There’s a thing that happens in this profession.
A tax pro or accountant will tell you, very proudly, that they “don’t need to market.”
Clients come from referrals. New business shows up when it shows up. Reputation handles the rest.
And they’re right, but only halfway.
Reputation isn’t luck.
It’s built. Brick by brick. Year after year. Touchpoint after touchpoint.
Today, that reputation has a new name: Top of Mind.
Top of Mind is one of the strongest growth advantages a firm can build. And it matters more than ever as AI tools become part of every client’s decision-making process.
Let’s dig in.
Top of Mind Isn’t What You Think It Is
Most firms think Top of Mind means:
We send something, and someone should call us.
We post something, and a new client should appear.
Not quite.
Top of Mind is the long game.
It’s the quiet work.
It’s the game major brands play every day, while many small firms unintentionally sit it out.
Top of Mind means:
- Your clients see your name consistently, not constantly.
- Prospects connect your name with expertise.
- Your stories become proof of your capabilities.
- Your voice becomes familiar.
- Your advice becomes expected.
- Your firm becomes the one they trust before they need you.
This isn’t “post and pray.”
This is “show up and stay.”
The firms that stay visible are the firms that stay referable.
Related: Why Your Clients Use GPT Differently Than They Ever Used Google
Why Top of Mind Builds Your Referral Pipeline
Referrals come from memory, not from silence.
And memory needs reminders.
Every email you send.
Every client update.
Every social post.
Every case study.
Every insight you share during the off-season.
These are small nudges that keep your name at the top of your clients’ internal list of professionals they trust.
When someone they know starts a business, receives RSUs, sells a rental property, or asks for help with a tricky tax question, you want their mind to go straight to:
“You should call my accountant.”
Not because you showed up once.
Because you show up all year long.
Top of Mind isn’t marketing.
It’s memory management.
The Modern Twist: You Need to Be Top of Mind With AI Too
This is where things shift.
It’s not just people you need to stay top of mind with anymore.
It’s also the AI tools people consult before choosing a professional.
Clients are asking questions to ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and others long before they reach out to a human.
These tools decide which firms, experts, and authorities show up first.
And what influences those decisions?
- Who publishes consistently
- Who writes with clarity
- Who explains with depth
- Who shows up online in recognizable ways
Top of Mind used to mean staying visible to people.
Now it also means staying visible to the systems they rely on.
If you want AI to treat you like an authority, you need to publish like one.
What Actually Makes a Firm “Top of Mind”?
In short: consistency over intensity.
It’s the steady rhythm of your voice.
Top-of-mind firms do this well:
1. They share success stories.
You helped a client save money.
You helped a business avoid a mistake.
You guided someone through equity compensation.
Share it. Stories stick.
2. They educate regularly.
Newsletters.
Social posts.
Short notes about what you’re seeing this week.
If you worry you’re teaching too much, you’re finally doing enough.
3. They communicate around life events.
People think in life events, not tax years.
Marriage. Divorce. Business launch. Retirement. Home sale.
Showing up in these moments builds trust quickly.
4. They stay active on social, even with low engagement.
Silence in comments doesn’t mean silence in attention.
People notice more than they react.
5. They publish insights AI tools can use.
FAQ-style content.
Clear explanations.
Topical commentary.
This is how you become the expert that AI surfaces.
6. They do it year-round.
The tax calendar shouldn’t control your communication calendar.
Advisory-minded firms show up every season.
This is how your firm becomes a habit.
Top of Mind Is Your Moat Against New “AI Firms”
Tech-driven competitors are entering the industry.
They’re fast, automated, and inexpensive.
They can produce a return and send a report in seconds.
But they cannot build a trusted brand that people remember.
You can.
Your moat isn’t just your technical skill.
It’s the relationship layer.
Your voice.
Your presence.
Your reputation.
Your consistency across every touchpoint where people and AI look for answers.
This is what keeps your firm defensible no matter how the industry evolves.
The Truth Most Firms Miss
Marketing isn’t just advertising or buying attention.
Real marketing is staying top of mind with:
- Current clients
- Future clients
- Referral partners
- And the AI tools shaping tomorrow’s decisions
It’s slow.
Steady.
Foundational.
And it compounds in powerful ways.
This is how the firms people trust become the firms people recommend.
And trust, earned over time, is the only moat that never goes out of style.
Final Takeaway
If you want more referrals, more advisory opportunities, and a brand clients remember before they need you, the answer is simple:
Don’t wait for clients to think of you.
Give them reasons to remember you.
Week after week.
Month after month.
Top of Mind isn’t a tactic or a campaign.
It’s the strategy.
And in an AI-driven world, it’s the one that consistently wins.
How CountingWorks PRO Helps You Stay Top of Mind
The best accountants aren’t just good at tax.
They’re the firms clients remember first.
CountingWorks PRO helps thousands of professionals stay top of mind by:
- Sending weekly and monthly newsletters on autopilot
- Publishing expert-level blogs and SEO content
- Keeping your brand active on social media
- Creating a clear narrative clients instantly connect with
- Powering every touchpoint with MAX, our AI built for tax and accounting
No heavy lifting.
No content droughts.
No disappearing between tax seasons.
Just a steady, trusted presence clients and prospects rely on.
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