According to online data, 98 percent of text messages are read in three minutes. This makes it one of the most effective communication and marketing tools for tax professionals and accountants. Consumers also prefer texting over any communication tools, such as emails, phone calls, and other third-party messaging apps, according to a 2021 research State of Texting.
With the use of texting in your business, you can directly communicate with your clients without personally giving out your personal phone number. And what’s great about it is they can get alerts by texting a keyword and can be easily subscribed to their text-enabled phone, toll-free number, or VoIP with their consent.
Why Use Text Messaging for Your Tax Preparation Business
One of the most important days for Americans is April 15, which is Tax Day. Through text messaging, you can help prevent taxpayers from forgetting to pay on time. Sending text messages in advance can also ease their minds and lessen their anxiety about missing the deadline.
Text Messaging Helps in Promotions as Tax Season Approaches
You can promote your business and give discounts through text messaging. You can let your existing and potential clients know about your services by sending them a text message.
You can also use text messaging to jump-start your advertising in tax preparation service. Now, if you are part of a team or are a solo tax preparer, sending out text messages can prevent problems with tax-filing appointments. A smart approach you can take is to send a reminder text and combine it with a discount for filing early.
Additionally, encouraging your clients via text messages can help them prevent procrastination.
Text Messaging Surpasses the Use of Emails
According to Why Your Customers Don’t Read Your Emails Anymore, consumers trust text messaging more than emails and phone calls when it comes to receiving important messages and notifications. In addition to this, over 25 percent of most consumers receive more than 50 messages and over 25 emails a day, many of which are considered spam.
There is a big possibility that your clients overlook or accidentally archive or delete your emails which can cause a delay in their response time for any important messages, approvals, or additional documents.
Text Messaging Can Simplify Communication
Through text marketing, you can encourage your clients to schedule an early appointment for tax preparers. When your clients opt-in as your subscribers, you can then send text reminders and even marketing texts so they won’t miss the year-end federal tax returns or the quarterly estimated tax payments for self-employed.
You can also use this to market new services available such as an option to hire a payroll administrator or financial consultant.
Other Benefits of Using Text Messaging
Aside from the ones mentioned above, here are some of the other benefits you can get when you use text messaging for income tax preparation. You can:
- Inform clients about their tax return status through tax preparation software
- Give tips about smart financial planning
- Streamline the process involved in sending reminders and scheduling appointments
- Save the time from having long phone calls
- Send important links to tax-related content like how-to videos and webinars
- Send text messages about the new services you have to offer
- Send thank-you notes to your clients and ask for referrals
- Remind independent contractors to file quarterly estimated tax payments
Conclusion
Using text message marketing can help build strong relationships with your clients so you can encourage loyalty and trust with them. Knowing that they can text you anytime can assure your clients, which can put you in a better position in the current and next tax season.
Main Street Contact is a powerful web-based platform that offers voice and text messaging service for businesses. Contact us today and let us help increase loyalty and drive traffic to your business.