Getting started on social media can be confusing and hard to understand. Especially for accounting firms that keep putting it off. Yet it truly is not as bad as it seems. Trust me. I manage over 20 social accounts, many of which I created from scratch.
With the busy season behind us, now is the perfect opportunity to devote some time to start a social account for your accounting firm. And by “time,” I mean a few minutes a day.
Who should manage our social media accounts?
You may wonder who the best person is to take on this task. I recommend someone who is in the know with the firm and their focus isn’t on tax returns. What I mean by in the know is someone who knows what the firm is up to. They know when there’s a new hire, when the company’s sponsoring events, when promotions are earned, etc.
This works best because they have a global view of what is happing at your firm and can quickly post updates without needing to ask around. This can be an office manager, executive assistant, or anyone at your firm that has the time and knowledge to take on this responsibility. Once the person in charge of the firm’s social media account has been decided, it’s important to make it known to everyone internally who that person is.
Anytime an employee is attending an event, ask them to take pictures. They should share that with the person managing your social media account so they can post about it. This is key. Take advantage of events so that there’s always something to post. Establishing yourself within your firm is just as important as building your brand on social media.
What social channels should I be on?
Next, it’s time to consider the social channels your clients are on. Since most of your clients are likely business people, LinkedIn is a great place to start. It’s also an easy place to start. If you already have a personal LinkedIn account, starting your company page will be simple. Enter basic information about your firm and your page is ready to go. You can always go back and add more about your firm later.
Twitter and Facebook are also great options. If you’re starting from scratch, I suggest beginning with one account, once that’s up and running and you’re comfortable doing it, create another account on a different channel.
How do I build my firms following on social media?
Building a following and maintaining an active presence may seem like a difficult process. Another reason I suggest starting with LinkedIn is it’s the easiest channel (IMO) to build a following on. You can invite 100 connections a month to follow your page. It’s also easy to use and navigate. You can easily engage with other people and companies as your company, helping you build a network.
How often should my firm post on social media?
I suggest posting 3-5 times a week. A lot of the content can come from events as I mentioned earlier. Create content employees are proud of and want to share with their network. Tax law updates, which never seem to end, also make great posts (on the bright side at least you’ll never run out of content!) If content is lacking, look at AccountingToday, INSIDE Public Accounting, and other industry publishers for shareable content.
In my next blog post, I’ll discuss ways your firm can stand out amongst the competition that’s already on social media. Stay tuned!
