No matter where you look there are countless articles on the importance of a social media presence for financial advisors. Social media is nothing new. Although many advisors have established a profile on at least one social network, it simply isn’t enough to create value.
Social media profiles need to be more than a warehouse to store your name, photo, and credentials. As an advisor, you need to provide an online home where your community can gather, engage with you, and find valuable resources.
Here are some essential social habits you can start using today to get better results:
1. Create Attention Grabbing Headlines
Rather than posting a title, liven things up by using a key takeaway from an article. Sometimes, statistics or key information included in a newsletter or blog will achieve better results than the title itself. Play with two to three different headlines for the same post and watch to see which performs best.
2. Use Social Media to Build Your Prospect List
Avoid posts that only try to sell your product. Direct online communities to the email sign up on your website. This will boost your prospect list while giving you an opportunity to build a relationship with your connections and followers and eventually move them into your sales funnel.
3. Don’t Be Afraid of Diversification
You don’t need to sign up for every social platform available but don’t be afraid to utilize multiple channels. By engaging on different social networks you can connect with clients, prospects, and other industry influencers. Follow industry leaders and sprinkle some of their content into your posts. With the right strategy, this can present an opportunity for leading industry publications to share your content and help you establish influence.
4. Use LinkedIn Publisher
In my opinion, LinkedIn Publisher is one of the most powerful publishing tools available right now. Take advantage of the free blogging tool to promote your content. Your articles will reach your network and have the potential to be shared with LinkedIn groups and LinkedIn Pulse readers, all of which prove to be a valuable opportunity to grow your business.
5. Create Community Groups
Create groups based on specific demographics and needs within each social channel. For example; you could create a LinkedIn group that represents one of your niche markets or a Facebook group for women in transition. This allows you to provide relevant information the group can personally relate to.
6. Use Video
Today’s generation prefers watching a quick 2-3 minute video versus reading a lengthy article. Videos help you communicate key points to a target audience while establishing credibility and putting a face with your name.
7. Understand Your Analytics
In order to understand what is working and what isn’t, you need to spend time analyzing. If you only spend your time executing, you will never understand the driving force to getting results. Schedule time on your calendar every month to review your analytics, your successes, and your failures. This is a good time to peek at the social strategy of your competition. You may find some new ideas to incorporate into your plan.
8. Audit Your Social Profiles Monthly
Audit your social profiles monthly to ensure your information is up to date and that your branding message is consistent across all social networks. Make an action plan for improvements.
9. Ask For Feedback
Talk to one client every month about your social media approach. Ask which social networks they use and why. Identify what they want and expect from you and make sure they are receiving value from the information you post.
10. Test, Test, and Test Again
Social media marketing is always changing. As we’ve learned from Facebook, a once relatively free site, now wants you to “pay-to-play.” Don’t give up, there are many alternatives. The key is to experiment and run in-house testing to determine which methods provide you with the best results.
Establishing a social media presence is no longer an optional task; it’s required to authentic your firm in the digital world. Having up-to-date profiles is as important as having a website or a business card.