To build online influence in the age of social media, you must build a powerful online presence and consistently publish your thought leadership insights through a professional blog site, says Stephanie Sammons, founder of
While Sammons asserts that an advisors blog should be their online hub, I take a slightly different bent by insisting that the advisory firms website should serve as their online hub. Sammons and I do agree on this: Blogging helps you build a strong online presence in a couple of ways.
First, frequent blog postings on your site or a credible third-party site (especially if crossed-linked to your website or a secondary blog) can significantly improve your search engine page rankings. Second, blogging can position you as an expert in your field and a contributor to a body of work or a community of interest. Blogs dont always have to be just words, so if writing is not your strong suit, consider video blogging or posting audio content instead.
VIDEO BLOGGER EXTRAORDINAIRE
Andy Millard, CFP, a NAPFA Registered Advisor and president of fee-only advisory firm
My clients and strategic partners love the videos and blog posts, Millard said in conversations with me at the FPA national conference last year. Its really added a richnessa sense of knowingnessto our business relationships.
Millard continues to use the free Blogspot page he created while at one of the Social Media Boot Camps I led for FPA in 2010; he uses a mix of audio, video, photos and text.
DONT DISCOUNT TWITTER
Since Twitter is closely correlated to blogging after all, it is really just micro-blogging and is fairly easy to do (especially if you automate some of the tweets you post), I also encourage advisors to consider adding that to their top tier social media tactics.
Dont discount Twitter as a way to expand your reach.
A recent Forrester study provides these surprising facts:
- People are more likely to buy from brands they follow (37% Twitter vs. 21% Facebook)
- People are more likely to recommend brands they follow to friends (33% Twitter vs. 21% Facebook)
These factors are the yardsticks by which many social media branding campaigns are measured and in the Forrester study show that Twitter may be an emerging market force.
Twitter can also be a wonderful listening tool. For instance, follow industry thought leaders, peers and journalists to see what they are saying. Respond to their tweets and post your own meaningful, related content. You may impress them enough that theyll ask for an offline conversation.
Many journalists now have their own Twitter feeds and, if attentive, you can see trending topics or possible story opportunities or ways that you could serve as a resource. When journalists cover a breaking news item theyre looking for someone who can provide them with credible information about the news event and a new perspective related to that event -- insights into how and why something happened or the ability to interpret the news events impact and/or future implications (e.g., how the news item is affecting other areas or industries, new threats or opportunities arising from or created by the news event, etc.). When you see an opportunity on to interact with a journalist or industry thought leader on Twitter, a fast intelligent response is required. Responding 24 to 48 hours later means you miss the boat.
Advisors should proactively post short, catchy headlines and shortened links on Twitter (link shortening services include
To see how I do it on my own custom-branded Twitter page, Visit
If you are new to Twitter, just start an account and follow a few people or entities you know and trust such as @finplan @marieswift @napfa @sherylgarrett @loringward @copytalk @bobveres @daviddrucker @fintechie @michaelkitces.
Once you listen and watch for a while, it will all begin to make sense.
GET THE ENTIRE SCOOP
The content above was excerpted from the new book (and my chapter, which is chapter 7 on building a strong online presence) Technology Tools for Todays High-Margin Practice: How Client-Centered Financial Advisors Can Cut Paperwork, Overhead and Wasted Hours. It is available on Amazon.com, if youd like to get the entire scoop in a well-organized 7000 chapter.
WHATS AHEAD
Ill be speaking at a number of industry conferences in May, June and July, including the Investacorp national conference in Puerto Rico, the National Advisors Trust Company conference in Las Vegas, the Garrett Planning Network retreat in Kansas City and the Loring Ward conference in Monterrey. The best way to keep up with my appearances is to visit