Social Media is here to stay and that means you cannot NOT ignore social media marketing as part of your overall marketing strategy. Here a few facts on social media:

• There are just over 3 billion active Internet users (45% of the world’s internet users)
• Nearly 2.1 billion people have social media accounts
• 3.65 billion mobile users have access to the internet via smartphones and tablets
• Close to 1.7 billion people have active social media accounts
  (Source: Jeff Bullas, 33 Social Media Facts and Statistics You Should Know in 2015)

Social Media is a GREAT way to drive repeat business and attract new clients!

A “check-in” is defined as a location-based post on a social media site. For example, a Facebook user might post something like this: “Thanks to Awesome Tax Resolution Company, I got through my tax problems! ” They may even add a picture to go with their caption. The cool thing about checking in is that you can encourage clients to promote your business to their friends (often we are talking about hundreds of their friends, around half of them local to your business) by offering them something as simple as a gift certificate or coupon for their next visit or purchase if they “check-in” while they are with you. This is going to do some awesome things for you. Here are 3 reasons to use social media to drive repeat business and attract new clients:

1. Exposure – If nothing else, the name recognition this will provide is awesome on its own.

2. Repeat clients – If you are offering a gift certificate or coupon for their next visit or purchase, then you are looking at the customer coming back to your office. Bonus: If you throw in an expiration date that is sooner than they would normally come back, they are back in sooner and you are making more money!

3. Referrals – Your customer’s friends trust the guy that their friend goes to more than someone they found on Google, so seeing who your client goes to is going to help them a ton. For example, let’s say you are an awesome CPA, attorney, or an enrolled agent. You have a bucket-load of clients, but would love to double your clientele. Here is how you might begin: First, create a Facebook page, a Twitter account, get on Instagram — whatever you feel like starting with. When your clients come in, tell them you will give them a free 2015 tax projection checkup* at their next visit with you if they will “check-in” with a picture of themselves while they are at your office. Essentially your customers are promoting you to their friends — for a simple tax projection check-up.

*This is just an idea. You could use a $5 or $10 Starbucks gift card, an entry to a raffle for a spa package, or even $25 or $50 off their 2015 tax preparation fee.