Social media can be a winning strategy to bring in your top clients and to full your roster – when used correctly. For financial advisors, dominating the likes of Instagram and Facebook may not seem like the right space for your business. Although these platforms can be beneficial for outreach purposes, it’s LinkedIn where advisors can genuinely thrive.
In a nutshell, LinkedIn is a more professional social networking platform. Here you will find individuals who place greater importance on their business stature, and may even have a keen interest in their financial growth. Targeting these kinds of professionals will prove to be useful for you and your firm. The trick is to know how to target these people and how to use LinkedIn to your best advantage.
Why LinkedIn is the Best Social Media Platform for Financial Advisors:
The fact is, using LinkedIn can help you generate higher quality leads for your firm than what you’d find on other social media channels. The best part is that you won’t need to spend huge amounts of money on advertising. A large part of dominating LinkedIn is how you set up your profile and the way in which you utilize the networking platform.
LinkedIn was once used as another channel to post your resume and search for jobs. However, with over 550 million users, it’s clear that this has transformed into a thriving network where it’s easy to share content and connect with your ideal target audience. Evidently, LinkedIn has become the place for B2B and B2C communication.
If this isn’t enough, let’s take a look at the statistics and unpack the benefits that await your client list. The following information is from LinkedIn:
- 51% of users have a college degree
- 76% are executives and decision-makers
- 41% of millionaires have a profile on LinkedIn
- 44% of users earn more than $75,000 a year
As you can see, these are the exact individuals most advisors are seeking to attract. When cold calling and traditional networking fails, LinkedIn is where you will see the most prosperity. The most significant drawcard for using this platform is that it’s not a place to sell or swarm your network with poor content like Instagram or Facebook. When you share information that pertains to your audience, you will start to drive higher engagement levels and begin to nurture high-quality leads.
6 Steps to Creating a Strong LinkedIn Profile:
Now that we know why having a LinkedIn profile is essential, let’s get to how you can win over your next client. Your profile has to be on top of its game to reflect your service and by following these tips, you will be well on your way to dominating the platform.
Think About Who You Want to Attract
Even though LinkedIn consists mostly of professionals, it’s key to remember that not all users will have the same interests or follow similar accounts. Like every client you have, each user will have their own set of content preferences. It’s for this reason that before crafting your profile, you must keep your ideal client in mind. Ask yourself:
- What would my client want to see on my page?
- What content would get my ideal client to engage the most?
- Is there any particular piece of information that my client would find most valuable?
- How old is my client?
Based on these answers, you can start to craft a profile that’s in line with your target market. This will also help you establish which content to create and which networks to join.
Be Strategic with Your Profile Image
Your profile image is the first thing a user will put into context for your services or firm. A professional photo is always best here. You are putting a face to your name, so it must be a good one! Avoid outdated pictures or images that would be considered “not-safe-for-work”.
If you’re running a profile for your financial firm, make sure to include an easily identifiable logo. You can always schedule pictures of your team in your content calendar to create a personal feel.
Create an Attention-Grabbing Headline
An impressive feature of LinkedIn is that it auto-generates a headline for you by combining your skills and work experience. However, this doesn’t mean it can’t be optimized. In 120 characters or less, write a headline that would intrigue potential clients. Remember to include your current job title and area of knowledge. Keep it clear and concise to see the best results. Brevity over verbosity.
Personalize Your Account
A lot of things on your account may come preset. For example, your URL will create a generic address for you. In most cases, this is your name, followed by a random series of numbers and letters. If you’re looking to boost your SEO and get your services ranked on Google, it’s best practice to edit this URL.
A good URL will contain:
- Your name
- Title
- Certification
Describe Key Skills & Experiences
The main goal of LinkedIn is to show off your impressive resume and unique skills. This is where you will want to put most of your focus as it’s what will drive conversions and engagement rates. Your future client will use your experience as a way to judge your level of expertise. When it comes to listing your past positions and skills, try to go into as much detail as possible to show off your key traits.
Get Referrals
If you really want to take your LinkedIn game to the next level, make sure to work on your referrals. This platform enables users to vouch for your skills and service. If you have old colleagues or current clients, ask them to rate your knowledge on your platform. Having such referrals will substantiate your profile and help your new leads feel confident with your offering.
Final Thoughts
LinkedIn is an easy and effective way to get the word out about your financial services. Social media, as a part of your digital marketing strategy, is becoming the norm within the financial industry. Say goodbye to cold calling and hello to the world of instant connections! When done correctly, your firm will be sure to bring in higher quality clients over time.