Slides from the Nebraska Society of CPAs Annual Conference in June 2010

1. What’s So Relevant About
Social Media?

3. What IS social media
and why should I care?

4. Social Media is an “umbrella term” that defines the various
activities that integrate technology, social interaction, and
the construction of words, pictures, videos and audio...

5. Or a way to describe the millions
of conversations happening online right now...

11. More Time
With
Social
Media
Means...

12. More Time 39% less time
on newspapers
With
Social
Media
Means...

13. More Time 39% less time
on newspapers
With
Social 36% less time
on magazines
Media
Means...

14. More Time 39% less time
on newspapers
With
Social 36% less time
on magazines
30% less time
watching
Media television...
Means...

15. The Common Tools

16. Just Tools
Facebook...
just a phone
Twitter...a fax machine

17. •Over 125 million users
Up from 105m two months ago (6/10/10)
•An easy way to share information, status updates and
photos which are limited 140 characters

18. • More than 500 million active users
• Over 50% of active users log on to Facebook each day
• The fastest growing demographic is those 35 years old and older

19. • Greater than 70 million users
• Primarily professional users sharing resume
and searching for jobs / consulting opportunities

20. • Myspace has roughly 120m users
• Primarily focused around the music industry
and the younger demographic

22. The Focus

23. The Focus
To Grow...

24. The Focus
To Grow...
To Interact...

25. The Focus
To Grow...
To Interact...
To Learn...

26. The Focus
To Grow...
To Interact...
To Learn...
To Engage and Embrace...

27. The Focus
To Grow...
To Interact...
To Learn...
To Engage and Embrace...

28. 18

29. Are These Legitimate Tools for
Professional Accountants?

30. Survey Says...
• All of the Big Four CPA firms have a
presence on Facebook.
• The American Institute of Certified
Public Accountants (AICPA) along with
a large – and rapidly growing –
number of state CPA societies have
presences on both Facebook and
Twitter.
• Intuit, Thomson Reuters, and Sage
Software all have a presence on
Facebook and many of their team
members use Facebook, Twitter,
Plaxo, and LinkedIn to communicate.
• Based on both the volume and the
breadth of usage, there is little doubt
that social networking tools are
legitimate tools for accountants and
other business professionals.

31. This is great, but we must know the details...
21

32. • Many firms and individuals have a basic presence, at the minimum, on
Twitter
• Very easy to search for key phrases that are being mentioned as well as
relevant to the industry. This provides a great way to interact and

33. • Nearly 300 accountants have joined the Official QuickBooks Small
Business Online Community.
• You'll find ideas about marketing, the new features of QuickBooks,
and how-to answers in the discussion area.
• Also check out the QuickBooks ProAdvisor group where there are
some useful resource links.

34. • Connect with other accountants and QuickBooks consultants via your
profile or by joining a groups like Successful QuickBooks Consultants
Group which is growing like wildfire.
• Members include Intuit employees, many QuickBooks ProAdvisors,
accountants, and bookkeepers
• The group helps facilitate networking and developing collaborative
relationships with other QuickBooks ProAdvisors.

35. • Scan the more than 300 user-generated QuickBooks how-to's or add
your own. These videos are especially effective to share with clients
when they have a question about QuickBooks that is answered in the
video.
• They can also be used to reinforce learning or a point you made in your
last consulting session with the client.

41. • “Top 100 Accounting Advice Blogs”
http://www.onlineaccountingdegree.com/top-100-accounting-advice-blogs/

45. Not Just News

46. Community

54. You’ve peaked my interest...now what?

55. Steps to Move Forward
• Start Small.
Set up a profile on the social network sites
• Listen.
Don’t start throwing a lot of stuff out there right away,
just watch conversations, make friends, talk, find out
what the conversations are, and then add to those
communities & discussions.
• Have fun.
Continue experimenting and trying things out.
• Once you get good at one, try another one.
Pretty soon you’ll find which service you really like the most and is
most efficient

56. • Take the time to learn
where clients and
competitors are
participating in online
communities
• Follow their activity and
posts using an internet
search engine to search
the name of one's own
accounting firm
• This way you can see what
others are saying about
the company or if the firm
has been mentioned in any
articles or blogs

57. • To build awareness, include the Twitter address and
Facebook information on customer statements, emails,
newsletters and post links on the company
• Let the unique personality of an accounting firm shine
through by allowing staff members to write and monitor
posts.

58. Recommended Follows
Twitter
Jason M. Blumer on Twitter - twitter.com/JasonMBlumer
Shane Eloe / BluffsCPA - twitter.com/BluffsCPA
Joe Kristan - twitter.com/joebwan
Blogs
http://bluffscpa.com/
http://www.onlineaccountingdegree.com/top-100-accounting-advice-
blogs/
http://www.rothcpa.com/taxupdates.php

59. Additional Resources
Gary Vaynerchuk,
Author “Crush It”
Tara Hunt, Author
“The Whuffie Factor” Chris Brogan,
Author “Trust
Agents”

60. Questions...

61. Jeff Slobotski
jslobotski@aiminstitute.org
jeff@siliconprairienews.com
twitter.com/slobotski
402.968.9048