The problem (and the opportunity)
Great content isn’t falling flat, it’s getting vetted in silence. Big-ticket B2B decisions now start with self-serve research and remote reviews, so the game isn’t “say more,” it’s be found where trust already lives. Accountants are time-poor, proof-hungry, and CPD-obligated; they scan first, read later. Buying is consensus-driven, with hidden influencers (ops, risk, IT) weighing in long before sales. The upside? Strong thought leadership still moves deals—when it’s practical, portable, and easy to share.
Insight: Accountants are time-poor, proof-hungry and constantly learning
- They scan first, read later. On a typical web page, people read only ~20–28% of the words. Front-load the value.
- They value credible education. UK chartered accountants must complete a minimum amount of CPD each year (with verifiable activity and an ethics component), so actionable, CPD-friendly formats win attention.
- Buying is consensus-driven. Hidden influencers (finance ops, risk, compliance) use thought leadership to vet vendors and become more receptive to outreach when the content is strong.
Put simply: accountants reward content that’s easy to use and easy to share inside the firm.
So make distribution the plan, not the afterthought: show up in Accountancy Age and peer channels, lead with an instant takeaway, offer a CPD-friendly path to go deeper, and equip champions with a two-slide proof pack they can forward internally. Keep it practical, portable, and provable, and you’ll earn quiet yeses from the whole buying group, one useful layer at a time.
If this sounds familiar, you're not alone and you're not doing anything wrong.
The Distribution-First Play (Problem → Insight → Solution)
1. Start where accountants already are
Goal: Borrow trust and meet readers in their daily flow.
- Publish a multi-touch campaign in Accountancy Age first (your “hero” POV distilled to be seen by your audience around every corner).
- Syndicate smartly: turn the same core to amplify on LinkedIn with a carousel for partner audiences and a 90-second video explainer for managers.
- Why this order works: buyers prefer researching on their own, and quality thought leadership increases receptivity especially among those who don’t meet sales.
Success signals: internal forwards from partner emails, saves/shares on LinkedIn, and qualified replies (e.g., “Can we use this checklist with clients?”).
2. Build “layered” assets, not longer PDFs
Goal: Win 45 seconds… then earn 15 minutes.
- Top layer (snack): a one-screen infographic (e.g., “5 automation gaps costing firms billable hours”).
- Middle layer (solve): a template or calculator (onboarding checklist, MTD readiness scorecard).
- Deep layer (teach): a CPD-eligible mini-session with learning outcomes and a short quiz.
Design each layer as a self-standing win; assume most readers will only engage with the first two. (Remember the 20–28% reading reality.)
Success signals: template completions, CPD enrollments, and return visits from the same firm domains.
3. Make proof portable for finance-minded buyers
Goal: Help partners tell your story inside the firm.
- “Two-slide proof pack”: Slide 1 = problem math (e.g., hours lost to rework × billable rate). Slide 2 = before/after benchmarks.
- Reference architecture: one diagram showing how your tool fits stack + security/compliance notes.
- ROI notes mapped to firm priorities (utilization, WIP control, write-downs).
This isn’t just nice packaging. Digital/remote comfort with large deals is climbing—when your evidence is portable, committees can advance without a meeting.
4. Design for the whole buyer group (including the “hidden” ones)
Goal: Equip the people you’ll never meet.
- Create role-based snippets:
- Ops/Practice Manager: “Where work gets stuck and how to unstick it.”
- Risk/Compliance: “What changes and what stays the same (controls, logs, audit trail).”
- IT: “Latency, SSO, data residency: one pager.”
- Close each snippet with a neutral, practical next step (e.g., “Run this 10-minute readiness check.”)
High-quality, role-relevant thought leadership makes non-obvious influencers more receptive and levels the playing field for newer brands.
5. Make it CPD-friendly to earn share of attention
Goal: Turn “interesting” into “useful for my hours.”
- Publish learning objectives, provide a short quiz, and issue a completion certificate via a simple form.
- Tie topics to current firm pain (talent, workflow, client service) and include a practical take-home (policy draft, playbook, or template).
ICAEW requires members to complete a minimum amount of CPD with verifiable activities, including ethics hours—content that helps them log compliant learning stands out.
Your 4-week rollout (reuse to win)
Week 1 — Launch your multi-touch (with AA):
- Publish your content on Accountancy Age + hero infographic.
- Amplify your campaign objective with newsletter featured placements.
- Run a LinkedIn carousel for partners; send a “share-with-team” email to your opt-in list.
Week 2 — Tools:
- Release the calculator/template; add a short explainer post.
- Post a 90-second video walkthrough.
Week 3 — CPD Mini (live or on-demand):
- 30–40 minutes with learning outcomes + quiz.
- Offer a certificate and a recap note in Accountancy Age.
Week 4 — Buyer-group boosters:
- Ship three role-based micro-assets (Ops, Risk, IT) and a two-slide proof pack.
- Run a “pick your angle” nurture: each click leads to the most relevant deep-dive.
This plan mirrors how modern buyers want to engage (self-serve, multi-channel) and where they’re comfortable making decisions (digitally).
How to measure progress (beyond clicks)
- Branded search & direct traffic uplift during/after your AA native.
- Internal forward rate (same-domain multi-opens) on partner emails.
- Tool adoption (calculator completions, template downloads).
- Meeting creation from firms that engaged with ≥2 layers.
- CPD participation and post-event follow-ups.
If you want a north star: e-commerce and remote channels are now core revenue drivers where they’re offered; make your content just as shoppable—clear, comparable, and confidence-building.
Quick reference (research you can share internally)
- Gartner: 75% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free experience.
- McKinsey B2B Pulse 2024: Buyer comfort with $500k+ remote/self-serve purchases has leapt; e-commerce is a leading revenue channel (34% where offered; 71% of firms offer it).
- Edelman–LinkedIn 2025: Hidden decision-makers (who rarely meet sales) actively consume thought leadership; strong content increases receptivity and can offset lower brand recognition.
- Nielsen Norman Group: People read ~20–28% of words on a typical web page—front-load value.
- ICAEW CPD: Members must complete a minimum amount of CPD annually; activities must be relevant and verifiable; at least one hour must be ethics-related.