Tax season can be one of the most stressful times of the year—for both businesses and their clients.
For individuals, it’s a whirlwind of paperwork, deadlines, and questions about deductions. For businesses, it’s an opportunity—but one fraught with challenges, regardless the type of business you run and are trying to market.
Whether you’re running an accounting firm, marketing HR software, or even selling office supplies, this season can make or break your bottom line.
The sheer volume of tax-related messaging out there means you’re competing in a crowded space. Add to that the fact that people are overwhelmed and short on time, and you’ve got a high-stakes game where one misstep could cost you potential clients, revenue, and credibility.
But you can’t just sit back and hold off on doing any kind of marketing at all while you wait for the IRS deadline to pass. Sure, it might be a noisy time of year to get your message across. But like any other noisy season (whether it’s an election season, Olympic year, or even the holidays), it’s all about knowing how to time and phrase your message the right way to help you cut through that noise.
Getting your marketing right during tax season is absolutely achievable. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can stand out from the crowd, connect with your audience, and turn tax stress into your business’s gain.
Here are five pitfalls to avoid and practical strategies to help you ace tax-season marketing like a pro.
1. Too Much Information = Too Little Engagement
Tax season doesn’t just stretch wallets; it wears minds down. Bombarding your audience with complex, wordy marketing content is like giving someone another exhaustive tax form to read—it probably won’t end well.
Your audience is busy. According to Microsoft, the average human attention span on a web page is now only 8 seconds. That’s less than a goldfish! If you can’t grab their attention quickly, you’re likely to lose it altogether. Keep it brief.
For example, instead of saying, “Our platform offers invoice tracking, deduction calculations, customizable reports, audit preparation tools, and compliance monitoring, helping businesses overcome all their tax-related challenges,” try, “Tax prep made simple. Track deductions, avoid errors, and get compliant—all with one tool.”
Make your marketing do all the hard work for your readers. Convey what they gain and why it’s worth their time—fast. If your tone sounds exhausting, the delete button is only a click away.
Plain speech matters now more than ever.
2. Ignoring the Timing Sweet Spot
Ever heard that timing is everything? During tax season, that’s especially true. Plan your communication poorly, and you’re either too early (people are still in holiday mode) or too late (they’ve already made a decision or are overwhelmed).
Start by considering your timing for your specific audience. If you’re a B2B company, late January into early February might be ideal, as accountants and HR teams are gearing up for the season. B2C businesses might find success leaning into the March and April crunch when individuals are preparing to file taxes or stressing over deadlines.
It’s also a good idea to stagger your campaigns. For instance, early-stage emails or ads should focus on awareness and education—helping people understand how you can make their lives easier (without yelling “BUY NOW!” just yet).
Mid-season, lean into urgency. This is when people are looking for efficient solutions. Address why your offering is immediately relevant. At the last-minute crunch, highlight easy fixes or last-minute aid. Think “file in minutes” or “still have time? Here’s how.”
3. Forgetting Empathy in Your Marketing
Tax season is stressful. Nobody enjoys thinking about deductions, forms, or impending deadlines. When businesses forget this reality in their messaging, it can come across as tone-deaf or robotic.
This is true regardless of what you’re trying to sell, whether it’s tax preparation software or something completely unrelated to tax time, like, say, running shoes. Read the room, always.
Instead of using generic or overly corporate language, show your customers that you understand their headaches. For example, instead of writing, “Reduce employee time spent on financial data tasks with our automated dashboards,” you could write, “Save your team from spreadsheet fatigue. Our dashboard handles the heavy lifting for you.”
Adding a hint of humanity to your content doesn’t mean you have to sound like a therapist. It just means showing that you’re aware of the emotional state of your audience. After all, the brands that solve problems and feel relatable are the ones your customers will come back to—even after tax season.
4. Skipping Out on Practical Value
Nothing screams “meh” faster than a superficial marketing campaign. If your tax-season messaging is all fluff and no substance, your audience will tune out.
What does providing value look like? It means offering tips, tools, and insights that your potential customers will actually use. An office supply retailer might share a quick post on how to organize receipts. An HR software platform could create a free payroll tax checklist. A coffee shop could post something lighthearted like “Top 5 tax season hacks to de-stress (starting with coffee).”
The goal is to align your business with the solutions people desperately need during tax season—even if your business isn’t directly tax-related. Share content that’s easy to implement, digestible, and truly helpful. Practicality beats flashy gimmicks when tax stress is at an all-time high.
5. Failing to Optimize for Mobile
If you’re not optimizing your tax-season email campaigns, ads, or website for mobile use, you might as well be sending them by carrier pigeon. With so many people balancing this chaotic period on the go, mobile-friendly design is non-negotiable.
Here’s what that looks like:
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Emails should have concise subject lines, compelling previews, and easy-to-click buttons.
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Ad visuals should look sharp on smaller screens without overloading the layout.
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Your website or app should load quickly and function without frustration on mobile devices.
Considering that 81% of people prefer mobile devices to open emails, if your content isn’t optimized for smaller screens, your audience will bounce faster than you can say “refund check.”
Make sure every touchpoint in your campaign is mobile-first to meet customers where they already are—in their hands (probably while standing in line for coffee).
Make It A Tax Season to Remember (For All the Right Reasons)
Tax season may feel daunting, but it’s an opportunity to differentiate your brand if you approach it strategically. Engage your audience on their level, keep things simple yet impactful, and avoid these common pitfalls to come out ahead—and not just in the spreadsheets.
Need help making your marketing work through tax season…and perhaps even after the very last return has been filed? Kinetic319’s got your back. We may not be able to ease the stress of deductions and 1099s, but we can help you make sense of your marketing. Get in touch to learn more about our approach.
And remember, at the end of the day, thoughtful execution beats throwing spaghetti at the wall (or sending out yet another generic mass email campaign). Find your angle, focus on what your audience needs, and you’ll transform tax stress into a win for your business.
Because life’s too short for mediocre marketing.