When it comes to social media, it's all about domination - at least it is for Andrew Rose of Naden/Lean in Timonium, Md.

As the firm's director of marketing and business development, Rose has a dizzying number of URLs listed after his e-mail signature in an effort to support his overarching goal - to dominate the "organic" searches for his specific keywords on Google. Or, simply put, to have his firm come up first when people search for dental CPAs - as dentists are the niche clientele his firm serves.

"When my social media - Twitter, LinkedIn - come up in the organic [those links that are non-sponsored], it means my competitor has been bumped out of that page," Rose explained. "I saturated that space and all roads lead back to me."

For example, if a dentist clicks on one of Rose's Twitter links, it will capture their attention by leading them to the firm's blog. Once there, a link leads the visitor back to the firm's Web site, with more specific information and a way for that person to make contact.

"We have [gotten] new clients to such a degree that a majority of print ads have stopped running and we have amped up the amount of money we spend on search-engine marketing," he said. "I just launched Facebook ads. We want young, progressive dentists, because that's a 20-year client for us."

Though one would think nearly everyone has jumped on the social media bandwagon by now, it's not necessarily true, according to Kristin Gentry, director of marketing at consultancy The Growth Partnership in St. Louis. "Most haven't yet," she said. "And of those who have, most are probably doing it because they think they have to and don't have any plan or strategy in place - which is necessary for measuring ROI."

Gentry added that most firms use social media primarily for recruiting purposes and aren't sure about how to use it for business development or sales.

CONTENT IS KING

In the world of social media, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn take the top spots in what CPAs are using to network online. Most users say that Twitter is great for getting the latest news, Facebook helps tremendously in recruiting prospective younger staff, and LinkedIn is a more professional way of reconnecting and making new contacts.

Still, though these sites are popular and are drawing results, blogging appears to reign supreme. Those CPAs who have started blogging have already seen the results.

"Blogs are really the Holy Grail of social media," said Michelle Golden, president of Golden Practices in St. Louis who has her own blog, Golden Practices, at http://goldenmarketing.typepad.com/. "They are a place to position your expertise, but they take a commitment and a discipline that is rare in an accounting firm, in terms of starting it. Most accountants want more assurance that something is going to be effective based on the time commitment that it's going to take. They generate the greatest result, but they take the greatest leap of faith to start." 

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