By Christian Koch Digital skills How to use social media to win clients 12 Mar 2026 You don’t have to be an influencer to help your accounting practice take off, but you can learn from them. Two years ago, accountant Emily Vass was about to go solo with her Nourished Accounting firm. She didn’t have a single client. Even though marketing her new new business felt daunting, she spotted an opportunity. “Social media wasn’t something accountants and bookkeepers were using well, especially when building trust with potential clients,” she remembers. Starting her TikTok account from scratch, she posted one video (“Want to earn money tax-free?”), followed by another (“You need an emergency fund!”) the following day. Within a year, this technique secured her 100 clients. Vass (15,200 Instagram followers; 3,859 TikTok), StriveX founder Rachel Harris (239,000 Instagram) and Josh Thomas (123,000 Instagram) are among a growing breed of accountants using social media like influencers do. Harris has even described herself as a “content creator first and accountant second”. All have seen their businesses soar as a result. But you don’t need hundreds-of-thousands of followers to follow in their footsteps, as we show here by addressing some common fears accountants have about social media. I don’t know which platform to post on Vass produces her content with a “TikTok-first” approach, because that’s the favourite platform of her millennial/Gen Z clients. “It’s all about understanding who your target customer is and where they spend time,” says Vass. “If your average client is a man in his 50s, then posting on TikTok won’t generate many leads; similarly, if you’re targeting builders, they won’t be spending much time on LinkedIn,” she adds. “There’s no point shoving loads of stuff on social if you’re not clear on who you’re talking to.” Why LinkedIn? “For most accountants, LinkedIn should be your priority,” says Rumana Jeffreys, founder of accounting consultancy Fast Track Clients. Research shows the platform can generate three times as many leads (277%) as both Twitter/X and Facebook. It’s also where professionals are increasingly active: the site has become a “daily habit” according to LinkedIn vice-president Daniel Roth, while 85% of FTSE100 chief execs have a presence on the site, up from just 12% in 2023. Why Instagram? “Instagram works well for niche specialists and building brand personality,” says Jeffreys. “For example, property investors are on Insta because renovation content is visual. If you target craftspeople or landscapers, that’s where they’ll be.” “People don’t visit Instagram for business; they’re scrolling for pretty pictures and seeing what friends are doing,” adds Vass. “But it’s great for nurturing audience”. Why TikTok? Vass has nearly four times as many followers on Instagram as on TikTok, yet TikTok wins her more clients. That’s because younger generations are increasingly using the video app as a search engine, bypassing Google entirely. It’ll take me forever to build a following Growing followers can be frustrating. But consistency can pay off. “For my first 90 days on TikTok, I posted a video every day,” says Vass. “I viewed it as a non-negotiable KPI for my business because winning work was the most important thing.” For LinkedIn, Jeffreys suggests being the first person to comment underneath posts from high-profile influencers. “Set up notifications so you’re the first to comment,” she says. “You’ll get many more impressions and followers thanks to their reach.” However, huge followings count for nothing if they’re not bringing in business. “I’d rather have 100 clients than 100,000 followers, because that’s what pays my mortgage,” says Vass. I’m not sure what content to create Jeffreys suggests starting with three posts a week: An educational post eg ‘7 Quick Tax Tips’, myth-busting or explainers such as ‘What is MTD?’ Thought leadership/insights commenting on industry trends such as AI, or on regulatory/tax changes – or a client case study. A human or story-led post to build trust. Getting educational posts right Most of Vass’s videos are educational content. When stuck for ideas, she thinks of “the silly questions people are afraid to ask their accountant or the type of thing clients might type into Google.” Some of Vass’s previous examples include: What is a payment on account? How to set up a limited company (Vass says this post has given her more clients than any other). How to earn £50k but pay just £3k in tax. Putting your car through your Ltd company. Remember your audience too. “If you’re targeting businesses with £500,000 turnovers, there’s no point writing about VAT thresholds because these businesses would have been there, done that,” says Jeffreys. Nailing thought leadership This is where you can showcase industry knowledge, comment on industry trends and provide insights. For LinkedIn, focus on topics trending on LinkedIn News, as the platform’s algorithms will prioritise these subjects. Case studies could feature testimonials from your clients (get their consent first!) or stories about how you’ve helped businesses or individuals. Landing human and