For years, advisors have been able to grow their businesses by using referrals and seminars. In our podcast, we often talk about why those strategies have been successful for advisors so far. 

While those two ways of prospecting show decent results for advisors, having a good digital communication strategy in place is proving more and more important today than anything else when it comes to prospecting. 

Here is why:

• The boomer generation has become social media savvy. Having a social media presence is not a luxury for your company anymore, it is a necessity. Boomers will Google and search online for your social media profiles if they are referred to you by a friend. 
• Generation X and Y do not have time for seminars but really need your help, and, let’s face it, if you want your business to be there for the long run, you need to start focusing on prospecting these generations as well.

 

How can you make sure that you have a good digital strategy in place? 

 

Follow my 4 recommendations:

 

You need to have a great website

Let’s start with the content. Don’t put everything on your site. You want your website to give people enough information for them to be interested in working with you, but you have to add a level of intrigue that will MAKE them ask you more. 

Keep your website design simple and offer your audience clear directions (i.e. calls to action) of what they should do while they’re on your site. 

Do you want your users to:  

 

• • Log in to their account?
  • Watch a video?
  • Schedule time on your calendar?
  • Sign up for your newsletter?
  • Download a paper?

 

Remember to make sure your website is responsive. Your audience should find your website to be user-friendly and high-quality whether they access it on their laptop, phone, or tablet. After all, over 51% of all website views are done on a mobile device. 

You have to be on social media  

This is now a crucial part of your client communication efforts. Everyone is on social media, and there is a massive pool of possible clients waiting to hear more about you and the help you can offer them.

Most advisors refrain from exploring social media tactics because of the time commitment. But if you don’t have time to maintain a personal or company social media account, you can get professional help with running your accounts. 

In addition to overseeing your accounts and helping you create content, a social media person will help you look polished across all of your social media platforms. Because even if you have no shortage of content it is not as easy as just clicking a button and sharing across platforms. 

 

• • Twitter has different requirements than other platforms, such as a character limit
  • LinkedIn and Facebook require different sized images, so you would have to create two different versions of your graphics
  • The tone you use on one social media platform is not the same one you would use on another 

 

Do consider that social media is not a “set it and forget it” tactic. Don’t hire someone expecting them to handle and create everything that is being published on your behalf. To be unique, you have to share your unique expertise. Add your personal touch to your messages and interact with your audience. 

There are also compliance regulations you need to follow in social media, so whoever you hire should help you stand out from competitors while making sure you stay compliant.

Prioritize content over ads

Don’t place too much weight on strategies like advertising on Facebook. While that can be useful for some, the truth is that, as a small firm or independent advisor, you will not be able to outspend the huge financial services firms. For one, you would have to let an ad run for what can seem like a very long time before seeing any results. 

Instead, create interesting posts that offer valuable and engaging content and boost those posts. That’s not the same as advertising. Producing authentic content is a better idea than to spend time, money and effort in less than effective fill-in-the-blank advertisements. 

Create content that you enjoy and can maintain

If you are a person who doesn’t enjoy writing, it wouldn’t be a good idea to start a blog or base your entire content-strategy focus on blogging.

Most advisors I know talk for a living. And they are good at it. You should use that skill to create content. Of course, if you know who we are and what we do, you know we think you should have your own podcast. 

Podcasting adds an extra layer of service and value for your clients because it allows them to access your knowledge 24/7. Your podcast also gives prospects a preview of what it will be like to work with you.

On top of that, you can use the content from your podcast to create blogs, social media posts, and videos. This is the kind of strategy that you could maintain and do consistently. If you record one or two podcast episodes a month, think about how many quotes and audio clips you could share on social media.

It’s time for advisors to look at their online presence and consider it is the cost of doing business. These strategies do not always equal obvious and instant lead generation.

Digital strategies are a long play that call advisors to look at ROI differently. And they’re worth every bit of time it takes because, at the end of the day, you’re building your influence, reputation, and making yourself more referable and more available to the people who need your expertise.