Establishing a social media presence for accountants
Have you done everything to exploit the power of social media for accountants?
As digital marketing for accountants has undoubtedly impacted how clients process information, accounting practices should utilise effective social media channels as part of their marketing strategy.
According to Data Reportal, over half the world's population now use social media, with the Global Web Index showing the average user spends almost two hours a day scrolling. Using these stats as an indicator suggests a perfect opportunity to advertise your accounting practice. But with so much going on in the digital space, it can all be daunting.
That's why we've put together some top tips on social media marketing for accounting firms.
Do accountants need social media?
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Are you interested in new ways to future-proof your accounting firm?
- Do you want to engage with clients regularly?
- Do you want to promote yourself as a thought leader?
- Do you need more traffic to your website?
- Does your accounting firm want its clients, both existing and prospects, to get a feel for what they expect?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then yes, you do need to take advantage of social media marketing for accountants.
You may well have some of these marketing efforts in hand. However, great social media for accountants can use it for better engagement with their clients and promote the value of their accounting services.
How can accountants use social media for marketing?
Social media for accountants can support building a presence by providing an opportunity to attract new clients and connect with current clients. Accounting firms can also use social media to build their brand and establish themselves as an industry expert.
Social media for accountants can therefore be used for several reasons. Here are some tips on ways you could use social media for your firm:
Promote your brand
As an accountant, you should strive to be unique and clearly outline your accounting services. Social media is a great medium to showcase this. Confidently share your brand with new followers and build your accounting practice brand awareness.
Sharing valuable content on social platforms will help brand your practice. It will assist in creating the idea of your firm in a viewer's mind, and attachments will be formed between the information you present and your brand identity.
To keep on top of this, ensure you have a well-articulated brand voice, brand identity, and a set of documented brand guidelines. You convey a tight and highly professional impression of your firm by reiterating your practice's image and keeping it on track and consistent.
This impression will be lasting. Never let your branding slip on social media.
Highlighting crucial information about what makes your accounting practice stand out above the crowd will make it easier to connect with clients, which leads to our next point…
Build better accounting client relationships
Good accounting is all about building valuable client relationships, and social media is the perfect tool to build them. A two-way process, it doesn't just allow people to get to know you; it gives you a chance to get to know your pool of existing clients and new prospects – and to use that to your advantage.
Social media marketing allows you to grow your networking and connections by creating channels and groups whereby people can engage with and share your resources. Engagement such as this also makes it more likely to contact individuals.
Keeps you in the mind of prospects
If you are active on social media, you can share more information about your services, industry advice, achievements and acknowledgements. Posting regularly is a solid social media strategy that means your accounting firm will come first in a prospect's mind when they need accounting services.
Establishing accounting firm trust
We all want to put our best foot forward and show that clients can count on us. Social media for accounting firms is a forum to build that credibility. Clients are more likely to engage with accounting firms with a social media presence, which is why attracting new accounting practice clients's such a dynamic method.
Enhances web traffic
In the early days, there was a bit of a disconnect between social media and overall digital marketing for accountants, such as their practice website. Not anymore. If you are active with your accounting social media posts, clients can use social media platforms as a direct pathway to your website.
Better understand your client's needs
Consider using Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Instagram or a similar service as a platform for a Q&A session. A Q&A is a fantastic way for accounting firms to engage their audience better and provide valuable insights.
Set up a Facebook Live feed featuring a subject matter expert who will present pertinent information and answer questions. By doing so, you position yourself as a valuable source of information and boost your credibility and value.
Perhaps you have someone on your team with information to share about new government incentives, compliance changes or ways to improve cash flow?
Instead of passively presenting the information, try interacting with client questions live. Your firm will gain far more traction as a thought leader doing it this way.
Authenticity is a highly valued aspect of digital marketing for accountants. Creating an authentic live stream with audience interaction connects you actively with your audience in a way passive posting cannot.
If you snoop around a little, you'll notice a lot of top practices are already doing this – and for good reason.
Position yourself as a thought leader
In a sea of competing posts and social media activity, pinpointing your value and expertise and then demonstrating that value is the aim of the game.
You should position your practice as an industry professional with a finger on the pulse and valuable skillsets to gain client confidence.
To do this, you need to demonstrate thought leadership. Social media is undoubtedly the best space to be doing so. To cement yourself as a thought leader, be sure you're creating and sharing genuinely informative and insightful:
- blog posts
- video interviews
- live Q&As
- short form posts or responses to compliance changes.
