Deep in the Heart of Taxes

6 tips for reaching consumers in their 1040 tizzy

As Benjamin Franklin once said, nothing is certain but death and taxes. We can’t pinpoint the moment of our demise, but the Taxman’s deadline is known to all. And as April 15 creeps closer and closer, most Americans are gathering their receipts, calling their accountants and keeping their fingers crossed.

But nervous Americans aren’t the only ones getting ready for tax day—advertisers who offer tax services and products should also be sharpening their pencils and crunching the numbers, to make sure that their ads find users in their time of need. Here are a few tips to help get you the maximum return on your tax-related campaigns during this tax season:

Use the right keywords
Typically, users who are searching on keywords like “turbo tax” and “tax cut” are looking to purchase that particular software package rather than seeking an accountant who uses them. If you’re an accountant, avoid bidding on product keywords and focus on keywords that describe the type of services you offer.

A serious demeanor
Avoid sales jargon and “gimmicky” language that might deter users. Money is serious business, so this isn’t the time for lightheartedness in your ads. That also goes for things like “$$$” and promises of huge refunds, etc. Stick to the basics: what you offer, how you assist your clients, and anything else that might help users understand why you’re the right choice for them.

Details, details
Be sure to make the most of the space you have in your creatives. A title like “Accountant” may get the point across, but since you’ve got 40 characters to work with, why not make the most of it? Adding your location or a service that you offer is a good way to get additional information across to users.

At the same time, be sure to avoid crowding your ads with unnecessary info that may steal space from truly relevant facts. For example, if your accounting firm has a long name, you may want to leave it out of your ad copy, especially if it’s already contained in your display URL.

Think locally
If you have a brick-and-mortar business in a particular community, be sure to create geo-targeted campaigns for your general keywords, such as “accountant.” Geo-targeted campaigns display your ads based on the specific geographic location of users or their search terms, rather than nationally. This increases your targeting accuracy, because there’s very little point in an accountant in Kansas showing his ads to users in New York City.

At the same time, geo-specific keywords (i.e., “kansas accountant”) can go into a national campaign, in case people outside your area are seeking service in your area. If a New Yorker is moving to Kansas and needs an accountant, you want to make sure that they find you when they search on “kansas accountant.” Geo-targeting is a truly helpful tool to match local businesses with the right customers, so be sure to consider it when creating your campaigns, and consider creating individual campaigns for both types of geo keywords.

Plug it in
As always, be sure to use keyword insertion to make sure that your keywords appear in your ads. A related feature, alt-text, will make sure they show up just the way you want them. Also avoid spelling and grammar errors, and always call out any special offers or promotions that may appeal to consumers.

Custom Campaigns
Lastly, you may want to target taxpayers receiving a refund if you sell big-ticket items (televisions, cars, vacations). Consider creating specific “tax” campaigns that can be turned on at tax time and tout the appeal behind users spending that refund on themselves this year. Belts may be tightening, but without a doubt people will still shell out for luxury items if the price is right.

Hopefully these hints on tending to your tax campaigns are a little easier to decipher than the 8,500 pages in the U.S. Tax Code. Put them to use, and you may find that your customers aren’t the only ones enjoying many happy returns.

— Noah Belson, Content Quality Analyst

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Manchester Library.