If there’s one thing that popular posts have in common, it’s personality. Whether it’s a viral tweet or Facebook article, people are likeliershare the post if it’s brimming with humor and sarcasm. One look at Inc.com’s Four Brands that Are Killing It on Twitter would tell you that users respond better to entertaining language and the tactful use of memes.
The problem, however, is that many companies don’t share the brand personalities of these four Twitter giants. These food companies have the freedom to be as whimsical or sarcastic as they want. After all, having fun is part of the dining experience. In a fastfood restaurant, jokes and memes are meant to be shared.
In contrast, many other industries have cultivated a somber personality that keepsthem from responding cheekily to users. Having fun isn’t part of the experience of, say, procuring steel racks for a warehouse. There’s hardly room to share jokes and memes in a chemical laboratory.
If taking advantage of the digital age means also maintaining a social media presence, then howcan “serious” businesseslike accounting firms create successful social media strategies without losing sight of their personality?
The Case for Dignified Brand Personalities
A successful social media account for accounting firms is more than a possibility. CPAs are well-placed to take the social world by storm, even if they have a reserved, serious brand image.
We dissect this case into three segments.
Case 1: Your Customers Are on Social; So Should You
The first thing you have to consider when deciding on a social media account is, are my customers there? This step has nothing to do with your personality—here, you determine whether there’s a need for you to dive into social media at all.
In the case of CPAs and accounting firms, the answer is probably “yes.”Here are a few numbers to prove it:
- The Pew Research Center reports that in 2019, about 72% of Americans use some type of social media.
- As of early February 2019, 82% of Americans in the 30-49 age group uses at least one social media site.
- About 69% of those in the 50-64 age group do, too.
Your self-employed customers, as well as the decision-makers in the independent businesses you target, are on social media; there are people who would interact with your brand and respond to your posts. Accounting firms, therefore, have a strong impetus to join the digital whirl.
Case 2: You Can Use a Serious Personality to Your Advantage
Remember that you’ve crafted a brand image in response to your audience’s needs. Therefore, you don’t have to change your brand personality just so you could fit in with popular brand social media accounts. Your primary goal is to serve your audience; if a serious personality is what connects you with your target demographic, then you should stick with it.
Moreover, you can use the serious personality of your accounting firmto your advantage.Here are a few social media ideas:
- Establish
Niche Specialties – With a somber personality,
it’s easier to introduce the fields that you focus on, liketaxation, financial
accounting, or managerial accounting. No dilly-dallying; your audience barely
has the time for ambiguous information.
- Reinforce Thought Leadership– When people take you seriously, it’s easier to cement your place as an industry leader. Serious social media accounts build trust and compel people to acknowledge your expertise.
- Attract Capable Talents– You would want to acquire talents who align with the values of your company — professionals that take their work seriously. A dignified social presence attracts people with ambition and drive.
Case 3: It Takes More than Brand Personality to Succeed
While a vibrant personality increases the chances of virality, it’s not the only thing needed for a successful social media account. Your accounting company should also pay attention to:
- A Comprehensive Content Bank–
Content is king, even in social media. Even if your personality isn’t vibrant, a
combination of engaging
articles and sleek graphics would more than make
up for a solemn image.
- Social Media Schedule– Regular posts are one of the pillars of social media success. People won’t follow your brand if they discover that your last post is three months old.
- Time for Engagement– A whimsical personality is nothing if there’s no audience to interact withit. So, make sure you post at a time when your audience is online.
Make Social Media Work for You, Regardless of Brand Persona
Now that we’ve established that even serious personas can succeed on social media, let’s explore tips to help accounting firmsmake the most of their dignified brand image.
Leverage Interactive Content
People expect uninteresting content from financial companies because that has been the standard practice since accounting firms took to social media. It falls on you, therefore, to break themold and offer something different.
Instead of the usual financial report article, try:
- Twitter polls
- Instagram Q&A stories
- Links to online quizzes
Demystify IndustryJargon
Financial lingo can alienate your followers, especially if they’re not well-versed in accounting. While jargon certainly fit your serious image, it can hurt engagement. People prefer brands that they can understand, after all.
So, as much as possible, drop the jargon, and convert the lingo into layman’s terms. This way, you can offer value—you provide financial information in a language your target audience understands.
Tell Stories,Not Numbers
Accounting firms give off a corporate feel: their social media posts often contain figures — rates, dollars, sales, and everything in between. It’s not bad, but it makes them seem less appealing.
They may be the type of information your audience is looking for, but injecting humanizing elements to them only serve to make it better. Even if you market to companies, you’re still an attractive prospectto decision-makers whowant to form human connections.
To break the monotony of taxes and exchange rates, post about the humanside of your business:
- Narrate the success story of one of your customers
- Show a day in the life of an accountant in your firm
- Share insights on financial success from your executives
Respond to Your Audience
When you follow these guidelines, people are bound to respond to your content — and you shouldn’t ignore them. Part of a serious brand image is taking commendations and criticisms seriously.
When a customer publicly thanks you for your service, you should also publicly thank them for their support. If you receive a negative comment, respond quickly. Apologize for the inconvenience, assure them that you’re resolving the problem, and ask if you can take the discussion in a different and more secure channel.
With the right social media strategy, you can leverage your serious brand personality to your advantage. Scaling You will be your partner in achieving this goal. Having worked with countless accounting firms and CPAs, we know how to do social mediafor an accounting firm with a dignified persona.
We’ll share our best-kept social media marketing secrets with you. Get in touch today.