By stepping up your social media strategy, you’ll demonstrate your value to clients and potential clients and solidify your firm's reputation and brand. This will inevitably lead to more business, greater client confidence and more extended prosperity.
What do accounting firms post on social media?
Now that we better understand how social media for your accounting firm can be used, we can delve into what you should be looking to post on your platforms. Generally, you want to highlight your brand, your work's impact on clients, and how those reading your posts should inspire clients to take action. Your accounting social media posts should reflect your firm.
Here are some social media post tips explaining the ways accountants can take full advantage of their social media accounts:
Promoting client success stories
Content that shares real client success stories that have affected real people tends to strike the right chord with potential clients. This could include sharing a case study of how your accounting services have tangibly improved somebody’s life.
Whatever you post, ensure that it represents the values you're trying to build as part of your brand. Luckily, given the social media platforms available, you can easily portray your success stories through text, images and videos. More about this later…
News and advice
Not everything you post has to relate directly to your practice. It’s a great idea to post news surrounding changes in the accounting industry You can also provide your insights and advice around the subject matter in formats such as blogs and infographics. Sharing relevant content from other accountants can also be effective as it potentially leads to collaboration for future projects.
Although this doesn't necessarily directly benefit your firm, sharing relevant content will match followers' interests and build credibility. This also encourages them to share your content which can lead to gaining new followers across your social media platforms!
Humanise your practice
Above all, remember to have fun! As an accountant, it's essential to put a face to your practice. Better still, show several faces by letting your hair down and providing an insight into your office environment. Who doesn't love to see an office dog?
Humanising your accounting firm will ensure a suitable balance with the more serious subject matter, providing a personal touch that your followers will likely appreciate.
Which social media platform is best for accountants?
The list gets longer with the consistent introduction of new social media platforms every year. However, rather than spreading yourself too thin, the trick is to choose one or two and do them well. Not sure where to start? Here are several key social media accounts you should invest your time into and why they can add value for your accounting firm.
Facebook continues to be recognised as the largest social media platform worldwide, with approximately 2.9 billion users since January 2022. Although younger demographics have arguably moved on to newer platforms, Facebook continues to be effective for storytelling and sharing information about your practice. This is due to the platform enabling posts to incorporate images, text and videos, which users can engage with by commenting and sharing.
Facebook also makes it easy for:
- Accounting practices can post authentic stories that bring their work to life.
- Attract potential clients who are interested in the types of accounting services your firm offers.
- Shows potential clients you are an expert in the accounting industry.
As the second largest social media platform with people spending an average of It's29 minutes per day scrolling through, Instagram has proven to be a popular choice among millennials.
It’s USP? It focuses on visual content such as images and videos (via reels and IGTVs), providing a unique storytelling opportunity for your accounting practice, working extremely well as a platform for accounting niches, and encouraging your followers to engage with more digitally appealing media.
The benefits of marketing through Instagram include:
- Create conversations with potential clients through poll and question features on the ‘Stories’ functionality.
- Encourage direct traffic to your website from the platform itself.
- Cross-promote your content with Facebook, as both platforms are owned by the same company.
The ‘Twittersphere’ is always chirping and it’s a great marketing space for accounting businesses. Not only is this platform great for sharing short information and messages about your firm, but it is also home to journalists, celebrities and opinion leaders, so it could help to position you as a thought leader in the accounting industry.
However, be aware that Twitter has a character limit, so ensure the content on your social media account is concise.
Twitter allows you to:
- Capitalise on (or high-jack) trending hashtags and build an online presence for your accounting practice.
- Use Twitter Spaces to connect directly, tweet and talk to potential or existing clients.
- Host live chats and ‘Twitter takeovers’ that give clients the chance to interact with you or your team.
LinkedIn is predominantly for business-to-business professionals who are looking to connect with others who share relevant content. In your case, business clients may be scanning for professionals in the accounting sector with value-adding services.
While not the right place to share personal life updates, this IS a suitable platform to promote content, data and relevant news about both your accounting practice and the accounting industry generally.
Not just a virtual business card, LinkedIn comes into its own when practices:
- Join the dots and use networks and connections to open new doors.
- Share opportunities and use LinkedIn to recruit, diversify and expand their team.
