SURVEY RESULTS: CPAs Join the Online Social Networking Party

Roughly three in five CPAs are using LinkedIn regularly to advance their firms and their careers.

Here are some early results from our latest survey into how CPAs use online social networking and internet media:

Results are still coming in so check back often for updates.

Early results show that CPAs shop regularly and attend webinars. But ask them what they enjoy doing online, or where they “hang out,” and you get a different picture…

This one…

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Posted at February 23, 2009
Filed Under BSG [CPA TRENDLINES] | 9 Comments

Comments

9 Responses to “SURVEY RESULTS: CPAs Join the Online Social Networking Party”

  1. Steve Trojan on February 23rd, 2009 5:06 pm

    Interesting data, but no way the social media numbers are that high. Many don’t even have a website, I know very few that blog and most have never heard of Twitter or LinkedIn. I imagine the numbers are skewed because it is an online poll. But interesting nonethless. Keep up the good work.

  2. Jeff Moore on February 23rd, 2009 6:49 pm

    Rick…Very interesting survey idea! As Steve Trojan commented, I too would think the results must be skewed greatly since I suppose only web-oriented CPAs participated in the survey. My observations tell me that less than 10% or so of all CPAs are active bloggers or twitterers. This is especially true for those over 35 years old. In my opinion, those not using these and other powerful tools are missing out on a lot of business development potential. I’m still experimenting with my online activity, all the while closely observing how other professionals and companies are taking advantage of the easy-to-use and free technology.

    Keep up the great job with your reporting on the world of accounting and auditing!

    Jeff

  3. gil ostrick on February 23rd, 2009 8:27 pm

    How effective is search engine optimization

  4. Rick Telberg on February 24th, 2009 11:26 am

    Thanks for the comments! That’s what makes this kind of research so much more useful.

    To be sure, let’s put the data in context:
    – It’s an online survey,
    – with invitations delivered by email
    – to CPAs
    – who are active members of the CPA professional community
    – with time and interest during busy season to take a survey
    – for free.

    But take a look at the “online shopping” stats, and that might give us some bearings on the rest of the answers. Only 80% of these people do it regularly, which is about in line with other studies of other demographically comparable populations. So, in general, it’s a pretty good indicator. But just that — just an indicator.

  5. Jennifer H Stokes on May 26th, 2009 3:06 pm

    The internet is an opportunity to network and increase income. I published my website in January and have had over 8,000 hits and the income has exceeded my expenses with no marketing campaign.

  6. Robert Fligel on May 27th, 2009 5:46 am

    Great survey and interesting results. I am not surprised about the linkedin data as I have seen a significant increase in activity on that website in the last six months. One of the real challenges there is how to make it work for your business, job hunting or other. I have had some interesting personal and business success stories and am still working on how to use it most effectively. I welcome conversation with any CPAs who want to compare note or speak further about linkedin.

    Robert Fligel
    rfligel@rf-resources.com or 212 490 9700

  7. Robert Fligel on May 27th, 2009 5:49 am

    Great survey and interesting results. I am not surprised about the linkedin data as I have seen a significant increase in activity on that website in the last six months. One of the real challenges there is how to make it work for your business, job hunting or other. I have had some interesting personal and business success stories and am still working on how to use it most effectively. I welcome conversation with any CPAs who want to compare notes or speak further about linkedin.

    Robert Fligel
    rfligel@rf-resources.com or 212 490 9700

  8. Arthur Arsenault on May 27th, 2009 9:07 am

    I personally feel that using Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter is a real good way to have a presence on the internet and be in touch with clients, referral sources, and friends and family. Our firm has group pages on Facebook and LinkedIn. If potential clients are searching for you and your firm online, it’s a good way for people to get to know who you are and what you are involved in. Having FB and LinkedIn, in addition to our website, certainly allows for people to find me and our firm on the internet. Posting articles, webinars, events, etc. are easily managed on Facebook and LinkedIn. LinkedIn is great because an email is automatically sent periodically to notify your contacts of changes in your profile. So, periodic and consistent updates is key to any use of these vehicles for marketing. We are in the process of utitlizing Twitter as part of our overall marketing strategy.

  9. Brian Swanson on June 8th, 2009 4:51 pm

    What is interesting is that some of the responses above don’t think CPA’s blog or twitter but if you look at the numbers a high majority of people are attending webinars for professional development or CPE purposes. I am guessing that number is low in comparision to the aggregrate number of CPA’s in the United States.

    The reason more CPA’s are not blogging or moving to online media outlets is because they don’t understand the value it can bring to their business. This may be because of fear of technology or maybe because they don’t have the marketing mindset.

    I bet in 2 years these numbers will be wildly diffferent.

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