Beyond the EDGE: Twitter Enhances CPA Conference Experience

Last week, I attended the AICPA E.D.G.E. conference in Orlando, Fla., and was excited to see some conference attendees all-a-flutter over Twitter. In fact, several speakers and attendees were chatting and getting to know each other on Twitter before the conference even started.

When I arrived in the exhibit hall, the first person I met, one of the conference speakers, said, “Hey. I recognize you from Twitter. It’s so nice to meet you in person.”  Next, I met an exhibitor who said the same thing; he had immediately recognized me from my profile picture. Since I had already had interactions with both of them online, we had an immediate rapport when meeting offline. Strengthening online relationships by connecting in person is just one of many ways using Twitter can enhance a conference experience.

Going on Vacation? Your Social Media Activity Doesn’t Have To

Keep your social media channels afloat; schedule content while you are away from the office.

You’ve set your out-of-office message, changed your voicemail greeting and, in your mind, you may already be on the beach listening to waves crash against the sand. Back to reality…there’s one more thing to take care of before you go!

Continuing your activity will help you stay engaged with those fans and followers while you are away.

CPAs: Changes to Facebook Pages on March 30

Many of you have seen the update to the new Facebook Timeline format on your personal profile. Now, Facebook is rolling out those changes to business pages, as well. The updates take effect on March 30, so the time to start planning is now! Here are some ways the new layout will impact your business’s Facebook Page.

Use Video to Showcase Your Firm’s Personality

Lights. Camera. Snooze.

Video is a great medium for firms to educate and inform staff, clients and potential employees. But sometimes the content can be a little mundane. Why not take those formal interviews and how-to series to the next level?

Pull back the curtain and let people know what you are really like. 

Put a face to your firm. What are your employees passionate about? Is volunteerism important to you? Showcase your staff or fellow CPAs giving back to the community, like the Virginia Society of CPAs and the Illinois CPA Society did in their CPA Day of Service videos.

 

Blogging: How to Conquer Writer’s Block

Or is it "blogger’s block?" Hmm…I digress.

Has this happened to you?
As I sat at my computer pondering a topic for my blog post, my mind was both blank and full at the same time. There are so many topics to choose from, how can I narrow it down to just one? That’s when it hit me like a bolt of lightning…how about a post about writer’s block? Funny how that works.

I hear it often from AICPA members…they know that blogging is a valuable resource, but they aren’t sure where to start. “What do I write about?” “How will I come up with enough content to write a blog consistently?” Here are a few ideas to help you keep the ideas flowing:

Scan your inbox. Chances are people come to you for answers to questions. Scan your inbox and see if there are any common questions you could answer in a blog post.

Read, read, read. Books, news, Tweets, other blogs and trade publications can be a great source for blog post topics. Share an article and give your impression of what you read (be sure to link back and cite the original source).

HOTI: Carrier IQ; 12 Days of Christmas Gets Expensive

We asked our bloggers to tell us what they found interesting on the Internet this week. What would you add to this list?

Heidi Brundage, CPA - I found the Gen X & Gen Y Insurance Resource Center to be fascinating! Long-term disability has always been such a mystery to me because I’d never imagine myself becoming disabled. This website breaks down the issues, questions and solutions into organized and understandable chunks and they relate directly to me! I’m really impressed (and enlightened).

Jina Etienne, CPA - I re-tweeted this post from the Colorado Society of CPAs, it generated a lot of interest and comments. “So... what's so great about being a CPA? 5 reasons here.” I even got a response from a former client whom I had recommended get her CPA. She’s finishing up school now and will take the CPA Exam next winter!

Social Media and Job Seekers

Dear Smarty Pants, Braggarts and Potty-Mouths… A word to the wise: you never know who is listening.

I am often taken aback by the things I see people posting on social media. I understand the need to vent or an attempt to be funny, but what you put out there in the public domain could be costing you your career. In a recent survey, 95% of employers said they use social media to screen potential employees. Yes, 95%! Yikes. From inappropriate photos and comments about previous employers to proof an applicant was less than truthful about qualifications… employers are getting an eye full!

Groupon's IPO; Siri Talks Back; Facebook vs LinkedIn

We asked our bloggers to tell us what they found interesting on the Internet this week. What would you add to this list?

Heidi Brundage, CPA, SPHR - I had the pleasure of opening the North Carolina Association of CPAs first ever Professional Women’s Conference on Wednesday. More than 200 women were in attendance; it was a day of awareness, networking and encouragement! This post from the Harvard Business Review reminds me that we have so much work to do to bring awareness to the lack of advancement of female CPAs.

Stacie Saunders - On Thursday, Facebook announced it has teamed up with the U.S. Department of Labor and three employment-related agencies in an attempt to decrease the country’s unemployment rate using social media — a project that may eventually include a Facebook jobs posting system. What does this mean for LinkedIn? We will have to wait and see!

