You may be wondering if social media for accountants is a good marketing tool for your firm. The answer is yes! There are many reasons why accountants should use social media to market their firms.
In this blog post, I will discuss the seven reasons why having a social media presence is important. I will also give you 11 tips on how to use social media for your accounting firm’s marketing efforts.
Let’s jump into it!
Table of Contents
- 7 Reasons Why Social Media for Accountants Works Well
- 6 Challenges of Using Social Media For Accountants
- 5 Popular Social Media Platforms
- 15 Best Social Media Tips for Accountants
- Frequently-Asked Questions
7 Reasons Why Social Media for Accountants Works Well
Here are the biggest reasons why social media marketing for accountants is a strategy worth pursuing.
1) Large Potential Audience of Clients
According to a 2023 Statista study, more than 61% of the world’s population are social media users.
This means that there is a large potential audience of clients that you can reach out to through social media sites.
2) Brand Awareness
Social media is a great way to build brand awareness because it allows you to reach a large number of people with your branding messages.
In addition, social media platforms allow you to create engaging content that can help you connect with potential and current clients on a deeper level. This can help you strengthen your brand relationships and increase brand loyalty.
3) Increased Web Traffic
Some people find your website from social media groups.
If you are actively posting content or have someone to do social media management for your firm, prospects may go directly to your Facebook page to learn more about what you do. This is word-of-mouth at its finest!
4) Inexpensive Form of Advertising
Social media is an inexpensive form of advertising because you can reach a large number of prospective clients for a relatively low cost, and in most cases, even free. You can choose either paid or organic social media marketing to reach your target audience.
5) Establishes Trust
Clients are more likely to trust and do business with firms that they know. Having a well-planned social media strategy is a great way to build trust with your clients and prospects which is a critical part of keeping and attracting new clients.
This is why having a social media account is essential if you have a business because this enables you to open up a line of communication between you and your clients.
6) Attracts Talent
Social media can also be used to attract top talent to your accounting firm. By sharing content that showcases your firm’s culture and values, you can attract employees who align with your firm’s mission.
In addition, social media is a great way to connect with potential employees and get them interested in working for your firm.
7) Keeps You Top of Mind
Being top of mind in marketing is important because you then become the first person that comes to someone’s mind when they think of accounting services. That’s exactly what we want 🙂
6 Challenges of Using Social Media For Accountants
While there are a bunch of reasons why social media for accountants works well, it also presents some challenges, including:
1) Time Constraints
Accountants often find it tough to stay on top of social media since it can eat up a significant chunk of their time.
Between reading and responding to comments, brainstorming content to post, and dealing with day-to-day tasks, it can be too much especially if you’re doing it all by yourself.
2) Content Creation
Generating relevant and engaging content can be demanding for accountants.
Balancing informative content with the need for user engagement requires a keen understanding of the target audience and the ability to present financial information in an accessible and interesting manner.
3) Managing Client Expectations
Social media can create expectations for immediate responses and real-time updates.
Financial processes often require careful consideration and may not align with the fast-paced nature of social media communication.
4) Measuring ROI and Effectiveness
Determining the return on investment (ROI) of social media efforts for accountants can be challenging.
Unlike traditional metrics used in financial analysis, social media success is often measured in terms of engagement, brand awareness, and client communication.
5) Competitive Landscape
The accounting industry is competitive, and standing out on social media is going to be an uphill battle.
Differentiating oneself from competitors while adhering to professional standards can be a challenge, especially given the diverse approaches and content shared by accounting firms.
6) Educational Content Complexity
Accountants often share educational content to showcase expertise. The challenge lies in presenting complex financial concepts in a way that is both informative and easily understood by a diverse audience.
This can range from financial professionals to individuals with limited financial knowledge.
5 Popular Social Media Platforms
Below is a list of the best social media platforms to use for marketing purposes:
1) LinkedIn
LinkedIn is my favorite platform because it’s designed for business professionals which is a great place to pick up clients.
