If you haven’t established a presence on social media, you are behind the times. Social media is a great way to connect with clients and reach potential customers where they spend most of their time: online.
Did you know that 70% of Facebook users check the site daily? This is according to a survey done by Pew Research. That same survey found that 52% of Internet users use more than one of the social media sites they measured. It’s no wonder why so many businesses have had success reaching new clients, gaining leads, and growing their company with the help of social media.
Whether you are managing social media yourself, or have someone who does it for you, make sure you are following these best practices.
Consistency and type of content are both very important. Facebook uses an algorithm to determine who sees your updates so you’ll want to make sure that you are posting consistently and posting content that Facebook tends to give more reach to.
Here are some best practices for Facebook:
- Post between 5-7 times per week with an increase of up to 10 posts per week during tax season.
- Utilize Facebook ads to increase reach and Facebook fans.
- Post videos – they get more reach than any other type of Facebook post. Be sure to upload videos directly to Facebook to gain even more reach.
- Make sure your about section is completely filled out.
- Take advantage of the call to action button over your cover photo.
- Share content from referral partners or complimentary local businesses and be sure to tag them.
- Utilize Facebook Insights to be sure you are posting when your fans are online.
For Twitter, engagement, frequency, social listening and using the right hashtags should be your focus. Here are some best practices to follow.
- Post 2-3 times per day.
- Use hashtags that relate to your location, industry, or are trending topics.
- Retweet and engage with followers regularly.
- Thank everyone who shares your content or follows you.
- Find new followers by searching hashtags, keywords, or following people your competitors or other followers follow.
- Make a private Twitter list of competitors to monitor activity and look for opportunities.
- Use a tool like Hootsuite to listen for mentions of your company name and keep a live stream of keywords to listen for opportunities to engage. Here is a how to on social listening with Hootsuite.
LinkedIn is a great way to keep in touch with your professional network. While it is not as popular as Facebook, it is a channel that should not be ignored. Here are some best practices.
- Connect with everyone you meet. This is the best way to grow and stay in touch with your network.
- Join groups and interact with others (especially the Tax Business Owners of America group).
- Post regularly Monday through Friday.
- Create a company page and post there as well.
- Be sure that all of your employees are connected to the company page.
- Do you have a certificate from The Income Tax School? Add it to your profile.
Online Directories
You should also be paying attention to online directories like Yelp! and Google Local. Make sure your business profile is claimed, filled out and accurate, and check for reviews often. Here is a full list of online directories to check out.
Want to learn all you need to know to market your tax business the way national tax firms do? Check out our Tax Business Marketing Manual. Our Tax Business Marketing Manual will help you learn to identify your target clients and reach them more efficiently and effectively through:
- Marketing Planning
- Client Retention
- Mass Media Advertising
- Targeted Advertising
- Public Relations
- Group Tax Programs
- Tax Office Signage
- Sample Ads, Brochures & Flyers
- Marketing References
- …and much more!
More Great Reads:
The Ultimate Marketing Plan Checklist for Tax Season Readiness