Early results from a new survey into how CPAs spend their time online, shows that they 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:
This wordle.net pictograph is drawn from the verbatim responses of 137 CPAs on Feb. 19 and 20, 2009.
To get the updates and complete results, join the CPA Trendlines survey panel here.
Meanwhile, leave a comment here: Where do you like to hang out online and what do you do there?
(CPA Trendlines research by Bay Street Group LLC. Data copyright 2009 AICPA.)
10 Responses to “SURVEY RESULTS: CPAs love Facebook, friends, news, Twitter and LinkedIn”
Yoursmallbizexpert
I personally like Facebook, but I hang out most at Yoursmallbizexpert.bloggerspot.com and Gosmallbiz.com
Marti Knox
I tend to use the IRS web site, the Florida statutes and information web site and general searches. I will not do Face Book or any of those other types of web sites as it leaves me vunerable to persons sending worthless email to me. For fun, I visit the World Beagle Forum.
Katrina Geety
I find that blogs on technical issues can be very misleading. On the one and only blog I reviewed (ProSeries) everyone had different interpretations on issues related to the recovery rebate. What’s valid, who can you trust? I don’t want my staff relying on blog information. One blogger had a picture of himself without a shirt on. That’s real professional.
Adrienne
John,
CPATrendlines is a good place to start!
I think there is also an obvious generational difference at work in the industry (not to make assumptions about your age group) – I am in my late 20s and essentially grew up online. So Facebook/Twitter/blogs are just second nature to me.
I find blogs that truly offer value (like Rick’s site here or MACPA’s CPA Success or Skeptical CPA – in the blogroll to the right) and sign up for email delivery so I can check them out via my mobile device while commuting home.
Everyone is different and the great part about social media is that you can personalize it to what works for you. And if none of it works for you, that’s ok too.
Sue
my only comment is: “where do you people find the time?”. I read Rick’s article and took the survey while I ate lunch. Now back to work.
Rick T
John,
Thanks for the comment. If you’re in the tax or accounting business, I hope you can feel at home here at CPA Trendlines.
— rick
John Clark
The comment from Adrienne was interesting. I have been unable to get excited about blogs or Twitter. Most comments aren’t worth the time to read. Maybe I haven’t found the right blog yet.
Reaching Candidates with Social Media « The Staffing Advisor
[…] CPA Trendlines surveyed where CPAs spend time online, Facebook was a huge favorite. CPA adoption of social media is astonishing, and I wonder if it […]
Adrienne
I find Facebook too much of a distraction without enough value added in my professional life. It is a great way to keep in touch – I use it mostly in conjunction with Twitter. Since I follow/am followed by 2200 people, there’s no way to keep up with the conversation. So if there is someone I “met” on Twitter who I really want to pay close attention to because their goals/ideas/industry closely match my own interests/ideas/industry, I usually try to connect with them on Facebook.
But really? It’s not USEFUL to me from a professional standpoint – at least not enough to where I would spend large amounts of time on it all day.
Really interesting results though, Rick. Want to connect on Facebook? Haha I kid.
Dan Danford
I tend to spend time on Facebook, but more and more of my time is being spent on Twitter looking at the real-time conversations folks are having. It gives me good insight into what is happening right now, and it is also fun. I Twitter @family_finances