Social Media for Financial Advisors

You might already be using Social Media to promote your business, but is your strategy in alignment with your goals?

Most business owners  today know that they should incorporate social media into their marketing campaign, but they typically don’t know where to start. If you are going to use social platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter, then it is important that you understand a few strategies to maximize your results.

Paid vs. Organic Social Media

There are two main strategies that you can use with social media and before starting a campaign, you really need to know the differences because they will influence your overall strategy and daily practices. Too often, unknowing business owners waste a lot of time and money on the wrong type of social media.

Organic social media consists of building fan pages and working to increase the likes and followers with posted content such as blogs, articles, pictures, and status updates. This is a long-term strategy to build a following.  The reality is that most people don’t see a post on your page and then pick up the phone to call for your services.  So, you also need to consider where you can place Calls-to-Action to get them into your sales funnel.

In comparison, paid social media is a better strategy for immediate results.

With paid ads, you are dropping a message in front of your target audience and asking them to take a specific action. For example, if you are targeting baby boomers, then you can set up an ad focusing on age, income, location, interests and more. The Call-to-Action could be an invitation for them to attend a workshop, download information from your website, or participate in a promotion. Then, you will have the opportunity to add the person to your sales funnel and drip campaign.  This leads to future appointments and sales.

Where Should You Focus Your Efforts?

Most small business owners are looking for a return on their investment right away. If you want to see faster results, then paid ads should be the main focus for your social media efforts.

The best approach is to have a 3-tiered strategy: short-term, mid-term, and long-term strategies. Paid social media gets things rolling; then you can use organic social media and email marketing for mid- and long-term strategies.

Kick Start Your Social Media Campaign

Do you have questions about the best way to focus your social media efforts? Contact us for more information. We know the best practices for social media and other types of online marketing, and we are here to help!

According to the Pew Research Center, 70% of the population in the United States use social media. If you want a captive audience for your business efforts, then you need to be leveraging social sites in your online marketing campaign. Read more

Every Financial and Insurance professional needs a consistent source of new leads and many are beginning to explore options for generating these leads online.   While results do tend to vary, there is one critical step required for ANY advisor with a desire for online leads.

That critical step is… Building Credibility Read more

Building relationships with your clients and prospects is a vital component of long-term business success. In the past, advisors/agents had to be on the phone or hitting the streets to have face-to-face conversations. While these real-life interactions are still important, the internet has provided a platform where you can build these relationships without leaving your office.

Live streaming is becoming more popular on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. You can start broadcasting a live video and your customers can watch and hear the information in real time. Additionally, viewers have the opportunity to interact by typing comments and “liking” the comments that you share.

These live videos are then saved to your social media profile and can be viewed at a later date or even shared by your audience.  It’s really the best of all worlds because your clients/prospects can watch the video live, tune in later at a more convenient time, or share the video with friends or family (a simple way for you to generate referrals).

How to Use Live Streaming for Your Practice

If you aren’t already using live streaming video, now is a great time to get started.  Most of your competitors haven’t caught on to this new technology yet so you have a perfect opportunity to shine above the crowd.

You might wonder about the topics you should cover in your videos, but when you stop and think about it, there are plenty of opportunities for you to create great content.

Consider these ideas:

1. Live Events: When you are hosting a workshop or party, it’s not possible for all of your customers to attend in person. But, just because someone is out of town or at another appointment, doesn’t mean that they can’t participate. Stream the event to share the experience with people everywhere.
2. Product Information: If you have exciting information to share about a new product or service, use a live streaming video to share the features, options, and information with your clients.
3. Behind-the-Scenes: It can be fun to show clients a behind-the-scenes tour of your office. This tour can generate interest and help people see the authenticity and transparency of your business model.
4. Case Studies:  When appropriate, use streaming to share case studies and results with prospective clients.  This information is invaluable for creating trust and credibility, two critically important pieces of building your practice.
5. Education: When someone receives value by watching your streaming video, it is likely that they will tune in again in the future.  Use live streaming video to help educate clients about important topics.

Our goal is to make it easier for you to integrate an online marketing plan for your business. If you need help with your social media advertising, we invite you to contact us right away to schedule a complimentary consultation.

You might already have a personal Facebook page, but what’s the difference between your personal page and a business page?