story-led posts These are the softer, more personal posts and videos which build trust with clients. “When it comes to finding an accountant, most business owners will look on social media to get a feel of what this person is like,” says Jeffreys. “Showing your human side with story-led posts helps reassure people.” If you’re stuck for ideas, share your hobbies or passions. Jeffreys knows one accountant who penned a LinkedIn post to coincide with the British Grand Prix. It caught the eye of one F1-loving business-leader, landing the accountant a £60,000-a-year contract. Speaking on video makes me anxious Video viewership on LinkedIn is becoming more popular (increasing 36% year-on-year). Yet, as Jeffreys says, many accountants still “worry they’ll need to do TikTok dancing videos.” Fortunately, posting videos is nowhere near as cringeworthy. If you’re camera-shy, Vass recommends “imagining you’re on a FaceTime call with a friend who’s asked you a question, and then start from there.” Lack of tech shouldn’t be a worry, either. There are plenty of free AI video editors (Canva, CapCut etc) to tidy up ‘ums-and-ahs’, while you don’t need a sophisticated camera or tripod. “I’ve shot videos with my phone propped up on a tissue box before,” says Vass. I’m an accountant: I crunch numbers, not sentences! Not a fan of writing? “Record a voicenote, get it transcribed, tidy up grammar using ChatGPT/Claude [but never get these tools to write for you], then post!” says Jeffreys. Simple. Selling my business online makes me cringe Social posts which zero in on the hard sell usually misfire. Instead, adopt a subtle, conversational approach. “Think of [posting] as like attending networking events in real life,” says Jeffreys. “You wouldn’t go to an event and immediately start selling your accountancy services.” Make sure to include a call-to-action (CTA) such as ‘If you want to learn more, click the link in the bio’ somewhere in the post or video. It’s hard to show visuals for accountancy Pics of Excel spreadsheets or generic photos of calculators are unlikely to catch anyone’s eye as they scroll. Instead, grab their attention with infographics such as graphs, charts and statistics in colourful fonts. For videos, Vass suggests including behind-the-scenes footage shot at events/conferences, or the following visual hooks: Swivelling around in a wheelie-chair at work. Sipping a cup of tea. Props such as vouchers when discussing trivial benefits. I can’t find time to post in busy periods Even though social media may be the last thing on your mind when swamped with year-end accounts, Jeffreys argues this is exactly when you should be posting. “Clients make decisions during busy periods such as tax season,” she says. “If they receive unexpected tax bills because their accountant’s gone quiet, this is when they’ll be looking for a new one.” Scheduling or batching posts via tools such as Hootsuite is an easy work-around. I wouldn’t know how to convert followers into clients Jeffreys suggests offering LinkedIn/Instagram ‘lead magnets’ [free incentives in exchange for contact details] such as a 15-minute one-to-one discovery call, or a free tax guide/book for 2026/27. Let your content do the work for you – include a CTA in your posts linking to your contact page. Some final tips Caption your videos Vass: “Most people watch videos with the sound turned off because they’re busy or working. Include captions otherwise they won’t watch!” Have an SEO-enabled name Make sure the word ‘accountant’ or ‘accountancy’ is included in your profile name, because that’s what potential clients will be typing into their search bars, says Vassa. For example, her TikTok username is Emily Feel Good Accountancy. Hashtags Jeffreys: “Don’t have too many hashtags on LinkedIn: around three-five works best. However, on Instagram feel free to use more.” Time posts wisely “Don’t post in the middle of night when everybody’s asleep!” says Jeffrey. “Think about where your clients are: if they’re in the US, post in the afternoon. Or if they’re working in hospitality, post around 1-2pm when they’re going to work.” Scheduling posts for mornings when people are commuting or eating breakfast also works well. Don’t just network with other accountants on social media Vass: “One problem many accountants have on LinkedIn is that all their connections are others working in the same industry. Instead, fill your feed with your target clients – these are the people you need to be talking to!” Don’t give up! “When I first started, it felt like shouting into a void: I remember asking my husband to leave comments to make me feel less lame!” remembers Vass. “However, it’s worth remembering all creators start with zero followers. For some people, it’s video two that blows up. For most, it’ll be their 20th or even 100th video. Just keep going and don’t be afraid to repeat ideas.” Christian Koch is an award-winning journalist/editor who has written for the Evening Standard, Sunday Times, Guardian, Telegraph, The Independent, Q, The Face and Metro. He's also written about business for Accounting Technician, 20 and Director, where he is contributing editor.