The document discusses how the Maryland Association of CPAs (MACPA) adapted to evolving technology and social media, particularly through platforms like Second Life, to engage younger generations and enhance member communication. It highlights the challenges faced by CPAs in keeping pace with rapid technological changes and outlines MACPA's strategic initiatives that involve virtual presence, social media integration, and community building. Key points also include the need for new leadership qualities and effective communication tools in a digitally transformed professional landscape.

1. How Social
Networking and
N ki d 2009
Remote Conferencing g
Technology
(Second Life)
Transformed the
Transformed the Conference
MACPA
Presented by: Tom Hood, CPA.CITP
CEO & Executive Director
December 7th, 2009
Columbia Sheraton
Columbia Sheraton
& CPA Island

2. CPAs are
worried about
keeping up
with
technology,
especially thi
i ll this
social media
stuff

3. CPAs are
asking is this
a passing fad
or something I
should pay
attention to?

4. The pace of
change in
business today
is
i making us
ki
all feel
overwhelmed

5. “As it relates to science and technology, the rate of
change in the next decade, is likely to be 4 to7 times
faster than in the last decade. If it is 4x faster it
would be like planning for 2009 in 1890, if it is 7x
faster it would be like planning for 2009 in 1670.
faster it would be like planning for 2009 in 1670.”
‐Expert on Education Panel, The Aspen Institute

6. You need new
You need new
• Communication &
skills & new Leadership
tools to keep • Strategic & Critical
Thinking
pace and lead
pace and lead • Focus on the
Focus on the
Customer, Client, and
in this new Market
• Interpretation of
environment Converging
Information
• Technologically adept

7. Today you will
Today,
learn how
MACPA’s
MACPA’
experience with
social media &
second life can
help you become
a navigator of
this change!

8. Follow us on our journey of Web 2.0,
Social Media and Second Life
Social Media and Second Life
We will answer these questions:
W ill th ti
1. What caused us to explore Web 2.0, social media & Second Life?
2. How did we do it?
3. What did we learn?
4. What does it mean to you and all CPAs?

9. What caused us to explore Web 2.0,
l d d f
Social Media & Second Life

10. In the beginning there was the
Association Digital Now Conference
Association Digital Now Conference
• 2000 Internet & Growing
Up Digital by Don Tapscott
Up Digital by Don Tapscott
• 2002 Jim Collins
• 2006 Jim Collins Stephen
2006 Jim Collins, Stephen
Abram ‐ Association 2.0
• 2007 Stephen Abram –
p
reality 2.0
• 2008 Julie Evans & Project
Tomorrow research (K‐12)

11. The profound impact of the new generation of digital
natives that will soon outnumber baby boomers in the
workplace (by 2010)
=

12. Social Media is a Generational Issue
• Matures 64 ‐ 100
• Boomers 45 ‐ 63
• Gen X 29 ‐ 44
• Millennials 10 ‐ 28
Which one are you?
"Digital 'Natives' Invade the Workplace:
Young people may be newcomers to the
world of work, but it's their bosses who
are immigrants into the digital world."

13. A Vision of Students Today

14. Generation Gap? Or Generation Lap?
One third (35%) of American adult internet users
Generations
have a profile on an online social network site,
h fil li i l t k it
four times as many as three years ago, but still
much lower than the 65% of online American teens
who use social networks
“In 1997, young people for the first time were recognized by
adults as being authorities on something truly revolutionary
– digital technology, interactive media, and collaboration.”
– Don Tapscott “Growing Up Digital”

15. Proliferation of Web 2.0 & Social
d l f f
Media tools for free causes concern
=

17. The Eight Net Gen Norms that will transform
business education and government
business, education and government
1. Freedom – The freedom to work when
and where you want
2. Customization – My job my life
3. Scrutiny – I know what you did last night
4. Integrity – Be a good company to work for
5. Collaboration –
5 Collaboration – Teamwork
6. Entertainment – Work should be fun
7. Speed – Let’s make things happen now!
8. Innovation – Let me invent

18. Add the trend of “Wikinomics” and
these three mega‐trends forms the
these three mega trends forms the
Perfect Storm of Sea Change
THE NET
WEB 2.0 GENERATION
Wikinomics ‐
The New
Th N
Economic
Order
Inspired by Don Tapscott

19. How did we do it?

20. Key Questions to Think About
1) What if our we could connect to this new generation of
CPAs and young professionals early on in their careers?
2) What if we could t
Wh t ld teach our older CPA h
h ld CPAs how t use thi
to this
technology to reach this new generation of CPAs and
enable them to share and engage better?
3) What if we (State CPA Societies) could add these tools to
our arsenal and use th
l d these t l in t engage our members
tools i to b
in new ways and help with collaboration, connection and
y
community?

