Contractors guide to Social Media
The Internet revolutionised communication by making ‘electronic mail’ possible as a way of communicating with people. We now take this for granted as both a business and a personal communication tool, and it is now seen as an everyday means of communication.
More recently though, there has been a new communication concept which has changed the world yet again. We’re talking of course about ‘social media’, or social networking as it’s more commonly known. It's fair to say that not everybody has embraced social media, some still feel it is a tool to be used to communicate purely with friends and not as a business tool.
Sites such as LinkedIn, which were set up primarily for business use, can definitely provide a valuable additional communication tool for all types of businesses – but tell someone that you can use social networking sites such as Twitter or Facebook as a means of communicating about business as well, and they will probably look at you as if you’re a little mad!
The reality is though, that business is all about interacting with people – in a way which suits them. If you want to make more people aware of your services or products, you can’t always expect them to seek you out. Instead you have to find them, wherever they are, and if your customers are on social networking sites – well, that’s where you need to be, so that they can find you, even if they didn’t know they were looking for you.
Many business owners either avoid getting involved with sites such as Twitter or Facebook simply because they do not understand them. Others sign up purely thinking it will add credibility to their business without fully knowing how they work and hence have no idea of the full benefits which they can bring. Time to re-think all that.
Social networking now accounts for 11% of all time spent online, with users spending 5.5 hours per month on these types of sites. That’s an increase from just two years ago of 3.2 hours per month and if your nearest competitor is regularly interacting with their customers via Twitter or Facebook to generate a buzz, gain feedback about their service, and promote their service offers then why aren’t you?
To find out more about three of the most common social media sites in use today, read our valuable guides:
Learn just how easy it is to set up an accountant, the benefits, how it will get you more customers and broaden your knowledge of the useful tools available to make you a social networking king or queen.
If you have any questions about contracting or would like any further advice please call our new client services team on 0500 152500 / 01442 275789 or email rachel@sjdaccountancy.com
SJD Accountancy
SJD Accountancy are the UK's largest specialist provider of fixed fee, limited company accountancy services to contractors; we've been acting for contractors across the UK since 1992 and have more than 11,000 clients.
We are the only National specialist firm of accountants with offices in all major UK cities so you’ll never be far from your accountant. SJD also have more qualified staff than any other firm in our market with qualifications from the following major tax and accountancy bodies - ATII, ATT, ACCA, CA, ACA, FCCA, ACMA. You’ll also be pleased to know that we are one of the lowest priced as well.
Free face-to-face meetings. This is another unique service, only SJD offers free face to face meetings - tax is complicated and sometimes only a meeting will do.
Unlimited access to your own dedicated accountant. No call centres, no outsourcing, no automated call handling. Simply telephone, email or meet your own dedicated accountant face to face.
Money back service guarantee. All your telephone calls and emails will be answered the same day or we will refund your monthly fee's.
Outstanding reputation. We have won more awards for customer service and accountancy excellence than any other firm in our market.
All inclusive low cost monthly package which includes completion of accounts, payroll bureau, dividends and corporation tax computations, personal taxation, free bookkeeping software, unlimited access to your accountant and all company returns.
All this for a fixed monthly fee of £110 plus VAT, which is one of the lowest prices in the market. And most importantly, in a recent survey 98% of our clients rated SJD as 'better than other accountants' - we are working hard to convince the other 2%!
If you have any question about contracting or would like any further advice please either contact your SJD Accountant or call our new client services helpdesk on 0500 152500 / 01442 275789 or email rachel@sjdaccountancy.com
Appoint SJD Accountancy and never worry about your tax or accountancy affairs again!
Keep up to date with SJD's tax blog: SJD Accountancy Blog.
You may also find the following pages, guides and case studies useful:
Take home pay calculator - How much could you be taking home.
Contractor FAQ - All your frequently asked questions and their answers.
First time Contracting or Freelancing? - A summary of the alternatives along with pros and cons.
Step-by-step Guide to Contracting - Download a FREE copy of our guide.
Limited or Umbrella? Can't decide? - We help you decide which is best for you.
Guide to Contracting - All the best guides to contracting in one place.
Expenses Guide - Know exactly what you can claim.
Umbrella company guide - Everything you ever wanted to know about umbrella company services.
IR35 Guide - A great plain English guide to IR35.
