In the very early days at ReachLocal, the company tried to build a salesforce of independent contractors – Uber for marketing services (before Uber). It abandoned that strategy to build its own direct salesforce.
Now ReachLocal has come full-circle in a way. The company introduced a new video outlining its new “Trusted Advisor Program.” The program targets certified public accountants (CPAs) looking to expand client offerings into marketing. The providers that sign up for the program are given regular updates on their client’s marketing performance.
According to the video, the program seeks to help accountants offer marketing insights that will help clients adjust strategies and grow business. By sharing client information with ReachLocal, the company tracks the marketing performance of the clients and shares reports with the accountants for discussion with their client(s).
For example, the providers who participate in the program will be able to share the following insights with clients:
- How many reviews the client has received
- What the client’s rating is on relevant review sites
- How well the client’s marketing campaigns are performing
The program allows accountants to expand their services and value proposition. For ReachLocal, this kind of partnership with accountants creates a bridge to reaching the clients they serve. In addition, these marketing discussions put ReachLocal top-of-mind should the provider’s client(s) decide to expand or adjust marketing strategies.
ReachLocal has created a number of incentives and programs geared towards strategic partnerships, but this one is unique in its singular focus on accountants. (There are more than 600,000 CPAs in the US.) It will be interesting to see if the program expands to other verticals.