21. MACPA’s journey
1.Goin virtual
1.Goin’ virtual
2.Listen & Share
insights (blogging)
3.Sharing
3 Sharing
4.Next Practices
5.Connect

22. Our Journey…starts with strategy
The MACPA is a progressive, professional
association dedicated to serving CPAs in the
Maryland region, enabling them to grow,
prosper and remain viable in a dynamic,
d i i bl i d i
rapidly changing environment. The
MACPA recognizes the diversity in the CPA
profession and will provide the necessary
resources and services to help its members
maintain the highest level of integrity,
professional ethics and knowledge for the
benefit of the public and the good of the
benefit of the public and the good of the
profession.
Connect –
Connect
Protect
Protect ‐ Achieve

23. What is Second Life? MACPA goes virtual
"I look at it as just another office, another
extension of our firm. It’s another touch point
where we can potentially meet with clients and
p y
expand our geographic of where we can deliver
services.”
‐ Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP KAWG&F First CPA Firm in Second Life
Byron Patrick, CPA.CITP KAWG&F First CPA Firm in Second Life

24. Second Life / Virtual worlds
We were first CPA group to have a presence in Second Life

25. Accounting Educators in Second Life
Dr. Mike Kraten, CPA
Suffolk University
Dr. Robert Bloomfield
Dr. Robert Bloomfield
Cornell University
Dr. Steve Hornik
University of Central Florida
University of Central Florida

26. Go to where the conversation is…
IBM Financial Analyst Accounting Assistant
Member of NJSCPA

27. When should you start to
pay attention?
Moving beyond Second
Life marketing, many
companies are infiltrating
virtual worlds for employee
meetings, mixers
meetings mixers, and
recruiting – Business Week
Second Life produces
real training results –
CLO magazine ASTD
Virtual Worlds make
Harvard Business
Review’s breakthrough
ideas for 2008

28. When should you start to
pay attention?
This is not a game: Virtual
Worlds coming to your
business Forrester predicts
– CIO Magazine
Virtual worlds will be widely
adopted venues for reaching
p g
customers and experimenting with
new product ideas and business
models
– Intuit’s Future of Small Business Report

29. FASB is there!

30. CPA Australia is there

31. Accounting Education Pavilion
Our pavilion features a place for Colleges & Universities to
showcase their accounting education and a place for accounting
educators to connect, share, and learn from each other. It is also a
connect share other
place for prospective students to see the many options available
in an exciting career as a Certified Public Accountant.

32. New Young Professionals Network
Club NYPN on CPA Island
Life s
Life’s a beach at the Club NYPN on CPA island. This
special area devoted to New & Young Professionals
has all of the features for networking, casual
meetups,
meetups and fun. Complete with a dance floor, tiki
fun floor
bars, beach, and a real treehouse – it is the place for
students and young professionals to chill.

33. BLI Conference Center
A center facilitating the development and sharing of competencies and
strategic knowledge required for leadership in the rapidly changing
business environment. BLI will deliver competency-based curriculum,
courses, content, and community to enhance learning and grow
intellectual capital for organizational and executive leadership
leadership.

34. Listen & Share – MACPA enters the
blogosphere
bl h
MACPA gets a coach – Sept, 2006 and launches
CPA Success blog

38. http://www.cpasuccess.com
http://www.newcpas.com
http://www.cpalegislativeinsider.com
http://www cpalegislativeinsider com
http://www.bizlearningblog.com
http://www.mdbizexpoblog.com
http://www.cpaisland.com
http://www.slacpa.org

39. MACPA social media efforts featured in
J of A and win 3rd place in Mobbies
f d d l bb
MACPA won 2
out of top 10 Biz
blogs in MD
g

