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Pandle Insights: Should Accounting Firms Be on Social Media?

27th Apr 2018
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Pandle is cloud bookkeeping software made with real people in mind.

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At some point, every business asks themselves this question. Everyone seems to be on social media and you may be wondering what, if anything, you're missing out on.

Social media has changed the way we communicate and exchange information, for better or worse. For businesses, social media has been a crucial learning curve that they’ve had to adapt to in order to compete in their industry.

It has become standard for businesses to have at least one social media account. Nowadays it’s more unusual to see even the smallest of businesses without a profile online.

Are accounting firms using social media?

A study back in 2014 with the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) was conducted to assess how accounting firms are using social media.

The study found that activity on social media was still relatively low in this industry and that many organisations were not using social media to advertise.

However, the Wolters Kluwer social media survey in 2015 found that things appear to be changing. It found that younger accountants are more likely to use social media, with 100% of the under 30s surveyed using it. The amount of accountants over 60 now using social media has increased from 45% in 2012 to 50% in 2015. This shows that more companies are taking advantage of the opportunities that social media can offer them.

Which social media platforms do accountants use?

You’re best sticking with one or two channels you can commit to rather than all of them. The Wolters Kluwer study found that LinkedIn is the top social media platform for accountants, with 62% of accountants using it as it’s a more professional space.

Twitter was also popular, with many accountants using this platform to humanise their practice with hashtags, social commentary and open conversations. Perhaps most surprising, only 17% of accountants used Facebook for business purposes. Those that did use it took a similar approach to Twitter.

The power of social media

Social media is a great tool for many businesses to build their brand online, interact with clients and draw potential customers in.

It can be a way to channel your brand personality and stand out from the crowd, making you look more human and relatable which helps to develop trust with the client.

If you use your social media profiles to engage with others, share important information and helpful advice, your profile can become a valuable resource that can direct traffic to your website and therefore increase signups.

Social media is also a window into younger generations of business owners. Those not on social media could potentially be missing out on new leads from clients who expect businesses to have quality websites and solid social media presences.

On the other hand, social media is not a magic wand. It can take a lot of time, patience, research and planning to get the most out of it. 

Client communication and customer service

Social media has led the way in changing how businesses communicate with their clients. People expect fast and simple ways to connect.

Businesses are taking these new expectations on board and are seeing the benefits of introducing instant messaging, live chats and video calling as well as being on social media.

Clients, particularly younger ones, like the option of choosing a communication method that suits them best. Many will still prefer phones, while others will prefer instant messaging and social media.

Striving to meet new expectations can only improve your customer service experiences and help you to compete in the modern market.

Messaging Centre

In order to meet changing client expectations, we have taken these trends on board when developing Pandle. We are developing a Messaging Centre within the software that keeps all correspondence in one place.

No more searching for email chains in cluttered folders. You can keep all your client correspondence over bookkeeping issues right in the bookkeeping software itself.

In addition to this, our Pandle Notes feature allows our users to attach notes to transactions and uploads, ready for their accountant to view and vice versa. This helps to make communication fluid and keeps the client and accountant on the same page.

Looking for new bookkeeping software?

At Pandle we’re always looking for ways to use new technology to improve our user experience so that bookkeeping is a breeze.

If you’re looking for bookkeeping software which can meet the modern needs of clients, look no further. We currently offer two options for accounting firms to partner with us.

Our first option allows you to use Pandle as part of your company, helping you to manage the many accounts on your client list with ease.

Our second option goes one step further. Brandle gives you the benefits of using our software but with the added bonus of having all mentions of Pandle replaced with your own company branding.

This is the ideal solution for those who want their own software but don’t have the resources to develop it themselves. Offering what is essentially your own software to clients can become a huge selling point for your services and makes you a big competitor to other firms.

If you would like to know more about our partnering options, you can contact us directly on [email protected].

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