James Schiavone - The iPhone 4S wasn't the announcement many Apple fans were expecting, but it did come with one surprise, Siri. The personal assistant, called Siri, makes life easier with reduced typing and heightened potential for your most meaningful exchange of the day to be with your iPhone. I thought I was all cutting edge using my Android to talk-to-text, but apparently I can be edgier and get useful answers to real life questions spoken back to me. Siri is still in beta and promises to become even more advanced in future versions, but folks are having a lot of fun testing it out.

Gregory J. Wright, MBA - Groupon finally filed for its IPO this morning, but is only seeking a valuation of $11.4 billion, less than half the $25 billion it sought earlier this year before their accounting was called into question.

 

CPA Day of Service, Estate Tax, Debit Card Fees

We asked our bloggers to tell us what they found interesting on the Internet this week. What would you add to this list?

Stacie Saunders - The Virginia State Society of CPAs shared this video on the AICPA Facebook page. It highlights how some of their members contributed to the 2011 CPA Day of Service. Great work!

Eileen Reichenberg Sherr, CPA, MST - The IRS announced in IR- 2011-97 that estates of people who died in 2011 need to file estate tax returns to benefit from the new portability rules even if they do not otherwise need to file an estate tax return. Since the estate tax return is due nine months after death, it could be due as early as Oct. 3, but a six month extension can be filed to give the estate more time to consider this option.

Gregory J. Wright, MBA - In a move that surprised many, Bank of America stated it was going to roll out a debit card fee plan that would charge customers $5 per month if they wished to pay for purchases using their debit card. After criticism from the public, Bank of America went on the defensive, stating “…we lost lots of revenues and these fees only partially make them up.” Bank of America lost $2.2 billion in 2010 and recently posted an $8.8 billion loss for Q2 2011.

We’d be remiss this week if we did not mention the passing of Steve Jobs as the biggest news item of the week. His innovation and leadership changed the face of technology as we know it. We leave you with this quote, which we feel summarizes his legacy well. This is from his commencement speech at Stanford University, June 2005.

"[Y]ou can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something -- your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."

 

Social Media and Financial Planners, Emoticons Age

We asked our bloggers to tell us what they found interesting on the Internet this week. What would you add to this list?

 

Jonathan B. Cox - This Wall Street Journal story is about how financial planners are harnessing the power of social media. Financial planners are using social media to deepen relationships with existing clients and find new ones. There are lots of creative, real-life examples of how social media is paying off.

 

 

 

Stacie Saunders - Monday was the 29th birthday of the emoticon. This is an interesting look  back  at how we began to inject emotion into our online communications. Honestly, I was surprised the colon-hyphen-parenthesis :-) was introduced as far back as 1982…and even more surprised that the concept can be dated back to 1881! This fun, short read will help you turn that Friday :-( upside down!

 

 

James Schiavone – Towson University returned football tickets allotted by the  University of  Maryland for their matchup on Oct. 1 and instead told their fans to buy tickets on StubHub. Due to  a large concentration of available tickets for the game, tickets were selling for as little as $4 (face value is $38). This is a great example of how secondary markets and daily deal sites are becoming more popular and allowing one to determine their own “fair value” for a product. I’m less likely to pay $50 for food if I can get the same $50 of food for $25 through a secondary market.

 

Gregory J. Wright – Netflix announced it will spin off its DVD rental service to a new company  called Qwikster in the 10th paragraph of their CEO’s blog post, after customer outrage in July over price increases. Their stock immediately took a tumble and is 42% lower than it was in July.

CPAs: Showcase your Volunteerism with LinkedIn

CPAs are passionate about giving back and lending their expertise through volunteer work. But how many of your peers, coworkers or clients know about your volunteerism or the causes you support? There was no area to feature these accomplishments on LinkedIn…until now!

Highlight your Passions

In early September, LinkedIn launched a new feature allowing users to add volunteer positions, causes they care about and organizations they support. It’s simple to use. Here’s how:

LinkedIn Backs off Social Ads and Improves Mobile App

Thrust into the spotlight

Until recently, LinkedIn has managed to stay out of the spotlight when it comes to privacy. In June, however, LinkedIn decided to opt in millions of users to a privacy setting, allowing their names and pictures to be used in social advertisements. Social advertisements often include names and/or pictures of people you are connected to who recommend the product or service.  It went relatively unnoticed for weeks…and then the firestorm. In early August, the blogosphere and news websites lit up with the information. LinkedIn users were not happy.

QR Codes 101

QR codes, or quick response codes, are popping up everywhere. You may have seen them at conferences, in catalogs, on billboards and even in the Journal of Accountancy. What are they and how can you take advantage of this growing trend?

Let’s start with the basics.

A QR code is a two-dimensional code that can be read with an application on your mobile device. They are used to drive users to digital information, such as websites, Facebook pages or registration links. It is as simple as a click of a button!

If I see a QR code, what do I do with it?