How CPAs can build a powerful social media presence

An increasing number of Canadians are turning to social media for information and advice on budgeting, accounting and investing. According to a 2023 report by the Investment Funds Institute of Canada, this accounts for 53 per cent of people aged 18 to 24 and 40 per cent of people aged 25 to 44.

It’s no surprise, then, that a growing number of CPAs are eager to establish a social media presence to share their knowledge. But where do you start? We asked three CPAs with an established social media presence to share their insights.

STAY TARGETED AND CONSISTENT

CPA Ryan Lazanis, founder of Future Firm, advises CPAs not to spread themselves too thin and to stick to one social network.

“Choose the one you’re most comfortable with and that gives you the best chance of reaching your target audience,” he suggests. “Learn how it works, how its algorithms work and what users prefer so you can get the most out of it.”

Lazanis ran his own online accounting agency for over six years before starting Future Firm, which provides coaching and advice to accounting firm leaders on a range of topics including marketing, pricing, recruitment, technology and management. Over the years, he has refined his marketing strategy, which includes a podcast and blog, to focus on LinkedIn with a primary goal.

“I share a lot of valuable content on LinkedIn to build trust and grow my audience, and my goal is to get some of them to sign up for my newsletter,” says Lazanis, who has 15,000 followers on the platform. “Those who do subscribe will receive occasional marketing emails aimed at turning them into clients.”

Another key tactic for success is consistency, according to the CPA. For example, his LinkedIn articles are always posted at 11:30 a.m. and the newsletter, which now has around 10,000 subscribers, has been sent out every Tuesday at 7:40 a.m. for the last six years.

FIND THE KNOWLEDGE GAP

A recent Forbes survey revealed that YouTube, Reddit and TikTok are the three most popular platforms for those seeking financial advice.

In February 2021, when CPA Myriam-Karina Gad, co-founder and partner at SaGa Consulting Co., wanted to share advice online, she turned to TikTok. The idea came to her during the pandemic, when many of her friends and acquaintances were asking her questions about budgeting and personal finance.

“On TikTok, a lot of popular influencers advise people to live extremely frugally in order to achieve financial freedom in their thirties or forties,” explains Gad, whose TikTok handle is @mimismoneymoves. “I see things differently and I wanted to share my point of view.” She believes in moderation in all aspects of life, including finances. That means having a budget and saving for the future, but also enjoying the present.

The CPA uses her TikTok account, with just over 12,000 followers, to share educational advice, often illustrated by personal anecdotes. “The videos where I talked about my life and my personal financial choices were often the most watched, so I started making more of those,” she explains. Her story about how she and her husband managed their finances before they got married was one of the most commented on.

This openness, however, comes with a darker side. Gad confides that some users are quick to judge and criticize her, often mocking her personal choices. However, she doesn’t regret the experience.

“TikTok is where I met one of the first clients of my new business and it was largely him who encouraged me to start a business in the first place,” she says.

CREATE VALUE

Instagram was the platform of choice for CPAs Martina Morton and her colleague Ashli Phippen, who founded Grow CPA. “We’re a digital firm, we don’t have a storefront, so social media helps us reach potential clients,” explains Morton.

Morton advises CPAs to think about the value they can bring to their followers. She and Pippen post videos that aim to educate users, but also encourage them to take a greater interest in bookkeeping, finance and compliance issues.

Their Instagram presence has earned them invitations to give workshops and speak at conferences in various communities. It also opened up additional revenue streams for the two CPAs, who monetize their page by linking to budgeting tools that users can buy and download.

They do not, however, share any content about their personal lives. “We’ve chosen to preserve our family life, so we only post professional content,” Morton explains. She advises CPAs who are considering using social media not to feel obliged to talk about their personal lives if it makes them uncomfortable.

At the outset, Morton says not to expect too much in the way of results and stresses the need for perseverance and consistency—a keyword for all three CPAs.

“Consistency is key to getting the most out of your social media presence and building success,” concludes Morton. “You have to put in the time, but it’s worth it because social media can generate a lot of good opportunities.”

MORE ON CPAS AND SOCIAL MEDIA

Find out more about the ways CPAs share their knowledge on social media. Also, learn how to maximize the benefits and minimize the risks of social media and how to secure your brand and reputation on these platforms.

Photo caption: Consistency is key to getting the most out of your social media presence and building success (Getty Images)