40. Sharing ‐ MACPA launches video, Defining
America’s CPA – Maryland on Youtube and in
Second Life.

41. Finding Members

42. Building Relationships
Building Relationships

43. Getting Recognized
Getting Recognized

44. MACPA featured in 3 sessions at Digital
Now in 2007
• Governance &
Governance &
Structure – Tami
Bensky
• Generations – Byron
Patrick & Thomas
Patrick & Thomas
Hood
• S
Second Life – d
d Lif demo by
b
Byron & Thomas

45. Next Practices ‐ Helene Blowers and the
CML were willing to share their work in
CML were willing to share their work in
Web 2.0

46. CPA Learning 2.0 – The first self‐
directed learning tool for CPAs
d dl lf
• Oct, 2007 Staff volunteered
to “do it”
• Feb, 2008 Staff completed
(95% participation)
• Opened up to the world

47. Connecting – MACPA meets its
members where they are.
b h h

48. Twitter & MACPA

49. Results – By the Numbers
• Youtube
– Defining Americas CPA
g 7.053
– CPALearning2 979
– Financial Literacy 2,908
– New CPAs swearing‐in
g 460
– Others 1,933
• Slideshare
– Professional Issues 8,257
– Web 2.0 & Second Life 5,253
– Other presos
Other presos 2,112
2 112
• Blogs 10,000 + per month
• Podcasts ???

50. Results By the Numbers
Results – By the Numbers
• Facebook
– MACPA 300
– NYPN 68
– CPA Careers (Students) 166
– Tom Hood 229
• Linked‐In
– MACPA 504
– Tom Hood 487
• Second Life
Second Life 483
• Twitter
– MACPA 1,065
1 065
– Bill Sheridan 1,145
– Tom Hood 1,795

51. What did we learn?
What did we learn?
1.Relationships &
the Network Effect
2.Listening &
2.Listening &
learning
3.Builds Social
3 Builds Social
Capital (Whuffie)
4. Effective
4 Eff ti
Communication
Tool

52. The New Math
Social Networking (Old)
+ Social Media (New)
= A change in the way we build
A change in the way we build
relationships
Source: Matt Goddard, CEO R2integrated

53. It’s about the Network Effect
How big is
your
network?
“In a sentence {to recognize a network} means ‘To discover how A, who is in touch with C,
Is affected by the relation between B and C.” – Russ Eckel “Becoming the Eye of the Tiger”

54. Social Media builds social capital
It s all about your Whuffie
It’s all about your Whuffie
Whuffie is the culmination of your reputation,
influence, bridging and bonding capital,
i fl b id i d b di i l
current and potential access to ideas, talent
and resources, saved‐up favors, and
d d f d
accomplishments.
‐ Tara Hunt “The Whuffie Factor”

55. Whuffie Example

56. What social media did for MACPA
and can do for you?
and can do for you?
 Establish your company as a thought leader
 Reinvent your marketing strategy
 Build communities and improve
Build communities and improve
customer relations
E h
Enhance legislative advocacy
l i l ti d
 Expand your brand
Get you found on search engines
 Make small organizations look big
 Communicate to your team

57. And what about CPAs?
• 54% are on LinkedIn
54% are on LinkedIn
• 48% are on Facebook
• 21% are on Twitter
21% are on Twitter
• 61% attend webinars
• 36% read blogs
36% read blogs
• 28% listen to podcasts

58. Get found Digital Footprints
Get found – Digital Footprints

59. Marketing Strategy 2.0
Website
e‐mail
Twitter
T itt
newsletters
Social
Blog
Networks
Source: MACPA & Business Learning Institute

61. James Carroll, CPA
James Carroll, CPA
Website Facebook
Twitter

63. Dental CPAs / Naden Lean
Dental CPAs / Naden Lean
Website Blog
Twitter

65. How one small firm got on the WSJ?
y
“I think today demonstrated the value
of the social networks (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) and their ability
to spread the word. Encouraging others to read our materials
and help us with our mission to Bury the Billable Hour
and help us with our mission to Bury the Billable Hour”
‐ Dan Morris, CPA from Verasage Blog
Website Blog
Twitter

66. Time to pay attention?

67. Next steps…
1. Educate yourself –
www.cpalearning2.com
2. Create your digital footprint. Create
y g p
profiles on Facebook, LinkedIn and
Google.
3. Start listening. Use Google Reader or
Bloglines to begin reading thought
to begin reading thought
leaders in your profession or areas of
interest.
4. Continue listening. Create your Twitter
listening. Create your Twitter
account and follow your profession and
areas of interest.
5. Start sharing. Create a blog and record
your thoughts.
h h
6. Share. Recognize and promote the
people you find interesting.

