Sixty-five percent of the largest global companies have Twitter accounts, 54 percent have Facebook pages and 50 percent have YouTube video channels. More and more finance professionals are finding social media useful too.

LinkedIn is generally regarded as the top social media tool for business people. Use LinkedIn to keep an updated network of past, present and potential co-workers. LinkedIn allows professionals to stay connected with former colleagues and identify potential future opportunities.

Twitter, a “micro-blogging” tool that sends out short messages that often link back to your website or blog, is used for everything from research to business development to customer service. And, while you might think of Facebook as the exclusive domain of teenagers and young adults, is increasingly being used to market B2B services.

Based on the popularity of LinkedIn, you probably already have an account there. If you are considering dipping a toe a little deeper into the social media waters, Twitter is a great place to go next. (In fact, it is easy to link LinkedIn and Twitter and have your LinkedIn statuses appear as “tweets” and vice-versa.)

Tweeting tips:

1. Engage - use Twitter to interact with those who seek out your services. Use Twitter or LinkedIn as an avenue to ask questions about how you can tailor your services to best fit potential clients or employers.
2. Follow people who are relevant to your industry. The impression many people have is that CFOs and other finance professionals can be difficult to locate on Twitter, but you can use tools like http://wefollow.com to find professionals who are discussing things relevant to your industry or vertical market. For great finance-oriented tweets, follow our lists of great tweeters here: http://twitter.com/MassFinance/finance-professionals
3. Search #CPA or #CFO to find information relating to the financial field, and stories from CPAs and CFOs all over the globe.
4. Answer @mentions (message from other people on twitter that include your user name) Job-seekers, advice-seekers and potential clients all reach out to you via Twitter. Set your email preferences so you are notified when someone is talking to you so you can reply in a timely fashion.
5. Use location to your advantage - connecting with people in your area using http://nearbytweets.com can give you a better idea of the needs of your neighbors.
6. Use the “retweet” function. Retweeting lets those that you follow know that you find value in their content and are interested in sharing it with your followers. By retweeting, you are extending the conversation and becoming a facilitator for others’ ideas.

Other social media tools:

1. Finance professionals have their own social networks. Make use of the social media features on http://www.thefeng.org/ and http://www.proformative.com/
2. Search for your name and your company's name on all the social networks. Set up Google Alerts to email you when new comments appear online. People could be leaving feedback about your or your brand anywhere on the web. It is a good idea to address any problems, develop a new relationship or respond to questions quickly.
3. Keep up with one or two blogs related to your industry. There are countless professionals who are sharing best practices and tips about getting hired, finding clients and developing a personal brand and career. Engaging with these bloggers can open up entirely new networks for you.

Originally published byAccounting Management Solutions, Inc.