Plus, LinkedIn allows you to post articles, provide tips, create groups, and offer services which are all great marketing strategies for accounting firms.
As an example, Jody Padar has built her career off of leveraging platforms like Linkedin (with her 600k+ followers!):
2) Facebook
Facebook is a great social media platform because it also allows you to join and create groups. These groups can be highly targeted, which means that you can attract potential clients who are interested in the services that your accounting firm offers.
Additionally, being a part of relevant Facebook groups shows potential clients that you’re an expert in your field.
3) Instagram
Instagram is becoming more popular with accounting firms and works very well for variety of high demand accounting niches (less well with others).
There are several reasons why Instagram can be a successful social media platform for accounting firms, primarily because visual content is king nowadays. Images and videos are more likely to be shared than text-only posts, so accounting firms can utilize this app to post creative social media content and build relationships with other accountants and potential clients.
4) X/Twitter
X, formerly known as Twitter, is a good social media marketing platform for your accounting business because it allows users to share short, timely messages about their firm.
Additionally, X has a wide reach, making it an ideal platform for building relationships and promoting your accounting firm to a large audience.
Lead and participate in the conversation and see yourself rack up a following like this leading X/Twitter accounting professional:
5) Tiktok
TikTok is a great way to show off your accounting skills in a fun and engaging way.
With its short, easy-to-share videos, you can quickly grab the attention of potential clients by posting regularly and showing them what you can do. Plus, with its large user base, you can reach more people than ever before.
Want proof?
One of my Future Firm Accelerate students went viral on Tiktok in just one day, picking up more than 20,000 followers, with many of them wanting to become her clients:
15 Best Social Media Tips for Accountants
Here is a list of the 11 best social media tips you can leverage to help market your accounting firm.
1) Post (quality content) frequently
Posting frequency is an important social media tip because of the importance of consistency. Social media marketing is all about publishing content consistently so that your followers get used to seeing you, and eventually rely on you for informative posts.
To give you an example, here are some of my posts on LinkedIn. As you can see, I try to be as active as possible.
2) Limit your number of platforms
Nailing down one or two platforms is much better than trying to be everywhere at once. It’s difficult to keep up with multiple social media channels and produce quality content if you’re just starting out. So, focus on the one or two that will work best for your firm.
3) Share value
A large part of social media is providing value to your followers. This can be in the form of blog posts, infographics, images, or even just links to articles that you think they might find interesting.
As an accounting firm, social media content ideas can be in the form of valuable tips on bookkeeping or tax preparation. You can also share recommendations for other professionals to follow. As an example, check out this post from Hasan.
People will only want to follow you if they get value from what you are sharing.
4) Limit self-promotion
Accountants are often seen as experts in their field, and as such, they should be providing valuable information to their followers, not just promoting their firm. Too much self-promotion can come across as spammy or salesy, which is likely to turn followers off. Instead, mix in some valuable content with your promotional posts
5) Share stories
People love stories because they are able to connect with them on an emotional level. When you share stories about your accounting firm (or even personal life) on social media, you can connect with your followers on a personal level, which can help to build trust and credibility.
Here’s a good example of a firm owner sharing a story on Linkedin that received over 200 likes:
6) Ask questions
Asking questions on social media is a great way to drive engagement because it encourages people to respond and share their thoughts. When you ask your followers a question, they are more likely to respond because they want to offer their opinion or share what they know.
The more engagement you get, the better.
7) Optimize your profiles
Optimizing your social media profiles is important for marketing because it ensures that your profile is complete and accurate. This can help you to seem more credible to potential clients, and it can also help you to connect with more people.
Doing this well will also make it easier for clients to find you.
As an example, my Twitter profile includes an image along with links to where people can find me:
8) Use hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to make sure that your posts are seen by more people. If you tag the right hashtags, your content will be much more discoverable and you will reach a wider audience.
As an example, you might consider using the hashtag #taxtips after your posts to help those looking for tax tips so they can easily find you.
