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TaxCoach Briefs: July 29, 2010
Volume 5, Number 29
****Attention All-Stars and Press Club members ****: The next monthly masterminding webinar will be August 10, at 4pm Eastern — mark your calendar now, and watch for agenda details and connection instructions in The Scout. And be sure to reserve your seat for the Reds game luxury suite at the Member Appreciation Days in September, before they're gone! ===================================================== MARKETING LESSONS ON I-75 NORTH Summer just seems to get hotter and hotter around here. I'm hoping that now that Al Gore doesn't have to keep Tipper happy, he can spend more time working on global climate change. So Keith and I are enjoying some lazy summer days. I spent last weekend with my kids in Chicago, hitting all the tourist traps. We loved the Lincoln Park Zoo — especially the air-conditioned animals — and we loved the Navy Pier — especially the air-conditioned parts. Keith is with his family in North Carolina's Outer Banks, where he's taking time to observe the local fauna on the beach. This morning, I headed north on I-75 for lunch with a new Press Club member. I'll call him "Dave," because that's his name, and because we have enough "Dave's" in our roster that I'm not giving too much away. I like getting out of the office, and I don't mind the drive. I actually enjoy looking at the advertising on vehicles and billboards, and I like to critique it in my own mind. Sometimes I see something that's so good . . . or bad . . . that I have to write about it here. Just north of the exit ramp from I-275 to I-75, there's a window distributor that understands the value of advertising in multiple places. So, for example, they advertise on radio during Reds and Bengals broadcasts. They also have a big electric sign on the interstate — and this morning, it said, in big bright scrolling red letters, "Follow Us on Twitter"! Really? Now why the hell would I want to follow a window distributor on Twitter? I know, I know, social networking is all the rage. And we are seeing TaxCoach members succeed with established sites — particularly Facebook and LinkedIn. But Twitter? Seriously? A year ago, there were a million users. Now there are 45 million. At this rate, by the end of next year, everyone on earth will be tweeting, twitting, or twooting, and nobody will have time to get any work done at all. With all that new traffic, it's getting hard to cut through the clutter. I vaguely remember seeing a story on the news reporting that Google has the biggest Twitter feed with 1.2 million "followers" — and when they sent out a recent tweet linking to a press release, barely 100 of them clicked through. That's fewer people than voted against Kim Jong-Il in the last North Korean "election"! I'll confess I've been skeptical about Twitter from the start. I think a decade from now, Twitter will symbolize social networking excess the same way Pets.com symbolizes dot-com excess. (Of course, I could be wrong. If any of you really do know how to make it work — with measurable results — email us at twitter@taxcoachsoftware.com to share it!) I wound up laughing out loud at the window distributor. And hey, I have my own soapbox, so I get to make fun of them. There's a lesson here, of course. (Or at least a rant.) Fads are fun. And marketing can be fun, too. But is a fad like Twitter really worth your limited marketing time, effort, or dollar? Focus your energy on proven strategies for generating referrals, networking with referral sources, and targeted direct mail, print, and broadcast advertising. Set up a facebook fan page or blog, if you can commit the time to creating worthwhile content. Then — and only then, consider twooting your way to fame and fortune. But don't feel left out if you're not playing with the "cool kids" on social networking sites. Those cool kids aren't building businesses as trusted advisors! ===================================================== MEMBER APPRECIATION UPDATE Nearly 70 registrations for the Member Appreciation Event here in Cincinnati on September 30 and October 1. What are you waiting for? Click here to register now! ===================================================== Announcing the AICTC’s first ever Lunch-n-Learn Success Series: “Certified Tax Coach Solutions to Recruiting, Managing, and Retaining Talent” The future of your dream tax business is dependent on your success in attracting, hiring, managing, and retaining top talent. So, CTC members, join us for the most important workshop series you’ll ever experience. Each Thursday in the month of August, enjoy your lunch and join us at 2pm EDT from the comfort of your own desk as we explore:
And now there's even better news. By special arrangement, we're opening the webinar to everyone who reads the Briefs! Click here to register NOW! ===================================================== "Gosh, hard question. I appreciated every moment... both marketing strategies and case studies. Also it was nice to meet my peers. ===================================================== MEMBER CALL-IN WITH ED AND KEITH Record attendance this week! That's in spite of the fact that I couldn't make the call — or more likely, because of it! I hear from Ed and see in the transcript that there was some terrific discussion, especially on how to interpret the TaxCoach plan documents, and deliver the planning to clients. Starting with next week's call we'll be inviting "special guest panelists" from among the TaxCoach membership, so they can provide their perspective from "the trenches." This looks to be a seriously valuable addition to what has already proven to be a very valuable call. If you're looking for clarification on TaxCoach strategies or additional ways to profit from TaxCoach, join us for the next call, on Wednesday August 4, at 1pm Eastern. Enter a question or just listen in on the repartee. Check the "Contact Us" button within TaxCoach for registration instructions. While our elite members (All-Stars, Press Club, and Hall of Fame) can still schedule time directly with Ed as part of their coaching programs, we simply cannot answer marketing and tax-strategy questions via email or unscheduled calls. ===================================================== We can answer questions on using TaxCoach system features anytime. (Save marketing and tax strategy questions for Member Call-Ins.) For best response, email support@taxcoachsoftware.com. Regards, Ed LyonKeith VandeStadt http://www.taxcoachsoftware.com/ (513) 321-2820 Certified Tax
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