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well
i am completely underwhelmed Mark
i love the the way you started..... otherwise excellent article......missed the key point.....my answer yes it could be...
oh dear oh dear oh dear
I think the clue was in 'underwhelmed'
Like 'Facebook' and 'Twitter' it's all a bit sad really.
None of my clents have the time to show off a 'blog' not least from their accountant!
Thanks Mark and YES...
I only found out today that Mark had written this article quoting me and my website.
Firstly, thank you Mark.
Secondly, I cannot understand why more accountants don't blog. It is a simple and cheap way to keep an interaction going with clients all year round, gives clients a point of reference if they want to refer a friend, and shows them I still care about business, tax and people. I have had accusations (from other accountants) that I cheapen advice for all as I give the posts away for free. However, my feeling is that I would rather give people a reliable source of information than have them trawling the entire internet, with all the mis-information we all know is out there, and taking what they find on all sites as truth for decision making. I have never answered a specific, technical, query in a blog; I have stuck to what I regard as mainstream stuff that (I feel) clients shouldn't have to pay me for.
It is to my eternal shame that I haven't updated the blog part of the site since May 2011. I won't bore you with the reasons why I stopped for a while but I can tell you that a review of the statistics show that the flow of interested new parties has slowed. It could be the holidays, the recession, or any number of hundreds of reasons, but it is noticeable.
I have now built up a bank of questions that clients have raised in the last few months that I feel would make interesting reading generally so I really need to get writing again if only for that reason. I regard blogging as a cheap exercise as I write the blogs in the evenings when the TV is on so I don't use chargeable time for it. I am well aware that not everyone shares that view and the time cost of writing has been the main objection offered when I have asked the question of other accountants I come across - why don't you blog??
As with everything in business, before you dismiss me as a weird accountant and blogging as a waste of time, why not test it for yourself. Write some articles and ask clients for their opinion - you may be surprised at the reaction. I was - that is why I did/do it!
I understand that
The numbers of people 'interacting' (if that's the correct phrase) on social media web sites is decreasing, as folks begin to realise that talking/arguing/laughing/ face to face rather than 'facebook to facebook' is the normal human condition.
Maybe my clients are just too small to be 'boverred' with all this interweb stuff - I see enough folks in the pub (the original and best 'blogging' site) who, when in company, spend all their time glued to smartphones.
Sorry, not for me. It's not an accountant thing, I just loath the whole premise.
Change is on the horizon
I work for an accounting body and I have to say the comments so far completely reflect the level of engagement I have seen in Social media amongst our members. On one end of the scale you have members using a number of social media sites to promote their businesses and engage their clients and on the other end you have those who still have no email address!
Saying that, I am confident, change is coming, especially as we move more and more processes online; whether that means online examinations or just moving all resources and reference material online, it should help affect a change in attitudes toward social media.
Copying blogged material?
As we are all 'here', particularly Mark, I noticed the other day that an accountant had lifted an entire post of Mark's and posted it himself on his own website blog. He did attribute it, but I then noticed another posting which looked pretty much also lifted from Mark, though maybe that was abridged a little; that one was not attributed.
I can't help wondering what the ethics and legalities are around copying electronic publications in such a way.
We write a regular blog aimed at small and start up businesses offering what we think are useful tips and advice. Generally this is centred around what is and isn't tax deductible and guides to help people starting up. We find that it attracts people to our website and from comments we get on Twitter it seems appreciated.
I think that you need to understand the businesses that you are aiming to work with and certainly in Brighton and Hove they are very much into their social media. We feel that not engaging in this way would therefore be a mistake.
Thanks for the article Mark it certainly is interesting to read others thoughts on the subject.
Your blog
@ bainbridgelewis.
Yours looks a very nice website and that seems a good use of blogging. But can I ask - do you do it primarily for clients as part of the service; or is your website and blog aimed at new prospects? And if so, have you gained many clients directly from the website?
Thanks.
we use blogging & it is worthwhile.
We use blogging as a tool to spread awareness of the latest trends and changes in the field of accountancy and tax. In this way, we can keep general public informed of any important developments and information that they might need to be aware of. In addition, sometimes the readers might need further explanation or advice on specific topics, to which they can easily get answers through this platform. Aside from this, blogging is also a very useful tool for marketing purposes. You can visit our accountancy and taxation blog on our website and on other popular blogging networks.