YouTube
Youtube is the world’s second largest search engine. Let that sink in. This alone is a compounding enough argument that prioritising a YouTube channel is a must for any accounting practice.
The impact your social media for accountants could be highlighted by spotlighting specific campaigns with case studies, interviews, or even sharing footage of your office! The good news? Video creation can be too time-consuming for some, so going above and beyond with video optimisation will be sure to help you stand out and reap the rewards.
YouTube gives accounting practices the chance to:
- Unlock the power of visual storytelling and tell a story about your accounting practice and its services.
- Use videos to drive traffic to their website landing pages.
- Use video testimonials of existing clients to build credibility and trust with prospects.
TikTok
TikTok is a more recent platform and has really taken off with a younger demographic. The simplicity of its functionality is part of its appeal, as it allows you to upload 15-60 second videos on your phone that can be customised with effects, sounds, graphics, captions and filters.
Taking the social media circuit by storm, TikTok is a great way to:
- Reach a younger audience with dynamic, bite-size video content.
- Raise your profile and boost client engagement through promoted hashtags.
Top social media tips for accounting firms
Once your accounting business page is live, you need to build a following, and we’ve got a few tips to help get the ball rolling.
Tip #1: Join the conversation
As well as posting, you need to listen and respond. Use hashtags to find, follow and join relevant conversations. A comment here, a share there – every interaction is a potential new connection.
Tip #2: Create opportunities for client engagement
All good conversationalists ask questions, and you should too. It might feel strange at first, but great post ideas can be asking questions and running polls – in fact, we advise it. What better way to get to know your clients and build trust in your brand than by inviting their opinions, comments and responses?
Tip #3: Run and attend live events
Live chats and streamed events will help you rise above the noise. Existing and prospective clients will love connecting with you directly, asking questions and chatting in real time. A little live-action tweeting will help you grow an organic social media following.
Tip #4: Add visuals
Did you know Twitter posts that include images get 35% more engagement? Or that image-based LinkedIn posts get twice as many comments? It doesn’t stop there. As Instagram’s Adam Mosseri puts it, "[video is] driving an immense amount of growth online for all major platforms," so don’t be afraid to press record!
Tip #5: Remember the person behind your profile
When writing accounting social media posts, you need to keep it accurate. You might represent your accounting practice, but you’re still a person talking to another person. It’s good to respond, interact, joke, use emoticons and have (well-informed) opinions. People will like you all the more for it.
Tip #6: Spice up your accounting social media posts with a call to action
If you really want to get your services out there, why not try building a direct call to action? Whether you’re looking for shares, retweets, comments, or direct contact from prospects, if you don’t give people a way to take action, they won’t!
Tip #7: Don’t be afraid to do your homework!
Make the most of free resources regarding social media training for accountants online and stay on top of new trends, functionality, and best practices!
Social media for accountants: sharable content ideas for your firm
Another great way to generate social media ideas for accountants following is to create sharable content that aligns with our innate need to…
- Be social: Sharing content helps create connections by maintaining lapsed client relationships or sparking brand-new ones.
- Add value: We share because we want to give others great content - so think about content marketing to develop and link to blog posts, news articles, tool kits and services that add genuine value.
- Feel part of something: Sharing information makes us feel more involved in the world and adds to our sense of self-worth (especially if people comment, like and re-share).
- Be who we are: People like to share content that expresses their values, so link your posts to current news, affairs and trends to show your clients that your motivations and interests match theirs.
- Give back: Sharing content is a great way to network, inspiring other businesses like yours to reach out and open the doors to a whole new audience for your practice.
Create an accounting social media marketing strategy
As we have uncovered in this article, there are significant social media possibilities for an accounting business. We have discovered why accountants should invest in social media to promote their brand, build a client pool and help to develop trust, credibility and tips to establish a solid online presence.
Our last point in this article before we wrap is around strategy. Are you still pursuing an ad-hoc or reactionary approach in your social media for accountants? Maybe it is time to step it up and draft a more structured method to share content.
- Have you drafted up a formalised social media marketing strategy?
- How are you reviewing your social media impact in terms of money spent and rewards gained?
- Determining return on investment, particularly with social media ads, is essential.
- Do you have a solid metric-based reporting process for engagement, views, click-throughs?
- Are you working from a formal social media content calendar to map out your social media strategy and execute a rich and pre-planned content mix?
- Have you set your business benchmarks and achievement goals to monitor your social media marketing performance?
