Is It Taxing to Use Social Media?
While many professionals in the last few years have turned to social media to grow their businesses, others are still taking the wait-and-see approach, wondering if SM is really for them.
So, it is that time of year again when millions of individuals shudder at the thought of having to once again do their taxes. Except for maybe going to the dentist, most people likely put doing taxes right up there on the most hated list.
With that being the case, one wonders if tax professionals are reaching out to consumers to send more business their way. Of course, one way to do that is by using social media to promote your tax services, how you can make it easier for individuals to get through tax season, and of course state how you are likely to find them a refund.
Having said that, it appears many tax professionals are still giving social media a puzzled look.
According to the recent study “Social Media and the Tax Professional,” from Drake Software, a sizable number of tax preparers are still holding back on delving deeply into social media.
The study of more than 1,200 tax pros pointed out:
* Of those who have partaken in social media, a mere 9% claimed it was very effective – better than traditional channels, 37% stated it was as effective as traditional channels, and 54% reported it was not as effective as those traditional channels;
* 52.7% of tax professionals noted community involvement as one of the most effective marketing strategies they use;
* 19.8% have attempted social media marketing, while 25.8% have expressed interest in starting with it;
* 54.4% either report they don’t have the time or the desire, or don’t feel social media is in fact an effective marketing tool for businesses;
* 57.7% of tax pros using social media lean to Facebook, with 50.2% opting for LinkedIn. Meantime, there is less usage and interest in Twitter, Google+ and blogging sites.
So, for those tax professionals who feel social media can assist them over the next couple of months in securing more clients, just how can they go about that?
Among the areas to focus in on:
1. Consistency – One of if not the biggest factors that goes into a successful social media program is consistency. If you tweet, share, pin, blog etc. on an infrequent basis, you will stifle what little attention you are receiving. Your social media efforts need to be consistent, relevant, promoted, and properly timed for maximum exposure;
2. Relevancy – Right up there with consistency, your social media efforts need to be relevant to the audience you are targeting. While it is fine to have some tweets, shares, pins, blog posts etc. that do not deal with taxes, the majority should, especially during this time of year. If you put yourself and your business out there as an authoritative figure in the tax business, you stand a much better chance of connecting with consumers who need such services;
3. Engagement – Finally, how often you engage with consumers is also critical. Many consumers come to social media sites to learn more about respective products and services, having questions, along with trying to get issues handled. If you are seen as someone who consistently engages with consumers online, your chances of increasing business go up. If you do the opposite, don’t look to get a huge return on investment (ROI) with your social media activities.
If you put some extra effort into your social media activities over the next month or two, you could find your daily business life to be even more taxing, not that that is such a bad thing this time of year.
About the Author: With 23 years of experience as a writer, Dave Thomas covers a wide array of social media and small business topics, including payroll service.
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It’s all about leveraging the opportunities offered by social media..Not only tax preparers but any legitimate real world business can expand its horizon’s using social media..
Thanks for such a great post and the review