Last month we showed you 6 Steps to Social Media Success. This month we have 5 more Social Media secrets!
Your prospective clients can be found anywhere that investment or retirement information is offered. This is why so many advisors offer free Social Security seminars, or attend networking events for professionals.
But did you know that 40 percent of investors use social media as a key source of investment information? And as you look at younger professionals, that number jumps to 60 percent! Clearly, more and more investors will be viewing information distributed via social media in the future.
Since that’s not an opportunity you want to miss, you’re probably already interested in leveraging social media to grow your practice. But it’s important that you use this powerful tool correctly if you want it to fully live up to its potential. Beyond simply creating a profile, there are five secret tools you should utilize in order to fully maximize your social media experience.
Use it appropriately. Facebook isn’t the place to hard sell a particular product or service. There would be significant compliance problems with that, for one thing, and it would also annoy your audience. But is a great place to humanize your brand, built rapport with potential clientele, and showcase your talent and expertise.
Distribute your content. Social media is the ideal place to distribute content such as blogs, videos, or white papers. Doing this will increase the traffic to your website, and helps you to establish yourself as a thought leader in the industry. Your audience loyalty will grow as they realize you provide them with the advice and tips they need for retirement planning, estate planning, and other areas of their financial life.
Use faceted searches, and save them. LinkedIn allows you to search for new contacts by facets such as location, industry, and so on. Use these search features to locate your ideal prospects, and save your searches so that you can reuse the ones that prove to be effective.
Join LinkedIn groups. As a member of relevant LinkedIn groups, you can participate in discussions and build rapport with other group members. This is also a great place to post links to your content and answer questions from prospective clients. You can private message other members. Just remember to use this privilege wisely, so that you don’t come off as pushy or overly aggressive.
Your social media content should support what you preach. As you know, clients don’t always want to make big decisions with their money on the spur of the moment. Most will want to do some research and give the idea some thought. If you regularly recommend certain strategies, make sure to follow up with more information supporting your views. Post supportive material on your social media account, where your clients can access it on their own time in the comfort of their homes or offices. This shows that you’re consistent, and makes you appear more trustworthy and knowledgeable.