IMAGE: Saulo Mohana / Unsplash
In the past, advisors relied heavily on cold calls, door-knocking and referrals to meet new clients. While these are all still valuable prospecting tools, today’s advisors have the ability to reach out and connect with thousands of potential clients at the touch of a button using social media.
BLOGGING
Blogging allows advisors the opportunity to transform their knowledge and passion into dynamic content that simultaneously engages existing clients, while subtly spreading their message to new prospects. To be successful, you must regularly and consistently post engaging content.
Be realistic in how many posts you have the time to deliver. Convincing yourself you can magically find the extra hours to blog daily is setting yourself up for failure.
Use an editorial calendar to plan out your posts and stick to it religiously. If you’ve dedicated yourself to post every second Monday, post every second Monday without fail. It doesn’t take long for readers to fall into synch with your schedule.
Use a post scheduler to auto-publish your content on specific dates. Most blog platforms have a feature that allows you to schedule when you want a post to publish. Upload two articles at the beginning of the month, schedule them to post every other Monday and you are good until next month.
Create quality, engaging, and relevant content. Before you write, think back over the previous few days to specific questions clients may have asked, or topics that may have repeated themselves throughout your week. The odds are good that others are asking those same questions and are online searching for an answer right now.
Mix it up. Your blog posts don’t always need to be articles written by you. Media, images, infographics, podcasts and links to other relevant content you’ve seen online can also keep readers engaged and be a fun way to add personality to your posts.
Share your articles on social media. Good SEO goes a long way, but if you want to get the word out, share each blog article you post across all your social media accounts. Be sure to give your posts edgy titles; edgy titles get more clicks.
Respond to each comment you receive. If a potential client phoned and left you a message, you’d call them back immediately. Replying to comments left on your blog should be treated similarly.
SOCIAL MEDIA
Like blogging, having a set schedule and being consistent with your social media is imperative. If you can’t take the time out of your day to stay on top of social media, try designating one day a month to social media content creation and using a social media management platform to auto-schedule your posts throughout the month.
Go through your network’s connections for an introduction opportunity. You can ask for an introduction through LinkedIn, or if you’re comfortable, just pick up the phone and make the request in person.
Send messages offering your services to second-degree connections. The advanced search feature allows you to tailor your search using environment and social actions to target specific demographics containing likely prospects. Once you have a list, send out emails offering your services. When asked about this technique, one advisor said that in sending out a dozen emails a day, he found he had a response rate of around 15%.
Check in with connections. Every week, reach out and touch base with a couple of connections you haven’t spoken to in a while. Taking a genuine interest in the lives of your connections opens the door to future referrals.
Be interesting, not self-promotional. No one likes the guy at the party that can’t stop talking about himself. Use Twitter to feed followers interesting and relevant information, interspersed with the occasional self-promotion. The key is to add value – link to your blog posts, interesting articles from reputable sites, share deals, share podcasts you follow or even live tweet the next conference you attend.
Follow new people and engage them. Start following industry leaders, publications, corporations, and businesses who are likely to have followers you would be interested in reaching out to. Retweet, like and reply to their tweets.
Exercise good judgment when posting. Once you post content online, you can’t take it back; so think twice before you post or reply. Always take the high road in questionable conversations. Thank people for following you, retweeting and liking your posts.
Monitor who is liking and sharing your posts. The key to prospecting on Facebook is seeing who likes or shares your content. If someone is liking and sharing your content often, they are a potential client.
Ask existing clientele to like your Facebook Page. This gives you the opportunity to keep up with what is important to them and what’s going on in their lives. Showing you’re genuinely interested strengthens the client-advisor relationship you already have with them.
IN SUMMERY
When used consistently and to its fullest potential, social media is an effective relationship-builder and an excellent way to meet potential clients. By implementing even a few of the strategies outlined in this article, you have the ability to reach out to thousands of prospects you may never have otherwise had the chance to meet.