Cathy Iconis is a QuickBooks Online Expert and the founder of #QBOChat on Twitter. On an OWN IT Live Chat, she discussed how to get started as an Accountant on Twitter and presented tips and tricks for using Twitter to support your brand and grow your firm. These slides summarize some of the main ideas Cathy presented. You can read the full Live Chat Recap at this link. https://www.ownit.com/communities/ownit/posts/735930

1. Live Chat Recap:
Building Your Firm of the
Future on Twitter
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2. Live Chat Recap: Building Your Firm of the
Future on Twitter
Cathy Iconis is a QuickBooks
Online Expert and the founder
of #QBOChat on Twitter. On an
O W N I T L i v e C h a t , s h e
discussed how to get started as
an Accountant on Twitter and
presented tips and tricks for
using Twitter to support your
brand and grow your firm.

3. Live Chat Recap: Building Your Firm of the
Future on Twitter
These slides summarize
some of the main ideas
Cathy presented. You can
read the full Live Chat
Recap at this link.
h t t p s : / / w w w . o w n i t . c o m /
communities/ownit/posts/
735930

4. In advertising on mass media, the
information only moves in one
direction, from you to the audience.
In social media, like Twitter, the
information moves in all directions.
Twitter is a Conversation

5. It’s not about broadcasting
your message, it’s about
having conversations and
creating relationships.
Twitter is a Conversation

6. Cathy says: “The majority of
my clients for the first year or
two of my business came from
my efforts on twitter.”
Twitter is a Conversation

7. “It was the conversations that I had
with people and the relationships I
built one-by-one. They just came to
understand my personality and liked
what they saw, so they would reach
out if they needed accounting help. “
Twitter is a Conversation

8. When you meet people in person, you want
to find something in common with them
and make a connection with them. Most of
the time, it is a personal connection and
not about debits and credits.
Think of Twitter as a virtual networking event.

9. You can also grow your brand awareness
by sharing your knowledge on twitter for
people to see. This can definitely allow you
to differentiate your firm from others and
be known as an "Influencer" in your field.
Think of Twitter as a virtual networking event.

10. “If your firm is using Twitter, you can
share more about the firm's culture,
position yourself as an expert in your
field, and just have fun with
conversations with people.”
Think of Twitter as a virtual networking event.

11. “It shouldn't be a ton of pressure. “

12. “Don't be the person trying to hand
out as many business cards as
possible. Try talking to people, first.
You really don't have an audience until
you listen first.”

13. Your Twitter Profile

14. Being very clear and concise
about who you are and what you
do is important so that others can
quickly pick up that information.
Your Twitter Profile

15. You also want to have a good
photo of yourself so that people
feel like they are really talking to
a person and not a logo or icon.
Your Twitter Profile

16. “My twitter profile had my website, which is
key. It also tells people what I do. I learned
quickly that it is important to explain clearly
what you do, because I got a ton of people
asking me to do their tax returns but I don't
do taxes!“
Your Twitter Profile

17. Retweets and Mentions
“When you highlight what
other people are saying by
retweeting them or mentioning
them, it helps build that
relationship with them.”

18. Hashtags
Hashtags are a great way to search on
Twitter. You can search for different
industries or what people are saying.
Cathy says “Sometimes, I simply search for
QuickBooks and see if I can help anyone
out.“

19. Be a Person, Not a Program.
It’s fine to schedule some
content tweets - links to
articles or information of
interest.

20. Be a Person, Not a Program.
But don’t use autoresponders
or other such technology.
Cathy also doesn’t recommend
outsourcing. “It really needs to
be your own voice.“

21. Be a Person, Not a Program.
“All of my engagements are me. You
can always look at someone's feed to
see how often they engage with
people and how often they are just
tweeting their own content.”

22. Be a Person, Not a Program.
“Start with reading your twitter feed
and what other people are saying.
Then you can comment on their stuff
and it'll turn personal in no time.“

23. “Twitter shouldn't be about the
numbers, but more about the
engagement you have with people.
Try to engage in a way that is
memorable to other people.”
Be a Person, Not a Program.

24. A great way to find new followers is to start
following the people that your friends on
Twitter are following.
If you look at someone's profile, you can
click to see who they are following and just
search through there.
Finding Followers

25. If people aren't following you,
then change what you are
talking about.
Finding Followers

26. 1. Be your true, authentic self.
Four Top Tips

27. 1. Be your true, authentic self.
2. Read your twitter feed and engage with people.
Four Top Tips

28. 1. Be your true, authentic self.
2. Read your twitter feed and engage with people.
3. Balance your types of tweets and keep the sales
type ones to a minimum.
Four Top Tips

29. 1. Be your true, authentic self.
2. Read your twitter feed and engage with people.
3. Balance your types of tweets and keep the sales
type ones to a minimum.
4. Take a look at your own activity and see if
people are engaging with you. If they aren't,
consider a different approach.
Four Top Tips

30. Twitter 101
Read the entire chat
transcript, plus download
Cathy’s Twitter 101
guidelines at this link.
https://www.ownit.com/
communities/ownit/posts/
735930

31. FIND MORE INFORMATION on OWN IT
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including additional information and links.
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• Join the Network Dedicated to Small
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