How are financial advisers using social media today to engage clients and prospects? Are advisers using thought leadership as a way to engage prospects while providing a means to educate consumers? How are consumers using social media and thought leadership to connect with advisers?
These and other issues are the focus of Financial Professionals and the Future of Social Media and Thought Leadership, a special webcast presentation by LinkedIn and the Financial Planning Association® (FPA®).
Recent research by LinkedIn and FPA revealed that 67% of high growth firms have added new clients directly as a result of social media activity. What lessons can you learn from the research and how can you get your social media action plan together today to realize that same success?
Join us for this informative webcast to hear:
- Highlights from the Financial Professionals and the Future of Social Media and Thought Leadership research
- A detailed action plan to help you approach social media the right way
- Secrets for building a dynamic social media and thought-leadership presence
4. High growth advisers are embracing
thought leadership strategies,
supported by social media.
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
5. They Do This Because The Strategy
• Drives deeper client engagement
• Reflects behaviors of the prospects who are looking for advice
• Supports growth
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
8. 78% of advisers are addressing how
they will build their
online presence.
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
9. LinkedIn Dominates for Financial Advisers
76%
43%
23%
9%
11%
15%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
90%
LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
Percentageofrespondents
Use Today Will Use
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
10. Today, our reasons for using social media are somewhat passive
• Build brand/credibility
• Listen and learn
• Deepen client relationships
• Find new clients
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
11. Tomorrow, We’ll Be More Active
57% 57%
52%
35%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Build brand and
credibility
Maintain/deepen
existing relationships
Find new relationships Listen and learn from
others
Q: Thinkingaboutyourplanstousesocialnetworks/socialmediagoingforward,how
will theimportanceofeachobjectivechangerelativetotoday?
35% of advisers say
‘listening and learning’
will be a more important
going forward.
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
12. However, we use Different Networks to
Meet Different Objectives
Objective LinkedIn Facebook Twitter
Find new relationships
48% 14% 9%
Build brand/credibility 28% 25% 25%
Maintain/deepen
existing relationships
12% 48% 8%
Listen and learn from
others
9% 7% 45%
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
13. Client engagement is supported by meaningful
education and connection.
Thought leadership and social media are helping
advisers take action.
#1
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
14. Engaged clients are more satisfied,
more loyal and provide 100% of your
referrals.
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
15. Education = Engagement
34%
23%
44%
70%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
All respondents Engaged clients
Somewhat Agree Completely Agree
Q: To whatextentdoyouagreeordisagreewiththefollowingstatement?Myadviserprovides
me witheducationrelatedtothemarket,investmentsorotherfinancialtopics.
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
16. The Personal Connection Wins
Q: How wouldyouratethevalueofdifferentsourcesofinformationprovidedbyyouradviser?
39% 38% 44%
55%
52%
41% 37%
32%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
In person workshops Adviser Blog Online workshops Relevant articles
Somewhat valuable Very valuable
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
17. Focus on high growth advisers for clues
High growth advisers added more than twice the number of new
clients last year as low growth advisers
Low Growth:
High Growth:
9 new
clients
18 new
clients
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
18. High Growth Advisers Emphasize Three Strategies
Q: Whichofthefollowingdoyouuseasa partofyouroverallcommunicationsstrategyforboth
prospectsandexistingclients?
34% 34%
18%
48% 47%
29%
0%
20%
40%
60%
Educational events Leveraging my professional
network on LinkedIn
Thought leadership/content
Low Growth High Growth
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
19. The Impact of Thought Leadership according
to High Growth Advisers
Q: Whatimpactdoyoubelievethatsharingand/orauthoringrelevantcontenthasonyour
business,clientsorprospects?Showstopthree.
• Builds credibility 90%
• Raises awareness of my business 84%
• Deepens relationships with existing clients 76%
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
20. Create Real Connections Using Social Media
Q: Whichofthefollowingspecificactivitiesdoyoudoonsocialnetworksforbusinesspurposes?
35%
38%
45% 47%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
Follow clients Connect/engage with clients
Low Growth Advisers High Growth Advisers
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
21. Consumer expectations and behaviors are changing the
way in which we engage with prospective clients.
#2
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
22. 60% of prospective clients actively sought input to help vet their
adviser prior to starting to work together.
For three quarters of clients, that input was in the form of a
referral, however……
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
23. It’s Different For the Young and Sometimes for the Not So Young
Q: Which,ifany,ofthefollowingdidyoudotolearnmoreaboutyouradviserpriortocontacting
ormeetingwiththem?n=thosewhosoughtinputfromanysource
58%
49%
34%
26%
74%
26%
15%
6%
74%
26%
10%
4%
75%
19%
7%
2%
0%
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
Spoke with existing client Online search Checked professional
network
Check social network
<44 45-54 55-64 65+
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
24. Most Prospects Who Look to Networks Do So PRIOR to the Meeting
Q: Whendidyouseek outinformationonyouradviserusingprofessionalorsocialnetworks?
51%
39%
10%
46% 46%
8%
50%
38%
8%
29%
41%
29%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Prior to making contact After contact prior to meeting After meeting prior to decision
<44 45-54 55-64 65+
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
25. The Past Is No Indicator of the Future. Things Will Look Very Different
Q: Ifyouwerelookingfora newfinancialadvisertoday,howimportantwouldaccess to
informationviasocial/professionalnetworksbeinresearchingaprospectiveadviser?
42%
14%
8%
5%
43%
28%
20% 21%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
<44 45-54 55-64 65+
Used to find current advisor Important/critical if looking going forward
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
27. 53% of advisers added new clients as a result of using social
media.
