The Growth of SMS Among Professional Services Firms

We all know how great SMS marketing is for companies which sell to consumers, such as hairdressers, night clubs, garages and hotels. But why would a business want to use SMS marketing and why would it want to use FastSMS as its online SMS platform

The old saying in business is that you need three things – a) luck, b) inventive accountants and c) aggressive solicitors.

We can’t really write about luck but let’s start with accountants. The UK tax system is incredibly complicated. Accountants are necessary to make sure that limited companies, their directors and the self-employed navigate the minefield of UK tax law.

There have been two massive changes to company accounting in the last three years, with the introduction of Real Time Information (that’s when you tell the taxman online what you’ve paid your staff and what you’ve held back for tax on the day you do the wages run) and auto-enrolment (a new compulsory scheme where employers contribute towards staff state pensions).

When auto-enrolment was launched, there were 14 different “staging dates”. What that means is that, by a certain date, different types of businesses (based on size and incorporation date) would have to implement auto-enrolment in their companies.

Given that 90% of SMS messages are opened (compared to much lower rates for email marketing, postal marketing and so on), business text messaging was and is the ideal way for an accountant to remind their customers that their staging date is due. Combine that with SMS reminders about PAYE dates (22nd of each month), VAT dates (the seventh of every third month) and corporation tax (nine months after year end) and you’ll see how many opportunities accountants have to keep customers in the loop with FastSMS’s online SMS service.

Business text messaging offers your accountancy practice the opportunity to:

• send out limited time offers for new services you’re bringing on board
• let customers know of seminars you’re holding
• promote trade shows and fairs you’ll be appearing at
• send links to relevant blog posts concerning their types of business on your site
• wish your clients a happy birthday!

As an accountant, you’re in a trusted position. You’re the keeper of the secret – the secret being how to understand the Byzantine tax system companies and individuals operate under. You’re their safety shield from the taxman and the person that can open doors to help them getting funding to grow or save their business.

More and more accountants are realising just how personally and professionally important they are to their clients. Business text messaging is an amazingly popular and cost-effective way for you to connect with your clients.

Where there’s a hit, there’s a writ. There are very few companies which turn over more than half a million pounds a year which don’t receive an unexpected “gift” through the post every so often from someone else’s solicitor. But how can your firm use SMS services?

The modern legal practice consists of many different areas of law – company law, employment, business rates, property and planning, financial services and more. If your firm primarily works with businesses, the billing value you could win by keeping in touch with these customers and making sure you’re first in their mind when they need legal representation makes the case for business text messaging very strong.

Laws governing businesses are constantly changing. Sales opportunities are created when you inform a client of something they should be doing that they may not know about now. SMS marketing is the way to get important messages with strong calls to action out to your customers.

When you contact FastSMS, our dedicated team of professionals will talk you through some of the best and most current applications of business SMS by UK solicitors.

The chances are that your client list already contains the mobile phone numbers of the directors of the firms you look after.

You already have the most important two things in place – the method of contact and the permission to do so (UK marketing law permits electronic messaging to individuals and companies with whom you have an existing relationship).

What do you do with this invaluable data? Choose your SMS provider carefully – FastSMS has so much experience working with businesses across hundreds of different sectors. Our team is ready to help you with advice and support on getting exactly what you need out of business text messaging.

Accountants should create three lists. One will include everyone, for general announcements and for PAYE reminders. Create another one that allows you to remind customers when their VAT is due. And lastly, make a final one comprising customers’ due dates for corporation tax payments.

Solicitors need a generic list for announcements, seminars and more. Then, create a separate list appending each client name, making reference to the types of legal advice they have either asked you about in the past or you have already represented them on. When something changes in the law governing those areas, send out a message to your clients with a link to a blog post on your site and a “Call me now” prompt for the client to get in touch with the relevant department.

Every time you send a text message, you need to ensure that there’s a method of opting out of receiving them in the future. It’s easy to do with FastSMS as your text message provider. For the more technical among you, there’s even an SMS API we can help you install.

We’re here to help. There’s no-one better at what we do or more committed to its customers. Why not put us to the test and realise the profit that exists in your customer database? Call us on 0800 954 5305 or email the team on helpdesk@fastsms.co.uk.