Social Media Education & Training

Social Media Education & Training

From a “how do we get started” teleconference to private courses and coaching on how to use blogs and social media, Michelle is a must-consult resource for professionals even just thinking about blogging or dipping their toes into other social media tools like LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.

When you hire Golden Practices to advise your firm about How To Blog or become active in the social media space, you get:

  • more than fifteen years of professional firm marketing expertise, especially on the web;
  • the recognized catalyst of CPA blogs to date;
  • the author of Social Media Strategies for Professionals and their Firms (see below); and
  • a teacher who makes the important distinction between mainstream social media use and the unique needs of professional firms who enter the social media space.
“Michelle is, in my opinion, THE electronic diva of professional services. She understands marketing and accounting, and she’s got a better handle on using social and interactive media in the professional services space than any other expert I’ve run across.”
—Debra Helwig, IGAF Worldwide

Michelle Golden’s experience and perspective equips her to relate well to professionals and their marketing teams as she teaches the ins, outs, and best practices of websites and social media tools in practical, useful terms.

She developed a comprehensive Social Media Toolkit, commissioned by the AICPA PCPS to be a new member resource in 2010. And she was sought out by John Wiley & Sons to author a title, specifically for financial and legal professionals, on social media:

Social Media Strategies for Professionals and their Firms: The Guide to Establishing Credibility and Accelerating Relationships hit the shelves in December, 2010 and is available from all major book sellers including Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and Borders.

Social media consultation and training

Michelle is a recognized leader in social media use and strategy offering an unmatched depth of knowledge on how CPAs, lawyers and wealth advisors can most effectively and professionally leverage on-line tools in their business development for both personal and firm branding.

“For fifteen years, Michelle has been leading the charge in the accounting marketing community. With increasing importance being placed on social media (SM) in professional services marketing, she has given numerous presentations and provided countless articles on the value of SM, rules and regulations of SM, and how to implement and incorporate SM in your marketing plan.”
—Stacy Soefer , Marketing & Communications Director, Gainer, Donnelly & Desroches

When she teaches firms about social media, Michelle discusses specific tools (like Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, etc) but far more importantly, she discusses purpose and strategy behind these tools. These tools have shelf-lives. They are not strategies in and of themselves.

What she teaches goes beyond “How to use the tool” to include:

•    What goals can you achieve with today’s available tools?
•    How does that compare with other ways you can achieve these goals?
•    How can new media and traditional marketing approaches be integrated to get the maximum result?

Firms also rely on Michelle for advice on social media and electronic communications policy development tailored to the firm’s unique culture.

Michelle conducts 2-hour onsite training sessions for accountants or lawyers on using LinkedIn effectively in their marketing. She also does 1-hour sessions on Twitter and Facebook. A half-day can cover them all. Call 314-416-1201 today to book yours!

Blogs

Michelle knows blogs. She is the leading catalyst behind blogging in the accounting profession.

“Wow….Everyone was VERY pleased with our conversation this morning and even more motivated about the blogging project. Many thanks for the volume of great info you provided.”
—Phil Sutton, Director of Business Development, Jones & Roth, CPAs & Consultants

Of the first 20 CPA blogs, she built and/or trained the CPAs for 12. Of the now more than 200 CPA blogs, she built or directly influenced about 1/3 of them. And in 2007, she won AAM’s Marketing Achievement Award for niche-development results generated in part through the very first multi-author blog to be authored by a CPA firm.

From a one-hour “how to get started” teleconference to private, in-house half- or full-day training sessions, she is a must-consult resource for professionals even slightly considering blogging.

Some firms prefer to have Michelle work closely with their own programmers to guide blog development and to coach their professionals through their first couple months of blogging.

…Well, what a difference [Michelle’s] course makes. Not only was blogging easier than I could have imagined, the benefits were far greater than I expected….our dental accounting blog [now ranks first] when you Google “Dental CPAs.”… read more
—Andrew Rose, Naden/Lean

On-line marketing purpose

One way or another, to succeed with on-line marketing, you’ve got to demonstrate your expertise—exhibit evidence of your credibility. The same-old, shallow descriptions of services, industries, and college education don’t cut it. Instead, you can compel people to hire you in exciting, new ways.

You can do this with your blog, and through other social media tools.

Benefit from our intimate knowledge of professional firms and appreciation for desired professionalism as firms cautiously or eagerly enter the social media space.

Call today!