• Current students
      • Student centre
        Enrol on a course/exam
        My enrolments
        Exam results
        Mock exams
        Learning Hub data privacy policy
      • Course information
        Students FAQs
        Student induction
        Course enrolment information
        Key dates
        Book distribution
        Timetables
        FAE elective information
      • Exams
        Exam Info: CAP1
        E-assessment information
        Exam info: CAP2
        Exam info: FAE
        Access support/reasonable accommodation
        Extenuating circumstances
        Timetables for exams & interim assessments
        Interim assessments past papers & E-Assessment mock solutions
        Committee reports & sample papers
        Information and appeals scheme
        JIEB: NI Insolvency Qualification
      • CA Diary resources
        Mentors: Getting started on the CA Diary
        CA Diary for Flexible Route FAQs
      • Admission to membership
        Joining as a reciprocal member
        Conferring dates
        Admissions FAQs
      • Support & services
        Recruitment to and transferring of training contracts
        CASSI
        Student supports and wellbeing
        Audit qualification
        Diversity and Inclusion Committee
    • Students

      View all the services available for students of the Institute

      Read More
  • Becoming a student
      • About Chartered Accountancy
        The Chartered difference
        What do Chartered Accountants do?
        5 Reasons to become a Chartered Accountant
        Student benefits
        School Bootcamp
        Third Level Hub
        Study in Northern Ireland
        Events
        Blogs
        Member testimonials 2022
        Become a Chartered Accountant podcast series
      • Entry routes
        College
        Working
        Accounting Technicians
        School leavers
        Member of another body
        International student
        Flexible Route
        Training Contract
      • Course description
        CAP1
        CAP2
        FAE
        Our education offering
      • Apply
        How to apply
        Exemptions guide
        Fees & payment options
        External students
      • Training vacancies
        Training vacancies search
        Training firms list
        Large training firms
        Milkround
        Recruitment to and transferring of training contract
        Interview preparation and advice
        The rewards on qualification
        Tailoring your CV for each application
        Securing a trainee Chartered Accountant role
      • Support & services
        Becoming a student FAQs
        Who to contact for employers
        Register for a school visit
    • Becoming a
      student

      Study with us

      Read More
  • Members
      • Members Hub
        My account
        Member subscriptions
        Annual returns
        Application forms
        CPD/events
        Member services A-Z
        District societies
        Professional Standards
        Young Professionals
        Careers development
        Diversity and Inclusion Committee
      • Members in practice
        Going into practice
        Managing your practice FAQs
        Practice compliance FAQs
        Toolkits and resources
        Audit FAQs
        Other client services
        Practice Consulting services
        What's new
      • In business
        Networking and special interest groups
        Articles
      • Overseas members
        Home
        Key supports
        Tax for returning Irish members
        Networks and people
      • Public sector
        Public sector news
        Public sector presentations
      • Support & services
        Letters of good standing form
        Member FAQs
        AML confidential disclosure form
        Institute Technical content
        TaxSource Total
        The Educational Requirements for the Audit Qualification
        Pocket diaries
        Thrive Hub
      • Member benefits
        Member benefits
    • Members

      View member services

      Read More
  • Employers
      • Training organisations
        Authorise to train
        Training in business
        Manage my students
        Incentive Scheme
        Recruitment to and transferring of training contracts
        Securing and retaining the best talent
        Tips on writing a job specification
      • Training
        In-house training
        Training tickets
      • Recruitment services
        Hire a qualified Chartered Accountant
        Hire a trainee student
      • Non executive directors recruitment service
      • Support & services
        Hire members: log a job vacancy
        Firm/employers FAQs
        Training ticket FAQs
        Authorisations
        Hire a room
        Who to contact for employers
    • Employers

      Services to support your business

      Read More
☰
  • The Institute
☰
  • Home
  • Articles
  • Students
  • Advertise
  • Subscribe
  • Archive
  • Podcasts
  • Contact us
Search
View Cart 0 Item
  • Home/
  • Accountancy Ireland/
  • Articles/
  • News/
  • Latest News

Lastest news

Visible expertise for professional services: where to start

Sep 23, 2022

Standing out among your competitors can be tough, especially in the digital age. Mary Cloonan outlines how visible expertise can help professional services firms gain a competitive edge

The world is becoming increasingly digital by the day, meaning a shift in the way firms and organisations are viewed by clients and competitors. In this fast-changing landscape, one of the most important steps a professional services firm can take is to build visible expertise.