There’s no question that Facebook can be a powerful way to connect with your target audience. Millions of people log into their account on a daily basis, and many are interacting on Facebook multiple times each day. This includes seniors and retirees!

Savvy agents and advisors wanting to cement relationships with clients and prospects are leveraging a Facebook as a part of their overall marketing strategy. However, if you are going to do this, make sure you know the difference between your personal Facebook page and a page specifically for your business.

Personal Profile vs. Business Page

A personal Facebook profile is designed to help you connect with family and friends – people who already know you. Facebook actually prohibits the use of a personal profile for business marketing. So be careful of how much business you are trying to promote using your personal profile to promote your products or services. However, your personal Facebook page is a great way for you to keep in touch with your current list of customers and referral partners.

When to Use a Business Facebook Page

A business Facebook page offers you the ability to reach people who do not yet know you with options such as:

• You can pay to promote posts to a large audience.
• You can buy advertising that can drive people to your Facebook page, website, or landing page.
• Business Pages allow you to have unlimited followers, while personal profiles have a limit of 5,000 friends.

Another benefit of a business page is that the content can be indexed in the search engines. By strategically using proper keywords within your page data, you could potentially show up when someone is searching for related keywords.

Kick Start Your Social Media Campaign

Are you ready to integrate social media into your online marketing campaign? Whether you are currently active on social media or just getting started, we can help you to create a plan that makes sense for your business. Contact us to schedule a free consultation!

Are you looking for a way to improve the relevancy of your business in the financial or insurance industry? It is essential that you have a strong online marketing presence to help you stay ahead of the competition. Many times, business owners turn to search engine optimization because they know that Google is important. But, don’t make the mistake of limiting your online marketing plan because you haven’t learned about other options. Read more

When you think about advertising and marketing, what comes to mind? Most likely, you instantly recall a few television or radio commercials with short, catchy messages. You might even remember ads from ten or twenty years ago, because they were just that memorable! If you have a plumbing problem, you might instantly pick up the phone to call that guy with the catchy jingle.

What makes marketing messages so memorable?  More importantly, what makes them powerful enough that you act upon them? Sometimes it’s a catchy jingle that gets your attention, but it’s also the incredible subliminal power of words.

Language can convey terrific amounts of subtlety, helping you win over your audience when you choose the right words. The following ten words are some of the most powerful ones in marketing.

You. We’ve already used this word eight times in this article, and we didn’t do it by mistake! We know that offering you general, impersonal information would bore you. Instead, we speak directly to you, because that is much more personable and memorable.

Free. This is one of those emotionally-driven words, especially in the United States where we all love our freedom. More specifically, using the word “free” signals to your readers that you’re not just trying to take their money. They drop their defenses and pay attention to you.

Offer. Must like the word “free”, an “offer” helps you dig through your prospects’ wall of defenses. You aren’t trying to get your hands in their pockets; you’re doing them a favor. See how much nicer that sounds?

Easy. If you’re asking your audience to do something, subtly remind them that it’s just a small, simple task. The word “easy” tells them that following your call to action won’t take up a lot of their time, or be overly difficult.

Now. A call to action could easily be put off until later. Adding the word “now” is a subtle direction, and gets the job done right away.

Hurry. This is another great word to use alongside a call to action. People don’t like to miss out on a valuable opportunity, and the word “hurry” implies that this offer might not be available forever.

Revolutionary. We’re all about innovation and new ideas these days, and consumers want life-changing products and services. Set yourself apart from the competition, and tell your prospects that you’re not offering the same old financial services their grandpa used.

Because. Your prospects aren’t going to hand over control of their life savings without a very good reason for doing so. Using the word “because” signals to your audience that you’re willing to give them that reason.

Challenge. Speaking of “problems” can sound too negative. A “challenge” is something that people are motivated to overcome, and of course you are the guy who has the solution!

Compare. Everyone likes to feel in control of their decisions, especially when large sums of money are involved. Inviting your prospects to compare your services to those offered by the competition is a terrific way to put them in the driver’s seat, and also makes you appear more confident.

These are just examples of powerful words that advisors should be using to overcome their audience’s defensive walls, create a lasting impression, and spur prospects into action. We know quite a few more of these tricks, but you’ll have to contact us to learn more about them. Give us a call or shoot us an email, and we’ll be happy to analyze your digital marketing strategy and make suggestions for improvements.