That number increased to 67% among high growth advisers.
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
28. Supporting New Business Development
• 7x more High Growth Advisers say using social media is
about supporting business development than leading
directly to new clients.
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
29. Leverage Social Media to Drive Referrals
Q: To whatextentdoyouthinkyourbusinessdevelopmentactivitywas positivelyimpactedbysocial
networking?Showspercentagerating‘some’or‘significant’impact.
29% 29%
22%
42%
40%
34%
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Client referrals Other prospecting COI referrals
Low Growth Advisers High Growth Advisers
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
30. We Need to Pay Attention
Because this strategy
• Drives deeper client engagement
• Reflects behaviors of the prospect who are looking for advice
• Supports growth
#FAsocial@jlittlechild
31. Your action plan for
client engagement and
a digital presence
#FAsocial
32. Social and Mobile Web is Still Growing
According to a survey presented earlier, 51% of consumers learnt about their new
advisers through digital. That’s no surprise.
In the United States
• 158 million people use Facebook
• 122 million use LinkedIn
• 75% of Americans use their smartphones to research information
Do you know anyone who isn’t on Facebook?
Who doesn’t have a smartphone?
Bottom line: investors aren’t just visiting social networking sites to passively consume
information
#FAsocial@jjloic
33. What Investors/Consumers Want and Expect
• They want to consume information when and where they want
• They want to be engaged
• They expect full transparency
• They want better customer service
• They expect fast responses/turn-around
• They do not want to be sold to
#FAsocial@jjloic
34. Digital Marketing Business Objectives
Before starting/changing anything, please identify your goals and KPIs
• Create awareness (social media & branded traffic)
• Generate leads (capture leads on website)
• Educate clients (Increase client satisfaction / NPS / # of resources downloaded
/ returning visitors)
• Engage community (# webinar registrants / # referrals)
• Etc…
#FAsocial@jjloic
35. How to Attract New Clients & Engage Existing Clients
1. Link your social media profiles to professional websites
2. Generate valuable and if possible actionable content
3. Be authentic
4. Be specific
5. Be convincing, but not forceful
6. Deliver on your promises
[optional] send visitors to landing pages
#FAsocial@jjloic
36. Success – What to Track
Simple:
• Ask prospects how they found you
• Use Google Analytics (it’s free) to see
where new clients/referral form
submissions come from (social vs. web
vs. mobile)
Advanced:
• Conversion Rate
• Amplification Rate (AmR)
#FAsocial@jjloic
39. #FAsocial
1. Find your voice and choose your medium: What do you have to say and where do you want to say it?
Writer, thinker, talker, speaker, curator?
2. Use your voice: Choose to put yourself out there and embrace your label of choice as a blogger, podcaster,
speaker, curator or other.
3. Upgrade your company website: Most advisers appear to be using the same three website templates. Make
yours unique and exceptional.
4. Create your personal website: Get www.[YourName].com and use it to express your message personally.
Connect it to your company website.
5. Get on LinkedIn: It’s the new and improved business card and the intersection of professional and social.
Connect, learn, share & repeat.
6. Choose one other social platform to concentrate on: I quit Facebook and learned to optimize Twitter.
7. Set a regular content creation schedule and keep it: Use your voice to create something weekly or monthly,
centralized on your website. Share on social media.
@TimMaurer
7 Steps of Effective Social Media Engagement
Notes:
Consumers and investors alike are coming to rely less on traditional media and more on the constantly updated knowledge base of the social web.
Interesting to note that according to a report published by Buzzstream and Fractl, Baby Boomers spend more time consuming online content than the Generation X and Millennial generations.
Notes:
They want to be engaged: (people are drawn to authenticity)
According to Brandwatch, seeking better customer service is the number one reason people direct tweets at financial institutions. That’s great news because social media (and digital in general) is the most cost effective way to conduct customer service.
Notes:
Professional website: responsive, easy to navigate, accessible, and optimized for your goals. This is what we do at Advisor Websites
Valuable content: No matter which type of content you create, every decision you make about it should be to maximize the value for the reader.
It’s important that you remember that value is always defined by your audience. If you’re not seeing any traction with your content, there’s a disconnect. Traffic growth, shares, positive comments, emails, etc. are all signs that you are delivering value to your readers.
Actionable content: Your audience comes away from the content knowing how to implement something you covered. At Advisor Websites, we write 3 articles per week, and publish 1 whitepaper every month, each packing huge educational content with step-by-step, instructions and how to’s
Be authentic: Neil Patel recommends to create your content and then record yourself reading it out loud.
Be specific: Any social media strategy or digital marketing plan always starts with the audience.
The whole point of social media marketing is to get users from a social network onto your site or to buy something (or both).
Be convincing: Being persuasive not only adds value to your content but also serves as an important part of effective content marketing.
If you’re not persuasive, how are you going to get readers to come back to you over and over again and trust you? To make your content convincing, you need:
a clear stance on a topic
research that backs it up or
experts who back it up
Deliver on your promises: Trust.
It’s why people will continue to return to you instead of any other blogger in your niche. It’s also why when you sell a product, your audience will know that it’s a legitimate offer that will add even more value to their lives.
Just like in real life, you have to earn trust. You need to deliver great content over and over again.
Amplification Rate (AmR) is the ratio of shares (or retweets or repins etc.) per post to overall Followers (or Page Likes). Is what you are saying so incredible and of value that I'll stamp my brand on it and forward it to everyone I know?