10 Easy blog ideas for busy accountants
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Mercia Group 
20 January 2023 13:49
How can you generate blog ideas for accountants that will help you build a readership for your business blog and make your content marketing strategy a success?
In this article, we look at the value of regular blogging on accountancy topics. Of course, busy accountants might find writing regularly a daunting challenge when they already have a full plate.
However, we show here that if you can write directly to your clients on a regular basis it will have many benefits. From positioning yourself as a thought leader and attracting new clients to bolstering your marketing strategy and cross selling your services to existing clients.
Find out how to create an accounting business blog and fill it with engaging content ideas by reading on.
Key Highlights
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Discover the benefits of writing an accountancy blog; from SEO benefits to increasing your brand reputation
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A successful accounting blog is one that is written regularly and is able to educate your audience
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The value of allowing your opinions, expertise and personality show through in the written word
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The challenge of finding valuable accounting blog topics
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Keeping your readers engaged with those topics
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10 ideas for accounting blogs, including tax tips, how-to guides and business topics
On this page:
Why write an accountancy blog?
Tips on writing successful blogs
10 easy blog post ideas for busy accountants
1) Recent government announcements
2) How to understand tax codes
4) A day in the life of an accountant
5) Report of recent finance cases in the news
8) Technology reviews and how-to guides
10) Opinions on current affairs
Why write an accountancy blog?
A blog is a regularly updated website or web page that can either be used for personal use or to fulfil a business need.
There are many reasons to write accounting blogs for your clients. Blog posts allow you to rank on search engines for a variety of keywords. This in turn helps drive traffic to your website.
When topics are chosen carefully, and blog posts are well written, the blog will become part of your regular marketing activities. It is important that a blog is regular, so set yourself an achievable target and stick to it. If necessary recruit others from within your accounting firm to share the workload and give different perspectives and areas of expertise. This will help accounting practices stay visible to their clients.
A blog will also allows you to establish authority in your industry and establish a reputation as a thought leader - which means you will be the go-to expert in the accounting business for new and current and potential clients. Blogs are also another channel that will help you keep your clients informed of developments in the worlds of tax, finance and business.
Regular blog posts will also provide content for your social media platforms as well as providing valuable information to your clients. A blog post also allows you to link to other areas of your website so you can highlight relevant services to those clients and show them how you can help their businesses.
Tips on writing successful blogs
It is vital that you make your accounting blog compelling and valuable to your readers. So, think about who your audience is and write for their interest and benefit.
Do not get too technical and make sure your content is easy to read. Keep sentences short and don't be tempted to use flowery phrases or industry jargon (unless you intend to explain and demystify it). Websites such as hemingwayapp.com can help format blog content to achieve this.
Research suggests that people view and scan web pages rather than read every last bit of copy. Therefore, try and keep your articles as quick, easy reads. Provide lists wherever possible and break up the text by using bullet points and lists. If you can include relevant images on a blog post that will also help engage the reader.
Don't be afraid to reveal something about who you are and what your opinions are. Your opinions can help you become known as a thought leader in the accounting world and can build trust with readers. They will make your accounting blog more personal and help build a rapport with the clients of your accounting firm.
Write about topics that interest and engage you. If you have a genuine interest in the topic writing will be easier for you and your expertise will shine through in the finished articles. So, find accounting blog topics that interest you, use subjects you are comfortable with and write about those.
10 easy blog post ideas for busy accountants.
Finding content ideas can be a challenge, so below we suggest 10 easy blog post ideas that cover areas of interest that will showcase your accounting expertise for small businesses and potential clients alike.
1) Recent government announcements
The government and HMRC are both regular sources of announcements, many of which have an impact on small businesses and personal finances.
Use your accounting blog to share the news on current or upcoming announcements from the government and HMRC. You can then break down any fiscal jargon and identify what these changes could mean for your clients in practical terms.
There are a number of regular events that happen throughout the year that can help your planning. Budgets, self assessment deadlines, the annual minimum wage changes and the new tax year are all good sources of valuable content for your clients.
In addition, changes to business and personal taxes may happen throughout the year so it is important to keep abreast of them and then relay them to your clients through your accounting blog.
This will help show that your finger is on the pulse of developments as well as reinforcing your availability to help.
2) How to understand tax codes
Many people find their personal tax code and the wider fiscal system difficult to understand. Write about different tax codes explaining what they are, why they exist and how they can impact your clients.
Explain how a tax code can be checked and, if necessary, changed. Make sure your clients know you are on hand to discuss further if needed or include simple tax tips or a step by step guide that they can follow quickly and easily.
