Author Archives: Mark

The accounting landscape is busy, and competition is fierce. In the UK, there’s estimated to be over 40,000 firms, ranging from small local practices to larger, global organisations which means standing out is the first major challenge for accountancy firms hoping to attract new clients. 

Why is reputation so important?

Reputation is a direct driver of new client sign-ups and client retention, and as a result, revenue. When you’re competing against hundreds of other firms in your area offering similar services, reputation is the way to landing more clients than your competitors.

Accounting is a trust-based purchase; customers are putting their money, inheritance and livelihoods in your hands, so even the slightest shred of doubt on their part could cost you business. That being said, most clients cannot easily judge technical expertise before hiring, so you need to impress them with your reputation, before you can impress them with your professional skills.

Seeing a brand consistently across multiple channels builds subconscious familiarity and lowers perceived risk. It signals that you are established, serious and accessible, all of which are crucial for customer confidence. A strong reputation won’t necessarily make someone more likely to bring on an accountant, but it will make people more likely to seek out your services over a competitor’s when they next need them.

Public relations (PR) is the obvious path for increasing reputation, but it can be a minefield for accounting professionals whose skillsets lie in spreadsheets and tax returns, rather than media and marketing. Here’s five practical ways accounting firms can leverage PR to increase their reputation in local, national and trade media.

Feature article in titles your customers are reading

Accounting trade media titles are always looking for expert insight into the accounting landscape. But there’s a world of opportunities in the titles your customers are actually reading, too.

For example, your city is full of architects who need an accountant for cost control, tax compliance, and payroll management, but they’re not reading accounting magazines. They’re reading architecture titles.

To speak to this target market, write articles sharing insight and expertise specifically for architects, calling out their pain points and offering solutions to problems they face every day.

Expedite that approach to healthcare titles, construction magazines, technology firms and the possibilities are many.

Share company updates with local and national business media

Most business owners are surprised which company updates are worthy of a press release in local, and even national business titles.

The business community in your area or industry wants to know about significant staff changes, expansions, the opening of new franchises and notable client wins.

Sharing these updates lets people know about the successes of the business, raising the profile and inspiring new clients to get in touch.

Comment on trending topics

Have you ever watched the morning news in November and seen the CEO of an accounting firm commenting on The Budget? You might have also wondered how they got that opportunity.

Every time a topic is trending or there’s a significant cultural moment, journalists are looking for experts to offer insight, comment and criticism. Reaching out to the media during, ahead of, or following these moments is how your firm can sit at the centre of relevant news stories.

So much of the daily news cycle is influenced by money, so there are

Speaking at industry events

Every year, events like Accountex and Xerocon attract professionals from across the industry. Speaking at these industry events helps accountants convert their expertise into trust among their peers.

When potential customers are comparing firms with similar capabilities and promises, exposure at high-profile events signals confidence, specialist knowledge and makes you stand out among the competition.

The same concept can be applied as feature articles in publications your customers are reading. Speaking at industry events and conferences for your target markets will boost visibility in spaces that those target customers occupy.

Appearing on industry podcasts

Podcasts are on the rise; in the UK, over half the adult population (51%) listened to or watched a podcast in the last month.

Podcasts help humanise your expertise, allowing listeners to hear how you think, how you explain complex topics, and how approachable you are. When customers buy confidence in the advisor as much as they buy technical ability, see podcasts as a trust building platform helping you connect with your customers on a personal level.

Converting PR into leads

Published coverage isn’t the finish line, there’s more you can do to maximise the reach of your content and be more likely to convert it into leads.

Repurposing your content across multiple channels will boost its visibility. LinkedIn is a great place to share your content with the option to add context or opinion in the caption.

You can also include press mentions in business proposals, newsletters and social content to broaden its reach. A good proposal could be great if you can show prospective clients that you’ve been featured in top-tier, reputable publications. By extending the lifespan of earned media, firms can generate significantly greater return on their PR investment.

In house vs agency PR

Once you’ve decided that PR is right for you, the decision will need to be made whether to go in-house or hire an agency. There are benefits and drawbacks to both, depending on your budget, resources and specific goals.

An in-house PR person will have a deep understanding of the firm, which could mean faster approvals and stronger brand consistency. That being said, they’ll be building media relationships from the ground up which means results could take time. One internal hire will have faster access to partners and information, but they’re unlikely to have specialist press contacts and established relationships with journalists.

Using a PR agency can be more costly than hiring someone in-house. You usually pay per activity or on a day rate, which will determine how much output you see. That being said, you’re able to draw on their established relationships with journalists and editors, broad knowledge of the media landscape and wider teams with a plethora of specialisms and roles.

An in-house PR person will dedicate all of their time to your marketing activities, so total hours spent on PR is likely to be higher than if you bring on an agency. However, working with an agency means you can ramp activity up or down more easily, which can be useful during events like mergers, launches or crises.

Whichever you choose, the key is recognising that PR is a powerful commercial growth tool. In a crowded marketplace where technical expertise is expected as standard, visibility and credibility are what separate your firm from all the others.

To find out more, book in a call with Mark here https://calendly.com/mark-swaypr/30min

We are Sway PR – a small but mighty agency with a workforce that is scattered across the UK.  

