Blog, Blog, Blog
Accountants jump on the blogging bandwagon. But look before you leap.
by Rick Telberg
At Large
Kids do it. Pundits do it. Curmudgeons and goofballs do it. And yes, even accountants do it. They blog.
Blogs are, of course, “Web logs,” the cyberspace equivalent of diaries, except that they aren’t kept under lock and key in boxes under beds. They’re unfurled on Web sites for all to see – all who care to look, anyway. If the term “blog” sounds too radical or off-putting, then just consider blogging a really simple content management system.
They can be used to manage far-flung collaborative work groups or as a platform for entire media strategies. But the objectives behind the blogs we’re talking about today tend to fall into a few, more modest, groups. Some people just like to share their thoughts and feelings. Others gratify their egos. Others want to air political issues. Some like to teach. Some use blogs as marketing devices.
Bloggers of accountancy fall into all these groups, but the last two – teaching and marketing – seem to be the most common.
Check out www.vanilla-accounting.com and click on “Blog.” You’ll find anonymous items that might be interesting to a CPA:
– “Why Do Customers Leave Their Accountants?”
– “Pros and Cons of Online Accounting”
– “Blink Accounting”
– “Comparison of Business Entities: Sole Proprietorship Partnership, Corporation, LLC”
www.mauledagain.blogspot.com isn’t as much fun as “mauled again” might imply, but if you’re the type who needs to know about section 164(b)(5) of the Tax Reform Act 1986 or IRS Form 4868 and its “companion” Form 7004, then Villanova Prof. James Edward Maule’s blog is the place for you.
You don’t have to be a girl to appreciate www.bvgirl.squarespace.com, but it helps if you’re in business valuation. Her postings are newsy items gleaned from the trade press, topics such as “Tax Breaks for Hurricane Victims” and “The High Cost of Bad Prose.” You can leave comments, but so far, apparently, no one has.
In fact, the same can be said for every blog of accountancy we can find. Which brings us to an interesting question: Who’s reading these blogs? Or, to put it another way, why does an accountant blog?
Marketing seems to be the message between the accountant-blogger’s lines. Even when the blog content is ostensibly educational – and that’s usually the case – the ulterior motive is money.
But the blogs of practitioners are a lot more than cyber-infomercials. Jeff Moore’s blog, www.jemoore.typepad.com, has so many mini-lectures posted every few days on everything from SOX to embezzlement that we’re left wondering when this guy takes care of his clients. But that’s his problem, not yours. If you need a little reflection on the profession every week or so, you’ll find something here.
Milt Baker, a CPA out of Westland, Mich., has a nice little blog going at www.cpasense.blogspot.com. It’s aimed at clients and those who are looking for a CPA with, well, some sense. He’s posted not only advice on Michigan filing rules and 2006 inflation adjustments but where on the Web to go if you spot a missing child.
It’s easy to crank up your own blog. In fact, Bay Street Group research indicates that 7% to 10% of accounting firms are planning to launch a blog as part of their marketing strategy in the coming year.
And it’s easy enough to get started. Just go to www.squarespace.com, www.blogger.com, www.typepad.com, or any of a number of others.
But before you get into it, ask yourself a few questions:
– Do you really have something to say?
– Who’s supposed to read it
– Is your messaging relevant to your target market?
– What are clients and prospects supposed to do about it?
– How will you measure the blog’s effectiveness?
– Is it worth it?
– How does it fit with your firm’s culture and brand?
– What controls do you need to avoid running afoul of copyright, Internet and intellectual-property law?
– How does a blog connect and reinforce your other business development efforts?
– Can you keep it up-to-date, manage it, and handle the technological evolutions by yourself?
Sure, getting started looks easy. But it’s a new and rapidly evolving communications technology with opportunities and pitfalls. True professionalism calls for understanding when you need help. Don’t be afraid to ask.
[First published by the AICPA]
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