Update your social profiles

You don’t slack off when you meet clients or prospects in person, so don’t do it online. Invest the resources necessary to polish your profile. “You will get a great return on your investment if you spend a little time and money to create a truly professional profile,” says Craig Faulkner, chief executive officer of digital marketing firm FMG Suite. Start with a professional headshot, says Robert Sofia, co-founder of coaching firm Platinum Advisor Strategies. “When it comes to social media, the photos you display of yourself are extremely important,” he says. “Many of the people you will be interacting with will not know you personally, so you need to make the best first impression you can.” Use photos where you are smiling and look warm, friendly and dressed for the part. “No cropping yourself out of a family Christmas photo,” he says. “Your personal image matters on the web.” Beyond that, Faulkner suggests adding links to video footage of you talking about financial concepts. You’ll also need a well-written bio describing what you do for clients and what sets you apart from your competition, he says: “Make sure all content is up to date and current, including your address, phone number, website and links to other social media sites.” Bottom line: Make it easy for people to find you -- and make sure you look good when they do.