68. But wait there’s more…
“When associations and
other organizations try
new meeting formats, it's it s
not just for novelty-it's a
step toward better content
delivery.
delivery What's more the
more,
association brave enough
to try a new take on
classic offerings gives its
members more than
information; it gives them
an experience and
exposure to a new way of
doing things ”
things.
-Jeff Waddle ASAE
Meetings Remix – Time to Rethink the Usual Format – Association Now Magazine, Oct 2008

69. How has Continuing Professional
Education changed?

70. Five Learning Trends for 2009
1.Mobile Learning
2.DIY - Do-it-Yourself
Learning
3.Flexible Learning
Environments
4.Virtual Worlds
5.Games & Simulation
Chief Learning Officer Magazine – January 2009

71. MACPA leads in CPE & CPA
events in Second Life
"Second Life is more
compelling than a
p g
conference call, less
intimidating than a
video conference, and
conference
a hell of a lot better
than business travel.“
-- John Zdanowski,
CFO, Linden Lab
,

72. Who said you can’t be in three
places at once?
 Digital Now, 2007
 MDBIZEXPO – June, 2008
 AACSB
 ASTD
 XBRL Int’l – June 2009
Int l June,
 AICPA Tech plus – June, 2009

73. Our journey involved listening, learning,
playing and sharing
• Share
• Listen & Learn
• Communicate
• Connect

74. We learned that social media can be a
valuable leadership tool
l bl l d h l
Web 2.0
Web 2 0
Association 2.0
Association 2.0
Leadership 2.0
p

75. Leadership 2.0 requires the five qualities of
extraordinary leaders
1. Sight ‐ Ability to see emerging
p
patterns and shift perspective when
p p
necessary
2. Insight ‐ Ability to learn faster than
g y y
the rate of change in your industry
3. Create ‐ Ability to think strategically
and critically to gain insights that create
new opportunities
new opportunities
4. Communicate ‐ Ability to
collaborate inside and outside your
organization and to build and sustain
organization and to build and sustain
social networks of people engaged in
the work
5. Inspire – Ability to mobilize support
Inspire Ability to mobilize support
and engage others to join you in
ACTION

76. “The future is here. It's just not widely
di ib d yet.” – Willi
distributed ” William Gib Gibson

77. MACPA resources
• CPA Success, our daily blog
http://www.CPASuccess.com
p
• CPA Spotlight, our weekly podcast
http://www.macpa.org/Content/23333.aspx
• Other MACPA blogs:
• www.CPALegislativeInsider.com
• www.NewCPAs.com
• www.TCPAblog.com
• CPA Learning 2, a Web 2.0 playground by CPAs for CPAs
http://www.CPALearning2.com

78. MACPA Resources
 The Corporate Blogging Book, by Debbie Weil
www.TheCorporateBloggingBook.com
 Debbie’s blog, www.BlogWriteforCEOs.com
 MACPA social networks:
Twitter: Twitter.com/MACPA
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/macpa?ref=ts
Facebook ‐NYPN:
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/group.php?gid=6410979354&ref=ts
LinkedIn: http://tinyurl.com/6k8xra
Flickr: http://tinyurl.com/6meyuu
MySpace: http://tinyurl.com/66c249
h // l /
 Second Life resources:
• CPAs on Second Life: www.SLACPA.org
g
• CPA Island: www.CPAIsland.com

79. How Social Networking and Remote Conferencing
(Second Life) Transformed the MACPA
(Second Life) Transformed the MACPA
=
Follow me on:
 Twitter: http://www Twitter com/tomhood
Twitter: http://www.Twitter.com/tomhood
 LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/tomhood
 Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/thoodcpa
Plaxo: http://tomhood.myplaxo.com
Slideshare: http://www.slideshare.net/thoodcpa
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/thoodcpa
Second Life avatar name: Rocky Maddaloni

80. Tom Hood, CPA.CITP
CEO
Maryland Association of CPAs
Business Learning Institute
(443) 632‐2301
E mail tom@macpa org
E‐mail tom@macpa.org
Web http://www.macpa.org
Blog http://www.cpasuccess.com
Blog http://www.bizlearningblog.com