Historically, CPA firms have not been the best self-advertisers. Stemming back to our code of conduct that regulates how and what we promote to our clients, many firms have been shy to jump into social media in a way that’s meaningful for driving growth.
On top of social media being non-traditional in an “old school” industry, understanding the algorithms for tangible growth is a full-time job. Social media can, however, provide a cost-effective way to support grassroots marketing.
Here are five tips for small- to medium-sized practices to improve your social media presence and support your marketing efforts.
No. 1 — Post Often
If you think you are posting enough, you are not. On average, your posts will only be seen by about 20% of your followers. That’s because the feeds change so quickly with the pure amount of content out there, that on any given day, even with aimless scrolling, your constituents are not all going to see the one post you put up. To be seen you need to post frequently and consistently.
Depending on whether you are posting from a business page or from your personal page can alter this cadence a bit. Business pages should have posts three to four times per week with meaningful content for your followers. Personal pages can have three to four posts a day with still room for more.
No. 2 — Create a Content Calendar
Writer block will stop you every time. You do not post because you do not know what you should share. Creating a content calendar can keep you on point with your weekly posting cadence. Prepare a calendar at least one month in advance. Consider special holidays or events for each month, or pick a theme for the month to help you develop focused content.
Write in any specials or promotions or specific topics you want to share for the month. Then break your monthly focus down into themed posts for each week. This will become your quick reference guide when it’s social media posting day and your creativity goes blank.
No. 3 — Boost Posts
Most social media platforms like Facebook charge minimal dollars to boost a post. You also can choose a target audience for your post to help ensure that the demographic you’ve chosen sees the post most often. Target by age, location, etc., to keep your content in front of your ideal clients.
No. 4 — Define Your Ideal Client
Making sure you understand WHO you are sharing this content for is critical. In social media, it helps to develop an “avatar” before writing out social content. Take the time to think about who your ideal client is. How old are they? Do they have a family? What’s their disposable income? Where can they be found on the weekends? Why would they hire you? What pain points do they have when it comes to their finances and taxes?
Going through this exercise to build a profile for your ideal client helps you to not only better identify demographics for paid advertising, but it helps you write better content targeted to the audience that you want to attract.
No. 5 — Track and Follow Up
Most social media platforms have tracking and insights for business pages and other posts. You can see how many views different posts receive, who likes them, and who interacts with them. Make sure to consistently be reviewing your performance insights and follow up with individuals who are interacting with your content. Critically, do not forget a call to action in your posting.
Don’t simply throw up a link to an article or a newsletter link, make sure you explain in every post what you want the reader to do next, should they hit the call button? Should they send a message? If you are sharing a link to an article about advanced child tax credits, make sure you explain in your short caption how you can help your ideal client with this particular item and what they need to do next in order to receive your help.
Social media can seem daunting when it’s not your everyday area of expertise, but it is a fast, effective, and cost-efficient way to reach more potential clients when it’s executed with strategy and intention. If you still are feeling overwhelmed at the thought of trying this out, just pick one platform to focus on for the first three to six months.
Follow the steps above and don’t try to master another platform until you’ve successfully set a good cadence for the first.
