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The Social CPA: Insight into Today’s Social
Web Scene
By Roy Keely, Xcentric, LLC
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Don't be fooled; the social web is not only for those under the
age of 25. While the average CPA has very different needs than a 14 or 21
year-old, this doesn't mean that you don't have some things in common. I’m
sure you’re familiar with the adage, "It's not what you know but who you
know.” Well, with the development of the social web, perhaps 10 years from
now the saying will be, "It's not who you know but who knows you.” The
web
is giving both individuals and companies a chance to be known like never
before.
Known for what you may ask? Any number of things – being a good service
company, throwing good parties, not being shy around a camera, or being a
reader and philosophy buff – whatever you want to be known for. Sure, some
of these ‘social sites’ are irrelevant to you as a CPA; however, the social
web’s relevance to the business world is growing exponentially and worth
getting plugged into for things like building brand awareness, staying
up-to-date on what others in your field are doing, creating referral
networks, developing online discussion boards, and more.
This is a quick overview of what's happening on the social web that's
important for you as a CPA. Keep in mind, as technology changes, this list
may change in the next few months. Not to mention, there is plenty going on
out there that you don't need to know about. That said, you'd be better off
letting people like me waste time reading blogs about new websites that
bring bird lovers together (no offense to bird lovers) and wait for us to write
about the sites that are relevant to you. You stay a CPA and continue
bringing value to your clients.
Twitter
Twitter is by far the fastest growing site on the Internet,
growing 1,382 percent between February 2008 and February 2009 and
another 76.8 percent between February and March of 2009.
What is Twitter? Twitter is a form of micro-blogging, which is a blog
where shorter, media, or link-based posts are encouraged versus typical
wordier blog formats. Twitter’s largest demographic segment is between the
ages of 35-49, which is vastly different from other social sites on the web.
Businesses are adopting this more than any other medium to create a
'following' of sorts. On Twitter, subscribers follow other people/businesses
to see updates as they are rolled out, answering the site’s fundamental
question: "What are you doing?” It's the ultimate permission marketing
mechanism that people are getting onboard with. Microsoft has even taken an
interest in Twitter mania by rolling out a Twitter site called ExecTweets
that allows you to follow popular CEOs and other executives http://www.exectweets.com/.
Click here
to watch a video that helps describe the features of Twitter.*TIP
- CPA firms should sign up for Twitter, regardless of whether or not you
have immediate plans to use it. Why? To get the name you want! If your
firm’s name is Brown, Cone and Spalding, you should claim either or both of
these:
www.twitter.com/bcs and/or
www.twitter.com/brownconespalding.
Facebook
Facebook (FB) is now a household name in the United States and in much of
the world, ranking 5th in global Internet traffic
rankings. CPAs are beginning to use FB as a recruitment tool rather than
a revenue generator. However, several years from now, as the first major
adopters of FB turn 35 seek a CPA to help them manage their $80,000 income,
FB may develop into a marketing channel for CPAs.
Start a Facebook page for your firm and let someone who is going to be
onboard a few more years run with it. Starting out, use it for recruitment
and general 'social web' awareness; however, proceed knowing that one day it
might very well be one of your top lead generation tools. You can't afford
not to know about FB.
The AICPA is on board on board with FB and has 858 members in their 'group,’
not counting their niche groups. Considering FB for personal use? Read this
helpful social web safety review from pcmag.com called “Online
Safety Tips for Facebook Fogeys.”
Blogs
Blogs are not going away and are becoming increasingly popular as a means to
disseminate information to both large and small audiences. Blogs are an
efficient means of communication whether sharing information with friends
and family or for business reasons. See these blog examples: Curt Shilling
announcing his retirement from baseball; an
update for
interested home buyers on North Atlanta's Housing Market
There are many well-known blog platforms to choose from, including these
popular choices:
MySpace
MySpace has a strong following and
ranks 8th in worldwide traffic; however, there currently is not much
obvious application for the CPA profession. MySpace was the first to market
on a significant scale and has become the social networking site known for
music more than anything else. Unless you moonlight as a Motley Crew cover
band, MySpace may not be your best use of time.
Honorable (& Interesting) Mentions
- www.meetup.com –
This social networking site doesn't end with online networking.
According to the website, Meetup's mission is to “revitalize local
community and help people around the world self-organize" (in other
words, connect in real life).
- www.affluence.org
– This social networking site for the affluent offers exclusive parties
and other 'red-carpet' events if you make the cut. To qualify, you must
be worth in excess of $3,000,000, have an annual household income of
$300,000 or more, and have five friends to invite that also meet the
stated criteria.
- www.yelp.com –
Yelp is a great site for reading reviews of restaurants and finding the
perfect dining spot. It also serves as a guide to other businesses in
local markets. CPA firms should consider being listed on this site!
Now, before jumping online to get started, familiarize yourself with the
sites you are interested in. Be an informed user and be sure you are
portraying the image you want to be known for.
About the Author
Roy Keely is the Marketing Director at Xcentric, LLC, a technology
consulting group that specializes in network technology consulting, hosting,
and implementation for ccounting firms. He can be reached at 678-297-0066
x525 or rkeely@xcentric.com.
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May/June 2009
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