As you are reading this it’s a reasonably safe gamble that you’re already at least a fairly savvy marketer. I’m going to assume that you already realize the value of CPA sites and the web when it comes to marketing your practice and you’re most likely at least thinking about the advantages of Facebook and Twitter to market your business. Here are a few selected pointers that could help you make the determination about what aspects you should place your focus on. There is a stigma attached to these sites.

It’s true that most people look at social networking sites as frivolous, but this isn’t necessarily the case all across the board, and it isn’t an entirely bad thing. While there are already social “business” networks, like LinkedIn, dedicated to building resume details and professional networks, the others on the more “social” end can still work for you. A lot of important deals get closed on the golf course, yes?

Social sites have a significant advantage: sheer numbers. As of 2010, Facebook has over 500 million members and Twitter, around 190 million—compared to LinkedIn’s 80 million (no small number, mind you!).

The numbers are also telling. Contrary to popular belief Facebook and Twitter are not dominated by teenagers. The 12-17 demographic only makes up about 11% of Twitter’s market. If Quancast’s estimates are correct more than 35% of their users are 35 or over. For the professional side of things, this is a good sign.

For the accounting industry I think it’s better to go with Facebook than twitter. Yes, Twitter may have a larger percentage of people who use the service for business, but out of the 5.9% of the user base that uses it for self-promotion, an even smaller percentage of that is effective. Facebook is better at targeting people’s interests, or “likes”. These can be used to target your efforts on users that are likely to respond.

Both services offer tools that will help you promote your business.

Twitter uses hashtags. It also has desktop and smart-phone apps like TweetDeck that allow you to identify and connect with others with similar interests. To see how hastags work just do a twitter search for #CPA to tune into the conversation that CPAs are having. On Facebook, you can search groups to find some that suit your needs. You’ll find tons of diverse groups with highly specialized interests. There are groups dedicated to start-up businesses, entrepreneurs, and just about every specific industry. You may also find some useful advice for running your business in groups dedicated to accounting. There’s health care for accountants, support groups, and firms that are shifting their business model to cloud computing.

These are just some of the ways that these social networks can help you elevate your firm. Just jump in. You likely already have all the skills you need. The nature of networking hasn’t changed, just the medium. The opportunities for finding new prospects and profits are endless!