A new survey of UK accountants reveals the profession, once thought of as being behind the social media curve, is growing its day-to-day involvement.

The CCH Social Media Survey 2012, which samples the views of almost 1,000 UK accounting practices, found that 75 per cent of respondents are now using social media sites, compared to 69 per cent in the previous survey conducted in 2011. The research was carried out in October 2012 by CCH, a provider of tax and accountancy information, software and services and part of Wolters Kluwer.

A fifth of accountants are now visiting social media sites several times a day (19 per cent in 2011), while 34 per cent are visiting social media sites at least once a day (32 per cent in 2011). Seventy eight per cent currently consider themselves to be social media listeners and 22 per cent now state that they are social media contributors.

CCH UK managing director, Simon Crompton, says: “On the face of it, the freewheeling world of social media and the structured world of accountancy seem poles apart. Yet the world of business has changed beyond recognition even in the last couple of years. From LinkedIn recommendations to customer reviews on Facebook, accounting practices are becoming increasingly social media savvy. Switched on accounting practices are already tracking conversations in LinkedIn groups and other social networking forums. They are responding to requests for tax advice and sharing views and opinions with prospective customers. The practices that engage can win more business as a result.”

LinkedIn is the most popular social media tool, with 72 per cent of respondents stating that they use it within their professional lives (64 per cent in 2011). However, accountants currently see much less value in blogs and Twitter, with only 17 per cent currently using blogs for business purposes, while just 16 per cent use Twitter. The research findings also suggest that accountants are sceptical about some of the newest social media developments, with 43 per cent stating that Google+ is just a passing fad.

Another key finding of the research is that 58 per cent of accountants are now using smartphones to access social media sites and 26 per cent are using tablet devices. However, desktop PCs and laptops are clearly far from redundant, with 91 per cent still using either a desktop PC or laptop for social media access. Crompton says: “The CCH research findings suggest that more firms are now taking advantage of the ‘always on’ nature of social media to engage with clients in new ways. For example, to send a personal message to a client via LinkedIn or Twitter with an embedded link that could prompt a business owner to sign off their quarterly VAT return. For any accountancy firm looking to provide real-time insight into financial performance and offer proactive, relevant advice on international tax issues, cash flow and payment strategies, the real-time collaboration offered by social networking is compelling. Critically, social media provides a chance for accountancy firms to strengthen relationships with customers by offering added value services that will lead to long-term customer loyalty.”

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