How do I balance my personal and professional life online?
For many professionals, this is the number one question asked regarding social media strategy, but it’s time to remove this divide. There’s more to you than just your job. Advisors should embrace social media as an opportunity to show all dimensions of your life and character.
YOUR ONLINE BRAND
When it comes to building an online brand, those you think wouldn’t care about your hobbies and interests actually do. Many financial advisors are discovering that by incorporating some personality into their digital presence, they are humanizing their brand and increasing the chances of gaining new business leads.
The fact is, consumers on social media choose to follow and do business with those they find relatable, those companies and people they can establish a personable connection with. As an advisor, you should let your professionalism, expertise and thought leadership grab the attention of clients and prospects – and your personality should help seal the deal.
PERSONAL & PROFESSIONAL
With social media profiles such as Facebook and Pinterest, advisors can easily blend the personal and professional to build chemistry and commonality. For example, Facebook is all about moments and is perhaps one of the strongest platforms for showcasing the different facets of who you are. With a Facebook page, you can highlight professional expertise by sharing articles and thought leadership pieces. However, you can also share personal moments, such as photos from the company baseball game or recent volunteer activity. These moment-driven posts create a dialogue based upon something that everyone, despite their background, can relate to and remember.
Although it is recommended to blend both sides of who you are on social, keep these best practices in mind:
1. Make what you are sharing meaningful. Share posts that illustrate your expertise in the industry and passion for what you do.
2. Don’t confuse "personal" with "private." Use discretion when you post. Remember, you’re sharing on social to build connections that can possibly lead to new business opportunities.
3. Interact with people. Even though you’re sharing posts that blend both sides of you are, you want to avoid being a constant commercial. Remember to engage in conversation with those who comment on your posts. Opening the dialogue and taking advantage of those touch-points with followers will only strengthen your digital brand.
Remember, whether it’s your personal life or professional life, it’s still you – and you should use that to your advantage on social media.
Caitlin Zucal is the marketing coordinator for RegEd.
