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CPA COUNTS ON E-MAIL MARKETING TO ADD CLIENTS When CPA Gary Kaplan told a friend he wanted to expand his full-service accounting practice and was looking for the smartest way to spend his advertising dollars, the friend said two words: E-mail marketing. Then, he added one more word: Equilibrix. “I have a Web site (www.gkaplancpa.com) and have used Google AdWords, but never print ads or direct mail to advertise my services,” says Mr. Kaplan. “E-mail marketing appeals to me, because it is a cost-effective way to target potential clients; plus it provides an easy way for people to contact me at a time that is convenient for them. So, I took my friend’s advice and met with Myriam Cohen at Equilibrix. “The first thing we did was define exactly whom I wanted to reach. As a sole practitioner in Boca Raton since 1997, I was interested in introducing my services –– and me –– to businesses in Broward and Palm Beach Counties. Since Myriam already had a database set up, all we had to do was create an eflyer and come up with a dynamic subject line.” It’s a numbers game… “Let’s say you send out 25,000 eflyers, and the open rate is 8 percent, that’s 2,000 people reading your message,” continues Mr. Kaplan. “If even 1 percent sign up for my services, I have 20 new clients. “Now, as a CPA, I don’t need hundreds of clients. In fact, even if I only attract one or two a year, I’ve scored a home run, because once people work with me, they generally become clients for life. What other medium puts you in touch with potential clients for an investment of less than 4¢ each?” E-mail marketing, like every other form of advertising, depends on frequency and repetition to turn people into long-term clients. While it’s true people receive dozens of e-mails every day, if your eflyer shows up in their inbox at the moment they need you, you most likely have a new client. Plus, forwarding an eflyer to others who may benefit from your services only takes a couple of clicks. Exceptional service… “I’ve had great success with my e-mail marketing,” says Mr. Kaplan. “The Equilibrix team is responsive, professional, creative. In fact the original eflyer they designed for me has elicited such a great response I haven’t changed it. “They know what they’re doing and they’re honest. I have such a high level of confidence in them that I have referred them to my clients –– there’s no higher compliment than that.” |
