Tax Resolution Academy

Yesterday, you were tasked with setting up your YouTube channel for your 941 marketing.

Over the course of the weekend, we’re going to put that channel to use.

Yep, that means you’re going on camera today.

But don’t stress. We’re going to make it easy and painless.

First, what’s our script? Let’s make it easy. Hop on over to page 30 of Pub 15. We’re going to make a super short video about FTD penalties. Let’s take the first and third paragraphs of the FTD penalty section, and add a brief intro and simple call to action:

——————————————————-
Hello, [your name], [license] here from [company name],
and today we’re going to discuss payroll tax penalties.

Penalties may apply if you don’t make required deposits
on time or if you make deposits for less than the required
amount. The penalties don’t apply if any failure to make a
proper and timely deposit was due to reasonable cause
and not to willful neglect. If you receive a penalty notice,
you can provide an explanation of why you believe reasonable
cause exists.

For amounts not properly or timely deposited, the penalty
rates are as follows.

2% – Deposits made 1 to 5 days late.
5% – Deposits made 6 to 15 days late.
10% – Deposits made 16 or more days late, but before 10 days
from the date of the first notice the IRS sent asking for the
tax due.
10% – Amounts that should have been deposited, but instead
were paid directly to the IRS, or paid with your tax return.
15% – Amounts still unpaid more than 10 days after the date of
the first notice the IRS sent asking for the tax due or the
day on which you received notice and demand for
immediate payment, whichever is earlier.

Late deposit penalty amounts are determined using
calendar days, starting from the due date of the liability.

WE can help you avoid these IRS penalties. Call my office
at xxx-xxx-xxxx to schedule a payroll tax review today.
——————————————————-

Bust out your smart phone, open the YouTube app, login to your new channel, and record yourself speaking this script. Rehearse it a couple times before filming, but then just do a single take and post it.

Bam. Done. One take, five minutes or less. All done.

Tomorrow, we’ll spruce up your video and channel with other details necessary to help you get results.… Continue reading

“Now here’s something we hope you’ll really like.” -Rocky (or was it Bullwinkle?)

Do you own a smart phone?

What about a laptop or monitor with a built-in webcam?

If so, then you have absolutely all the hardware you need to be doing YouTube marketing.

Fact: YouTube is the #2 search engine on the planet, processing over 3 billion searches a month. That makes it bigger than Yahoo, Ask, Bing, and AOL combined in terms of search volume.

Fact: YouTube reaches more 18-49 year olds per day than any broadcast or cable TV network.

Fact: Less than 10% of all US small businesses utilize YouTube marketing in any way (either paid advertising or video uploading).

Opinion: Nearly all the tax resolution videos on YouTube are weak, weak sauce.

Today, you’re going to spice things up and become the next YouTube superstar.

OK, maybe not. I mean, let’s be real, nobody goes to YouTube to watch videos about taxes, right?

Actually…

People search for all kinds of stuff on YouTube, including quite a bit of “help” and “how to” content. Bazillions of people treat YouTube just like they treat Google, and use it to look for solutions to their problems and challenges. On top of that, relevant YouTube videos naturally rank higher in Google searches because Google owns YouTube and they incorporate video into search results.

I definitely consider video to be sort of a second tier marketing tactic for professional services, but it is an important consideration these days. Not only is video marketing a direct search and SEO play, but it’s also a way for prospects and clients to get to know YOU. One of my biggest pet peeves is when I see tax professionals “hiding” online, without even a photo or their NAME listed on their own web site (seriously, that’s major marketing mishap, go fix it if that’s you).

Today, I want you to go claim your turf on YouTube. Go to YouTube, create a Google account if you don’t already have one, and create a channel.

Give your channel a service-specific name, maybe even a geographical name, too. For example, “Hampton Roads Tax Resolution” or “Northern California Small Business Tax Help”.

Today, that’s all you’re doing. So, no stress, no worry. You’re just creating a channel.

Tomorrow, we’ll make your palms sweat.… Continue reading

Our theme for the past couple days has been where you should be seen.

Yesterday, we discussed where you should be seen physically. The day before that we discussed where you should be seen digitally.

Today, we’re going to discuss where you should be seen in the media.

You may not think of yourself as a media darling, and you certainly don’t need to be. What we’re really talking about is being visible in some way, shape, or form in the media that your target market reads, watches, and listens to.

So that’s the first piece of today’s task. You need to sit down and figure out what stations your target market listens to locally. What local TV station do they watch? What publications do they read?

Since we’re primarily targeting business owners in this challenge, take into consideration the industry that they are in. Are their trade publications that they read? Perhaps you’ll be the only tax professional that ever writes articles for and whose ads appear in Architectural Digest, making you the go-to 941 resolution practitioner for architecture firms.

Whether local, regional, or national, do a hard analysis of your chosen niche market and catalog the print publications, podcasts, radio and TV, and other media that your target market pays attention to.

Then, call a few of them. Can you get to an editor and ask to write a monthly column? Do they need a tax professional to come on to the 30-minute drive-time business radio talk show in your local area? Can you get cheap local ad rates in the Home Builders Association newsletter?

This is what you’re doing today. Find media outlets that your target market pays attention to, and get into those media outlets by contributing time and content or paying for advertising.… Continue reading