At Sway PR we welcome both staff and clients with an open mind and we listen carefully to the things that are important to them. For us, it’s about creating a safe space where people feel valued, respected, and empowered to be their authentic selves – because that’s when real growth happens.   

We recognise that diversity encompasses a wide range of human differences, including ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, religion, disability, socioeconomic background, and veteran status. We celebrate these differences and acknowledge that they help us move closer to ensuring equality for everyone.  

That means enabling all individuals to have fair and just access to opportunities and resources, regardless of their background. We will identify and break down systemic barriers that may hinder equity and will provide support and resources that give all employees the chance to thrive.  

No voice goes unheard at Sway PR and our core values are, and will remain, rooted in creating a culture where everyone is listened to and respected.  

We encourage open dialogue, mutual understanding, and collaboration across differences.  

From blind recruitment to offering work experience for underprivileged students and inviting guest speakers from a variety of backgrounds to help educate us on how we can be better allies, we regularly assess our progress and hold ourselves accountable for creating a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace.  

This is not a box ticking exercise. It is about creating a stronger, more innovative, more understanding workplace that both staff and clients can believe in because that is the only way we can make a positive difference.  

The past ten years has seen unprecedented changes in the world of Public Relations, and while 2025 was nothing short of transformative, the first half of this year has already proven itself to be a year of change for the industry.

Emerging technologies coupled with an ever-shifting media landscape will make PR professionals’ time even more precious and create an environment where making the right choices will matter more than ever.

Here are four of the most impactful changes on the horizon that every comms professional must consider. 

• PR ≠ media coverage

At its core, PR is about managing reputations, not merely generating coverage. While some clients may think PR is an abbreviation for press release, today’s PR landscape is much more varied, with many more opportunities to raise awareness, build credibility, and enhance reputations.

Yes, coverage remains king; placing clients in front of strategically chosen audiences will always be valuable, but the story doesn’t end there.

Podcasts reach a vast number of people, as do social media accounts and creator-led platforms. All can massively improve a client’s profile, helping to maximise results in what will always be a results-driven industry. Assisting clients in securing opportunities to be heard in these spaces, ensuring they are properly briefed and media trained, represents exciting opportunities for PR companies and should become more of a focus this year.

As we look ahead, one thing is clear; the PR industry is evolving, and success will belong to those who can balance innovation with the human touch.

In a world of shrinking attention spans and expanding channels, the most effective communicators will be those who choose quality over quantity, and impact over output. PR has never been more complex, but it has also never offered greater opportunities for success.

• AI is here, and here to stay

The irresistible rise of artificial intelligence had an early impact on public relations, with less reputable agencies turning wholly to ChatGPT to generate articles, press releases, and even entire PR strategies. While the limitations of AI are well established, especially surrounding accuracy, biases and repetitive language, the technology does offer opportunities when used correctly.

AI will move beyond basic tasks and become an integral part of the agency, supporting with strategic planning, audience segmentation, crisis forecasting, and trendspotting. In short, PR teams that treat AI as a partner for insights and predictive analysis, rather than a replacement for human voices, will have an edge as the year goes on.

• A return to human storytelling

While AI’s role will continue to grow, it’s vitally important for agencies to remember that the human touch remains more important than ever.

Where AI can manage some administrative tasks, it’s obvious when something is written by a machine and AI fatigue is starting to take hold. Referring to the mental exhaustion and sense of overwhelming caused by the relentless pace of AI innovation, that fatigue can lead to burnout, resistance, and declining confidence among both individuals and organisations.

As the phenomenon grows, many feel inundated by AI hype, struggle to keep up with rapid change, and crave real voices with genuine conviction. With the challenges the PR industry is facing, it’s vital that when coverage is achieved, readers feel engaged by it and enjoy reading it enough to take away its core messages.

After all, coverage for coverage’s sake doesn’t really achieve anything.

• The changing media landscape

It’s an irrefutable fact that the media landscape is changing at an alarming pace. One of the main drivers of this change is the decline of print media, as exemplified by the restructuring last year of PA, changes in the daytime TV sphere, and the growth of online alternatives.

In October 2025, five national newspapers reported double-digit year-on-year declines in both weekday and Saturday circulation (Daily Express, Daily Star, Daily Mirror, Daily Record, and the Financial Times). This merely proves what we’ve known for a long time, that the media is changing and being further consumed by the online world.

In the same month, the ONS reported that almost 30 per cent of all retail sales were made online – a statistic that proves more and more that both attention and money is being spent online, making websites a greater focus for many businesses – be it for direct sales, or for media exposure.

When taken together, many clients are starting to focus almost exclusively on digital PR and those all-important high domain backlinks for their SEO-boosting powers.

As we progress further through the year, taking this shift into account, meeting clients’ individual needs is important and agencies must be ready to explain that coverage and traditional PR metrics might be lower than in previous years, but its impact might be far greater.

Conclusions

As the metamorphosis of the industry accelerates, PR professionals face a defining moment. The tools, channels, and expectations shaping the industry will continue to evolve, but the fundamentals of effective communication remain constant. Those who succeed will be those who embrace innovation without losing sight of what truly resonates: clarity, credibility, and connection.

Following a year where “slop” became a buzz word for information, the future of PR must not be determined by how much content is produced, but by the valuable, considered impact it creates.

To find out more, book in a call with Mark here https://calendly.com/mark-swaypr/30min