Knowledge and expertise—once something that was only gained through years of experience in a field—is now just a few clicks away, and with this comes the challenge for businesses to maintain their edge.

To stay relevant in professional services, businesses need to focus on building visible expertise. But, what is visible expertise, and how can it be acquired in today’s digital world?

Visible expertise explained

Visible expertise is the combination of thought leadership and relationship marketing. It’s about being known as an expert in your field and having the relationships to back this up.

Thought leadership is about sharing your knowledge and ideas to educate and inspire others. It’s about demonstrating that you are an authority on a particular topic and have something valuable to say.

Relationship marketing is all about building solid and long-lasting relationships with your current and potential clients and creating a connection that goes beyond simply providing a product or service to become a connection that lasts.

Combined, thought leadership and relationship marketing make up visible expertise. And when it comes to professional services, visible expertise is critical.

Visual expertise and accountancy

There are four reasons why visible expertise is so vital for accountants:

  1. Visible expertise is a way to differentiate yourself from your competition. Businesses are constantly vying for market share, and being known as an expert in your field sets you apart.
  2. When you share your ideas and knowledge, you demonstrate your expertise and confidence, making you more trustworthy in the eyes of your clients.
  3. Prioritising market development efforts and budgets in a specific segment of your profession allows you to maximise returns from minimum investment.
  4. Finally, it’s a way to stay ahead of the curve. By sharing your ideas and thoughts on a given topic, you are positioning yourself as an authority – someone who is up-to-date on the latest trends and changes, allowing you to stay one step ahead of competitors and become the go-to firm when clients need an expert.

Building visual expertise

Building visible expertise is critical in a competitive market. Here are five steps you can take in your professional services marketing journey.

Claim a sector or industry segment

Narrowing your focus to a specific segment is the first step in claiming visible expertise. You need to identify the area you want to be known for and then start sharing your ideas and thoughts on that topic.

Building knowledge in a specific area takes time and effort, but to truly ace it, you must put in the work. Read industry publications, attend relevant conferences, network, and learn.

Most importantly – write about it. Sharing your ideas online is one of the best ways to build visible expertise.

Understand target audience segmentation

Now that you’ve claimed your sector or industry segment, you need to understand your audience. Understanding their specific needs and how your solutions can help them overcome the challenges they face is essential.

Ask yourself who needs your expertise, what their pain points are, and how you can provide the solution to their problem.

Sharpen your expertise

As an expert in your field, you are responsible for sharpening your skills. Educating yourself on the latest changes and trends in your industry, such as reporting standards or tax rules, is crucial.

Demonstrate your growing knowledge through LinkedIn posts, trade magazine or newspaper articles, interviews or conference speeches.

Build your profile

You need to have a plan for how you are going to share your expertise and ideas and what platforms you are going to use to do it.

Discover the platforms that will work best for you and your business. If you’re unsure where to start, look at where your target audience spends their time online and consider using those platforms to share your content.

Execute the strategy

Creating visible expertise takes time and effort, especially in the beginning. However, if you are consistent with your content and remain focused on your target audience, you will start to see results.

It’s crucial to track your progress along the way. Keep an eye on your website traffic and social media engagement to see how people respond to your content. This will give you a good indication of what’s working and what isn’t, and you can adjust your strategy accordingly.

Mary Cloonan is the Founder of Marketing Clever

The latest news to your inbox

Useful links

  • Current students
  • Becoming a student
  • Knowledge centre
  • Shop
  • District societies

Get in touch

Dublin HQ

Chartered Accountants
House, 47-49 Pearse St,
Dublin 2, Ireland

TEL: +353 1 637 7200
Belfast HQ

The Linenhall
32-38 Linenhall Street, Belfast
Antrim BT2 8BG, United Kingdom.

TEL: +44 28 9043 5840

Connect with us

CAW Footer Logo-min
GAA Footer Logo-min
CARB Footer Logo-min
CCAB-I Footer Logo-min

© Copyright Chartered Accountants Ireland 2020. All Rights Reserved.

☰
  • Terms & conditions
  • Privacy statement
  • Event privacy notice
LOADING...

Please wait while the page loads.