In a Linkedin post of mine, I used the hashtag #accountingandaccountants which had 4,000,000+ followers and because my post performed well, it appeared for all those 4,000,000+ followers in their feeds:
9) Be careful with paid social media ads
Paid social media ads are costly if you don’t know what you are doing.
Different marketing software platforms have different features but the most important ones to look at when comparing would be the potential reach and frequency of your target audience.
10) Understand the algorithms
Different social media platforms work in different ways so it’s important to understand the algorithms of each social media platform if you want to make the most out of your content. For example, on Facebook, posts with images tend to perform better than those without while on Twitter, shorter posts tend to get more engagement than longer ones.
By understanding how each platform works, you can optimize your content accordingly.
11) Evaluate results
If you want to improve your social media marketing efforts, you need to evaluate your results regularly. This means taking the time to track how your posts are performing and analyze what is and isn’t working.
LinkedIn and other social media platforms offer analytics, which will help you determine how you perform easier.
This process will help you to determine what type of content is resonating with your audience and what isn’t so that you can tailor your approach.
12) Celebrate your clients
As your small business clients continue to thrive, it’s a reason to cheer and be happy for them. Watching them transition from a small startup to potentially a medium or even a larger enterprise is truly gratifying.
It’s not just their success; it’s a nod to the valuable financial support we bring to the table. As such, why not share their wins on your social media accounts? It’s a good marketing strategy as well because you’re not promoting your business, at least on the outside.
13) Post different types of content
No one wants to see just one type of content, especially on social media.
Diverse content not only caters to a wider audience but also fosters a richer and more engaging online community.
In this example, you can see Blueprint Accounting posted trivia instead of the usual self-promoting content that can be more interesting for its followers.
It encourages the exchange of ideas, perspectives, and experiences, creating a dynamic and inclusive digital space.
14) Interact with your audience
Engaging with your audience is a crucial aspect of building a strong online presence. Actively participating in conversations, responding to comments, and acknowledging feedback not only humanize your online persona but also demonstrate genuine interest in your community
Establishing a two-way communication channel fosters a sense of connection, trust, and loyalty among your followers.
Moreover, interacting with your audience allows you to better understand their preferences, tailor your content to their needs, and adapt your strategies to evolving trends.
15) Collaborate with Peers
Teaming up with fellow creators, especially those with a solid social media game, isn’t just about the numbers. When you collaborate with others in your niche or industry, it’s like opening up a whole new world of potential followers.
You get to connect with people who might not have stumbled upon your content on their own, bringing in a fresh wave of audience. And hey, working with peers or well-known figures in accounting is not just about looking good on paper – it’s like giving your street cred a boost.
FAQs
1) How can accountants handle time constraints when managing social media?
Prioritize quality over quantity, schedule posts in advance, and use tools like social media management platforms to streamline content sharing.
2) Can social media be used by accountants for recruitment?
Yes. Posting job openings, showcasing the company culture, and engaging with potential candidates can contribute to successful recruitment efforts.
3) How can accountants handle negative feedback on social media?
Respond professionally, address concerns privately if possible, and use negative feedback as an opportunity to showcase commitment to client satisfaction.
4) Is there a way for accountants to balance professional and personal content on social media?
Posting industry insights, updates, and achievements professionally to foster a professional image is ideal. That being said, there’s nothing wrong with sharing personal thoughts or activities, just don’t make it a regular thing.
5) What’s the recommended tone that accountants must practice on social media?
Always use clear and concise language while injecting a touch of personality. Avoid jargon-heavy posts and aim for an engaging, conversational tone.
Getting Started with Social Media Marketing for Accountants
Social media can be a powerful marketing tool for accountants. Not only can you connect with potential and current clients on social media, but you can also use social media to build your brand and establish yourself as an expert in the accounting industry.
In this article, I’ve shared some of my favorite social media tips for accountants.
What’s your favorite tip?
Comment below to let me know!
