What's an accountant to do? Use the all-important end-of-year window as a media opportunity. Remind the public -- including your clients and prospects -- what a valuable service accountants perform. And how individuals and businesses just couldn't get by without them. How? By sharing your knowledge.

That's right. Be proactive. This is a critical time for the profession to spread the message that the misdeeds of a few cannot overshadow the vital contribution that accountants make to keep the business machine humming.

End-of-year is one of just two times (tax season being the other) when the media actually listen to what we have to say. Now is when they're ready to help us share our expertise with the world. Just ask yourself how many times you've seen the headline that starts, "Year-end strategies to…." Or "10 ways to cut taxes now."

Right now the media are eager to do the same with their audiences. Only they're reporters, not accountants. So they need you to do the explaining for them.

Winter is coming, but it's the accountants' moment in the sun. Right now, the media want you. So capitalize on it. Make it your goal to get quoted or featured, at least once in the media, offering useful tax advice, between now and April 15th. Here's how:

1. Treat the media like a client. Give them the same information you offer your client base.
   
   
2. Write a brief, uncomplicated advice article that's snappy and to the point: "10 year-end moves to reduce your tax bite." If you serve businesses, address that audience. If you serve individuals, address their needs. Spend no more than an hour or two on this or any other articles you write. Keep them to 500-700 words.
   
   
3. Write a second article: "10 new things you need to know now." In it, concisely recap the court decisions, rulings, and law changes of the past year that directly impact your client base, which require client action by Dec. 31.
   
   
4. Write a third article on year-end tax strategies -- on whatever topic seems most on your clients' minds these days, or that strikes you as most compelling.
   
   
5. Study your hometown paper closely over two weeks and see who writes about personal finance and tax topics. Send the reporter (or business editor) your first article. Offer yourself as a resource to be interviewed. Follow up with a phone call.
   
   
6. Identify the trade publications and association newsletters of the industries you serve. Send them the first article and suggest they print it.
   
   
7. Scan the radio dial to identify the station in your market that most caters to adults, and that has the strongest local news programming. Send the first article to the news director. Then, offer yourself as a resource to be interviewed for a year-end tax tips series.
   
   
8. One week and three weeks after doing the above, send the same journalists your second and third articles, and make the same followup calls. It will now be mid-December.
   
   
9. As soon as any media run your story or quote you, let all your clients and prospects know about it via email or regular mail.
   
   
10. If any of the media chose not to feature you, call them one last time about a week before Christmas. Tell them you're still available -- and also suggest they keep you in mind for all the tax-season articles they'll be starting in late January.

You may have noticed that I've just written a "10 tips" article. It took me about an hour. I didn't need to do any research, because it's all stuff I know inside and out. You can do it too!

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