Accountant? Financial Adviser? Lawyer? Don't believe Social Media works for your business type? Think again. Social Media for Professionals does work, in fact it works very well. However, you will only experience success if you manage your campaign correctly. Do this, and your business will triple. Let me explain the right way to use social media for your professional business.
I hear this regularly. An accounting firm who starts their social media campaign hoping for a great result, only to find that social media marketing has failed miserably. It has taken many hours to set up and has not generated any new business, let alone any worthy contacts.
This is a common result, and in most cases the reason is lack of understanding about the correct social media marketing tactics for your business type. You can actually apply this to any industry. There is a right way to use social media for your business type, and most people in charge of business social networking have a lack of information, hence the failure to achieve business growth or success from the efforts of social media campaigning.
ACCOUNTANTS - YOUR STEPS TO SOCIAL MEDIA SUCCESS
Choosing the Right Social Network
This is highly important so take it in. Choosing the right social network to promote your business is vital. What does your firm specialise in? Tax, FBT, Superannuation, Financial Planning?
For individual taxation services, Facebook will work just fine. You must target the Mum and Dad Facebook user, or young employees in your local area looking for great tax advice. Show your human side, respond to enquiries quickly and with a smile. Offer free advice, take bookings from your Facebook page. You will also get great exposure from new small business so advertise on Facebook targetting new business.
For corporate taxation you need to move on to Linkedin. This is where you will find the contacts you need. Linkedin will assist you to grow your network and start to improve your professional brand online. Create your individual profile, but also your company Linkedin Profile. Ensure your employees connect with the company profile also. Then you need to 'Join Groups' and start offering your expertise via various discussions. Don't stick to accounting groups unless you want to learn from others. If you have mining clients then join mining groups to offer your accounting expertise.
Consistency is the Key
Do not start something unless you can finish it. My grandfather (god rest his soul, I loved my Pa, passed away last July at 95 years) always told me this and I may not have always lived by it, but he was right.
Okay, so it is not always possible to find the time to update your social media accounts. However, any gap of more than a week is too long. Followers will soon drop off. As with any relationship, you need to make the effort and show your face. Same applies to social media. Be present, post updates, and explain your absence if need be.
Human Content Will Attract
Too many times I see social media updates with little or no personality. Simply tweeting news and industry updates will not help you build business relationships. You need to demonstrate your personality and prove your commitment to building meaningful alliances.
Be Unique
How many of your industry competitors are posting the same content as you? There will be industry bodies you all follow (such as the ATO, ASIC, CPA etc). To attract a following you need to post a range of diverse updates that include your own online articles, unique industry updates, tips and info from your area of expertise. Don't be a sheep.
Connect Your Social Network Profiles
If you own a variety of social media accounts then ensure you have references to each on your social networks. Create a link to your Twitter and Linkedin profiles on Facebook and vice versa. This shows you are social media savvy, but also enables potential clients to follow you on the social network of their choice.
Display and Link Your Social Media Accounts on Your Website
For social media savvy individuals nothing is more frustrating than being unable to connect with a business you like via social media.
To be honest, if I come across a company website without social network links I go elsewhere. And believe me, I am not the only one.
Your company must be social media savvy to attract new business, so display your links in prominent places on your website NOW!
Look at Other Ways to Use Social Media to Improve Your Business
Do not be fooled into thinking social media is all about fun and games. Social Media is a serious business. One that can make or break a business these days. There are numerous ways to use social media to improve your business, and one is to use social media for customer service.
Optus is a prime example. Optus use Twitter to assist customers and from experience I can tell you this work beautifully.
Check out this Forbes article on using Social Media for Customer Service.
We recommend Small Business Gurus for all your social media consultancy work.
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