase the Algorithm. Be the Source.

This isn’t about tricking AI. This is about becoming the kind of expert that AI wants to feature.

That means getting clear about your niche. Answering the real questions your clients are asking. Building a library of helpful content. And sharing it consistently so the world (and the machines) know where to find you. If you do that, you won’t need to shout for attention. You’ll attract it. And if you’re ready to build your Trust Asset but don’t want to do it alone? Cajabra’s got you. We help accountants create expert-level marketing that gets noticed (by humans and machines).