Personal Brand Strategies for Accountants and CPAs - How to Build an Accounting Personal Brand - Accounting Voices Podcast

Episode 52

Why Accounting Professionals Need a Personal Brand

Published on: 29th January, 2024

Marketing expert Jo Edwards brings 35 years of experience to the topic of personal branding for accountants and CPAs in creating industry rockstars in accounting.

Jo shares why building a strong personal brand is critical for standing out and attracting high-quality clients in a competitive marketplace.

Rob and Jo discuss how to build an authentic brand aligned with your interests, the power of microniche expertise, and how to measure your brand's progress.

Jo emphasizes being intentional about developing your brand and using tools like content creation and public speaking to raise your profile. She offers advice for overcoming introversion and making time for branding activities.

Jo argues that amplifying your personal brand is essential for commanding premium fees, generating referrals, fast-tracking your career, and achieving influence in your firm.

Key Takeaways:

  • The "three R's" of personal branding are recognition, reputation, and respect. A strong brand helps you get "paid" through attention, high fees, and referrals.
  • Authenticity is crucial - crafting a brand that's not true to you is hard to maintain long-term. Align your brand with your genuine interests.
  • Consider micro-niche expertise, becoming known as the go-to expert in a very specialized area aligned with your interests.
  • Measure progress by conversions - when target audiences seek you out, invite you to speak, and refer new business to you.
  • Use tools like content creation, public speaking, and networking, but play to your strengths and act within your comfort zone. Seek help from mentors.

"Any accountancy firm that isn't winning more than 80 percent of their new work from referrals is doing something wrong."

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The Accounting Influencers Podcast drops every Monday to accounting professionals, finance specialists, software vendors, tech providers and influencers across 150 countries in the accountancy, CPA and bookkeeping space. To participate in our international virtual speed networking events for the accounting community, book your place at the next gathering: https://accountinginfluencers.com/events. Great to build your personal brand and make valuable industry connections in return for a small donation to charity.

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Thanks to our sponsors:

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If you'd like to sponsor the show and elevate your brand with our audience, reach out to show host Rob Brown on LinkedIn and his team will reach out to fix up a chat to explore.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

You can also check out all shows on the Accounting Influencers YouTube Channel

https://bit.ly/AI-youtube

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About the Podcast

Accounting Voices Podcast
Accounting Voices helps people in the accounting world stay relevant visible and vocal. Host Rob Brown interprets trends reshaping the profession and gives listeners insight to build authority influence and a stronger voice in firms and markets.
Accounting Voices, hosted by Rob Brown, helps decision makers and leaders in accounting and finance stay relevant, visible and vocal in a profession being reshaped by technology, private equity, regulation and shifting client expectations. Each episode interprets the trends disrupting accounting and finance such as AI, automation, M&A, talent and the move to advisory and translates them into practical insight that strengthens authority and influence.
Accounting Voices is also a platform for the wider ecosystem of networks, associations, educators, consultants, software vendors and technology experts who serve accountants and finance professionals worldwide. It extends into regular Accounting Voices networking sessions that connect this audience and amplify ideas that move the profession forward. With its international reach and long shelf life the show delivers credibility and commercial value for listeners and sponsors alike. Search for "Accounting Voices" on YouTube for all episodes and connect with Rob Brown on LinkedIn to find out more: https://www.linkedin.com/in/therobbrown

About your host

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Rob Brown

ob Brown is the creator and host of the Accounting Voices Network, a media platform that includes the flagship solo podcast Accounting Voices and the panel shows Accounting M&A and Accounting Tech. He chairs conferences, panels and virtual events worldwide and is recognised as a leading advocate for the accounting profession.

He is an accomplished speaker and authority on trust, reputation, employer brand, talent, succession, executive presence and the forces shaping the future of accounting. Rob is the author of the bestselling book Build Your Reputation (Wiley) and his TEDx talk The Personal Brand of You has been viewed more than 400,000 times.

A former co-founder of the Accounting Influencers Roundtable, Rob now focuses on amplifying the voices of leaders, firms, networks, vendors and influencers across the global accounting ecosystem.

Outside of work he is a stroke survivor, lives with epilepsy, holds a black belt in kickboxing and is based in Nottingham, UK. He plays chess and backgammon, loves orange chocolate and is allergic to grapefruit.