On this week’s Dear Katie, I’m going to talk about something that can help any firm owner – marketing. The question I received was: We recently started marketing for the first time ever (always relied on referrals before), and I’m having a hard time generating buzz. Any tips?
I went back and forth a few times and found that the way this firm owner was trying to advertise was using Instagram and Facebook Ads.
P.S. If you’ve heard that Meta ads (Facebook and Instagram) don’t work, they absolutely do. But if you miss out on a few key details, they won’t perform as you would hope.
I reviewed this firm’s ads, and I helped them through a few issues. The major one was that they didn’t have an irresistible offer.
When I discussed this with the person, they told me that they never had to have an irresistible offer before. The firm was reliant on referrals coming in from people who said:
Since referrals come through the door already pretty much sold (92% of referrals trust who referred them), they’re almost guaranteed money.
Cold traffic is different.
A person who finds you through ads isn’t sold on you. Chances are, the person was scrolling through their feed when they saw your ad.
If you’re not offering an irresistible offer to stop the person in their tracks, the person will not click through to get more information…
And if they don’t click through to get more information, you don’t even have a chance to sell them on your services.
So, let’s go right into the elements that you need for an irresistible offer so that your marketing can begin working for you.
Your irresistible offer must include four main elements:
If you want your audience to take action, you need each and every element on this list. Lacking even a single element will require you to go back to the drawing board.
Confused? Let’s look at an example together. If you say, “I do taxes or bookkeeping for real estate investors,” your offer lacks a specific outcome and isn’t compelling. A lot of firms offer this service.
While I might be intrigued by your focus on real estate investors, it’s an ad that I likely won’t take action on.
Another common offer I see ALL the time is a lead magnet that helps a certain niche save a certain amount of tax dollars. Here’s an example: Veterinarians: Get the 10 secrets to paying $50,000 less on taxes.
That certainly sounds compelling, and there’s definitely a specific outcome. But in many cases, lead magnets like these don’t resonate with a CPA firm’s ideal audience.
Why?
Think about it – if your firm targets vets doing $1M/year, do you think they want to learn 10 ways to save on taxes? Likely not.
They want someone who can do their taxes for them.
So, this offer will likely only appeal to new vets who are going to DIY their tax strategy. It’s not going to resonate with the firm’s ideal audience.
I’ve shared the elements of an irresistible offer and the problem with lead magnets. So, what exactly does an irresistible offer look like when you put these elements together?
That depends on your firm and what you offer, but a great example would be:
A video ad that shares how, on average, you find that real estate investors are overpaying taxes by at least $15,000.
Within this ad, you could share a case study showing how you helped a client save on taxes.
At the end of the ad, you could offer a 45-minute discovery call to show real estate investors how to save $15,000 or more on their taxes.
The offer above is compelling and has a specific outcome. It resonates with their audience and also leverages social proof.
Let’s say that you want a quick boost to your social media sales. You could add urgency by:
There are so many ways to create urgency. Decide what’s best for your firm, your audience and your offer.
Just remember that at the end of the day, you need an irresistible offer if you want people to take action. And an irresistible offer must be:
Those are the four requirements.
And, that’s a wrap on this Dear Katie question.
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Now I want to hear from you. Do you have a question?
Until next time, cheers to your success!
Katie
An irresistible offer is a compelling proposition that clearly outlines the specific outcome a potential client can expect, resonates with their needs, creates urgency, and includes social proof to encourage action.
An irresistible offer helps differentiate your services in a competitive market, especially when attracting cold traffic that isn’t already sold on your firm.
Focus on a specific outcome that your audience desires, such as saving money or simplifying their tax process, and present it in a way that highlights the benefits they will receive.
It means that your offer should address the specific needs and pain points of your target audience, making them feel understood and more likely to engage.
You can create urgency by limiting the availability of your offer, such as a time-sensitive discount or a limited number of free consultations, encouraging potential clients to act quickly.
Social proof, such as testimonials or case studies, builds trust and credibility, showing potential clients that others have successfully benefited from your services.