Originally published on GlobeAdvisor
As an advisor, the internet is a great way to get your business known and, in today's world, it's essential to have an online presence. It can be challenging to determine where to start and what to focus on to have the biggest impact. This guide will help financial advisors create an online presence that helps the right people find them, learn about their services and ultimately become long-term clients!
In order to successfully market your business online, it's important that you know your audience. Take a step back and outline your ideal client profile. Who are the clients that you want to attract? What do they like? What do they need help with? Are there specific topics that resonate with them and make them more likely to reach out for a meeting? Understanding the answers to these questions will help you craft a marketing strategy that speaks directly to the people who matter most in your business. The more direct you can be in your marketing efforts, the more likely the content will be relevant to your ideal clients.
At the most basic level, you need to have a website that looks good, is easy to search and contains relevant information about your business. Better yet, a website that contains information that shows the types of clients you work with and how you can help will encourage the right prospective clients to spend more time on the site and return to it. Most referrals come from word of mouth but prospective clients will immediately search for you on Google. First impressions are important and an impressive website will build credibility and trust.
If you already have a strong website in place, you should make sure your site is optimized for search engines. SEO (search engine optimization) is the practice of developing your online presence in a way that enables you to show up higher in search results. There are many ways to improve your SEO but one place to start is by using keywords on your website. What will people search for when they are looking for you? Think of any specific niches you may have like “Financial Advisor for Doctors” or “Financial Advisor Divorce”. Including these words in blogs and pages on your site can help increase where you show up in searches.
If your business doesn't have a presence on major social networks, chances are your competitors do.
This is especially true as a financial advisor. Your peers are using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to engage with their current and potential clients. Having a presence on these platforms will increase engagement and create an interactive space. The advisors having success in this space are looking at it as an extension of their website and another way to showcase their brand. Being intentional with your posts and making them as meaningful and impactful as possible will help people get a feel of who you are and the types of clients you work with.
Content is the foundation of your online presence. It's what makes people want to stay on your site—and return again and again. Your content needs to be interesting and relevant so that users come back for more after they've read it once or better yet, share it with others. Whether you are a content creator or content curator, it's important to have a variety of quality content that you can post and share.
Having a strong online presence is vital for modern advisor practices. It’s easy for clients to get lost in the sea of websites and social media accounts but, with these simple steps, you’ll be well on your way to building a presence that gets noticed. It’s key to remember that making sure you are trying to reach the right people and utilizing all the platforms will increase your exposure and strengthen your online presence. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, ensure that all content posted online is purposeful and of high quality. Remember “You never get a second chance to make a first impression” so make sure that it's a good one.
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