Today's Technology for Tomorrow's Firm.
Issue link: https://cpapracticeadvisor.epubxp.com/i/283007
14 March 2014 • www.CPAPracticeAdvisor.com FEATURE Both are simple enough questions, but k ind of hard to answer w ithout spending some time analyzing what it is they really want to do or what they wa nt to accompl ish . A f ter a l l, you wouldn't buy new tax sofware for your frm without frst evaluating what it is you want to do with that sofware. At its core, social media is about creat i ng conversat ions t h rough a n on l i ne, t wo -w ay d i sc u ssion . Most people who don't understand social media think something like Twitter exists only to post status updates about what you're doing. In reality, nothing could be further from the truth. You w i l l f irst want to deter m ine where you want to spend the most time and the most resources, and then match that social media application to your goals. Social media is free, for the most part, but you could experience quite a few non-billable hours, depending on how deep you want to go. You Want to Network and Prospect for New Clients I believe the best way to think about social media is to refer to Linkedin, Facebook and Twiter as the Big 3 or the "Holy Grail" because they are the most popular. However, there are others that a r e c a n b e j u s t a s i mp or t a nt a nd meaningful, including YouTube, Pin- terest and even Instagram. If you want to network and prospect for new clients, then LinkedIn is where you'll want to be. Long considered the most professional of the social media Holy Grail, any professional who is not on LinkedIn must be living on the side of a mountain without access to day- light. However, there is a key diference between merely having an account and work i ng t h at accou nt to generate referrals. Those who are on and not spending at least 10 minutes a day par- ticipating in LinkedIn are not using it properly. W hat can you do in 10 minutes? Quite a bit: • Connect to fve new people a day. • Peruse your connections' updates and send a direct message with an observation about an update. Example: new title or position. Congratulate the person. • Explore new networks to join. If you're already on a network, read the updates and respond appropriately. You Live on the Edge and are Spontaneous It isn't a question of liking or under- standing advanced technologies; it's a case of being a bit more fexible with how you spend you r day on socia l media. If you like to pepper your day with social media or just want to take a few breaks from demanding clients, then check out Twiter. Twiter is probably the easiest of the Big 3 social media to be to be on, yet a lot of professionals might think other- wise until they dig in and tweet. Twiter is simply a way to send a message to a group of followers to let them know what you're doing or how you're feeling about a certain topic. Once you get a "handle" ( @scytron , for example), you can begin composing messages that have a maximum character count, with spaces, of 140. Twiter is smart! If you use Twiter itself to compose tweets, the message window will tell you how many characters you have lef. W hat you want to avoid is tweeting about w h at you ju s t ate for lu nc h . I nstead, here a re t h ree ex a mples of real-life tweets I just picked up at random by going to my own followers' feed: • @f inanicalforce : Guide to Cloud Accounting. Download this quick guide and learn the benefts of cloud accounting solutions: htp://fce.bz/meFSf • @tameraloerzel: Nonequity partnerships have their advantages and pitfalls. Explore both related to fve management atri- butes here: htp://bit.ly/NtJ2t • @menswearhouse: When you get the right ft, you look great. Pronto Blue Jeans - just $9.99, today only. Enjoy this online exclusive: htp://mensw.com/1f IfooS W hat t hese t weeters have done, successfully, is get their point across in a very succinct format. That's mean- ingful because it reinforces that they are a trusted content provider, and it helps get their name "out" to their followers and is in front of them on a regular basis. However, what I fnd with Twiter is that it's not very efective to jump in and out of it on a non-frequent basis. Oth- er wise, you can't keep up with what others are doing or thinking. In a future article, I' ll talk about how to get fol- lowers and follow others. You Meld Your Profes- sional and Personal Life I'm talking about Facebook, of course. If you haven't yet discovered Facebook, you should! It's a great way to keep up with what others are doing, or thinking – much in the same way Twiter does – yet with a more personal touch. I am a bit sour, however, when it comes to having a business presence on Fa c eb o ok . It t a k e s a n i nord i n at e amount of time to maintain and refresh you r cor porate page, let a lone get friends to "like" your page. Maintaining a corporate page on Facebook, to me, is like maintaining your own website – and let's face facts: that takes time! Still, if you have the means and the time to participate in Facebook on a corporate level, that's fne. I've yet to encounter one accountant who told me he or she was able to get new business from a corporate page. Instead, what I suggest is one page that blends your personal and profes - sional lives. Your Facebook page should be an extension of your personality. If you are a more serious kind of person, keep your status updates businesslike. If you enjoy creating a more fun envi- ronment, then update your status with something more whimsical, but avoid posting anything distasteful. Again, you' ll k now inherently when you've crossed a line. Why Not Try all Three? W hy not? W hat's stopping you from trying each one of the Big 3 or even any of the other social media out there? All it takes is a time commitment and a positive atitude. Do not, by any means, think that working on LinkedIn for a month will generate instant referrals. It doesn't work that way. The point is to have fun, yet meet your goals. If you've had some success with social media, share your story so other readers can benefit from your experience! Which Social Media Options are Right for Your Firm? By Scott H. Cytron W h e n I e d u c a t e C PA s a n d accountants on social media marketing, I get two questions more often than any others. First, which application they should be on, and second, how they operate or par- ticipate in social media to get results. Scot H. Cytron, ABC, is president of Cytron and Company, known for helping com- panies and organizations improve their botom line through a hybrid of strategic public relations, communications, marketing programs and top-notch client service. Contact him at scot@cytronandcompany.com and visit his blog, www.absolutecytron.com . cpa_14_Cytron.indd 14 3/24/14 11:00 AM