Every industry is marked by influencers. They are trendsetters and early adopters of tech advances and business solutions, they are innovators and strong communicators vis-à-vis their approach to branding and marketing strategies, and brand ambassadors within their industries and among their target audience.

And people follow influencers not only because they wield leadership authority, but also because they trust the influencer’s subject matter expertise and knowledge.

If you can become an authority within the accounting industry, the benefits can be multifold. As an influencer, you will find it easier to promote your accounting business, to be able to find clients easily, thus effectively expanding your current client base, and you will be in a position to serve your clients better.

However, becoming an influencer within the accounting industry will require that you spend some time strategizing your approach. But this will be time well spent since it can lead to business profitability.

Here are six strategies that can help you develop a reputation as an accounting industry influencer.

1. Develop the Mindset of a Leader

The first thing you need to do is to condition your mind to start thinking like a leader – it can have a positive impact both on your accounting business and in your personal life.

However, bear this in mind that being a leader is not about holding your position at the top or about maintaining the status quo.

As a leader, you will need to think and plan ahead with the ultimate goal of driving business growth and revenue both in the present and in the future.

2. Position Yourself as an Early Adopter and Innovator

The accounting industry is in a state of evolution. New technology and advanced accounting solutions, such as cloud-based accounting solutions, are the primary drivers of change within the industry. You need to be able to not only absorb these changes, but you should be in a position to present them within your market. Your clients and peers will definitely stand up and start noticing you if you are someone who is not afraid to try new accounting trends and solutions.

There are three major benefits of doing so;

• You will expand your knowledge base.
• You will be in a position to leverage these trends and innovations to advance your business.
• You will become a go-to source for your peers and target audience who will depend on your subject matter expertise.

3. Learn to Communicate Effectively

Communication is the key to becoming an accounting industry influencer. In addition to communicating via social sites, your blog, and website, you will also need to sharpen your communication skills in other ways.

Your clients have chosen your accounting firm for a reason – unless you keep in constant touch with them, you could end up losing them to competitors. Personalize your communication and stay in touch.

You could always send a friendly mail to show you care about their continued patronage to your business. Also, make sure you are in touch with the staff that interacts with your clients. Understand any current or potential pain points of your clients before it becomes a real problem.

4. Express your Opinions on All Key Industry Issues

An effective way to mark your position as an accounting industry influencer is by addressing and expressing your opinions on industry changes, common areas of concern or solutions, and policies that can impact the way accounting firms do business.

For example, the accounting industry is under pressure to adopt cloud solutions that can effectively simplify and speed up accounting processes.

Additionally, accounting firms can benefit from greater transparency and accuracy in their business.

You can take to social sites such as LinkedIn or use your company blog to relay your opinions on the matter. Provide clarity or answers to common queries, such as how to reduce business downtime, how modern-day technology, such as cloud can be leveraged by a business to enhance their accounting processes, and more.

In a lot of cases, accounting firms are hesitant to adopt new tech and solutions because they are unsure about which solution to choose. As an influencer, you could always offer or endorse accounting solutions that have worked for your business while also explaining why you are endorsing the solution.

These steps will boost your personal image as an industry influencer and subject matter expert as more people will look towards you for information and answers on pertinent issues and changes.

5. Learn to Trust Your Instincts

It takes time and experience to develop instincts. However, the best leaders develop an instinct, and they rely on it when it comes to making major decisions or when confronted with challenges.

Keep in mind that your actions and their repercussions will impact the way your clients and peers view you. As a leader, when faced with challenges or changes, don’t let pride or fear hamper your thinking. In the course of your career, both as an entrepreneur and as an industry influencer, difficult decisions and even sacrifices will have to be taken.

And sometimes, you will have to think beyond market and business stats or numbers. Trust your gut and be objective in such moments. Your decisions and actions could help you stand out and be noticed by the industry.

6. Learning is a Continuous Process

The one thing that all industry influencers and leaders have in common is that they never stop learning. Study and research industry changes, successes, and failures to know what can be done in the future to boost business profitability.

If possible, look outside your industry for solutions that can benefit your business and or industry.

Develop case studies that can act as a guide for other accounting businesses. Again, this will only serve to solidify your position as a subject matter expert and help stamp your position as an accounting industry influencer.

To Wrap Up

There are no clear cut guidelines for becoming an accounting industry influencer. While there are numerous strategies and techniques that can help you position yourself as an influencer, a lot depends on how effectively you are able to adopt and implement these strategies to your advantage.

The above mentioned six strategies cover the core aspects of becoming an accounting industry influencer. Don’t expect results overnight – rather, take your time and commit yourself these strategies, and they will help you establish a reputation as an accounting industry influencer.