3) Defining accountancy terms
The accounting profession has its jargon and many of the terms used by accountants can be difficult for lay people to understand. Demystify the accounting industry by using your blog articles as a jargon buster for common accounting terms.
A series of blogs can be created that break down accounting terminology, explain it in simple, easy to understand language will help your clients get to grips with tax and financial matters.
Possible topics could include tax accounting, supply chain management, financial audit, liability management, tax evasion, management accounting and many others.
It will also enhance your approachability as well as your knowledge and expertise.
4) A day in the life of an accountant
Statistics show that behind-the-scenes content often scores high engagement rates with readers.
Writing about the day-to-day role of accounting professionals will help you add a personal touch to an accounting blog.
Show your clients what you do to help them by using real examples of accounting procedures from your working life. Be sure to provide links to the relevant parts of your website so you can showcase your services as part of your content strategy.
5) Report of recent finance cases in the news
There are always court cases happening in the world of business, tax and finance and these can have an impact on an accounting firm or a business owner.
Use the details and outcomes of these cases as a basis for blogs. Review what happened, describe who was involved and what the key details are. Most importantly, explain what the verdict was and why it may or may not apply to your clients.
This is another topical area that helps you to show clients that you are staying up to date with news and trends and are able to apply them to your professional life for their benefit.
6) "Ask an accountant" series
Your clients will always have questions or queries about accountancy and their business. Use this to your advantage. If one client has a question - it is likely that others will have the same or similar questions.
Use real life client queries for a series or get your clients to send you questions to answer and topics they want covering. Use your social media platforms to communicate this with your clients and followers.
The resulting topics will allow you to give expert advice that is of real value to your clients while linking back to the accounting services that you offer to business.
7) Case Studies
Real world examples from accounting practices can make great blog posts. Use exceptional examples or client situations to create case studies that will interest both current and potential clients. Has a client been through a successful financial audit or a tough tax investigation? Were you able to find them tax breaks or improve accounting systems at their business?
Tell stories that show what the issue was and explain how you were able to help. Show what the outcome was and shout about any successes in terms of money saved, finance accessed or satisfactory outcomes with HMRC. You can also include a comprehensive guide to your services for clients in similar positions.
8) Technology reviews and how-to guides
Technology is playing an increasingly important role within accountancy, especially in how clients provide financial data to their accountants.
Your accounting blog could host a series of reviews of different technology platforms and accounting systems. This will provide an opportunity to spell out some of the pros and cons of each type of accounting software and dispense expert advice on what suits different types of business.
In addition, you could write how-to posts with step by step guides, including QuickBooks tips, to help clients use their accounting software to its full potential.
This is a growth area and people are increasingly looking to their accountants for help and advice. As such this topic should form a key strand of your content marketing.
9) ESG Tips
ESG relates to three factors; environmental, social and governance that are financially material to company value and represented a risk to investment capital.
The risk applies to all types of capital, such as loans or equity investments and is material in the mid-term (three to five years) as well as long term. In short, investors concluded that ESG could make a real difference to them.
Many companies are still assessing ESG and what it means for them. Accounting professionals have a vital part to play in this process so this creates an opportunity for discussion on accounting blogs.
Business that are attempting to be more environmentally friendly can gain through energy efficiency, recycling or improved water usage. The social impact incorporates payrolls and the impact salaries have on staff and employee diversity while governance includes good HR practices in relation to staff turnover - and therefore reduced costs.
10) Opinions on current affairs
The mainstream news is another great source of accounting blog ideas as much of what happens within current affairs impacts on business finances and personal finances.
The stories that have dominated the past few years Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis have all had a significant effect on business practices and finances. Whether that is changes to import and export regulations, the availability of government support grants and loans or cashflow issues caused by inflation and energy prices.
All of these issues give you the opportunity to share your opinions and highlight areas of expertise where financial accounting can help.
Final Thoughts
In this article we have looked at the value of a blog both to your readers and as a vital part of your firm's content marketing strategy. How using a blog post, a simple journal entry or more technical advice can help build a lasting relationship with your readership.
We have explored some of the techniques and tools needed for regular instalments on accounting blog topics. Using these will allow you to build a successful blog one instalment at a time.
We have also shown you how to generate a regular stream of ideas and content from sources both inside and outside of your practice.
Following these steps will help you create a successful accounting blog, position yourself as a thought leader and attract new clients to boost your content marketing strategy as well as cross selling your services to existing clients.
