The Best Ways For Advisors to Use LinkedIn
In the rapidly evolving landscape of financial advisor marketing, staying ahead of the curve is essential.
One platform that has proven to be immensely helpful for advisors is LinkedIn. With over 800 million users globally, LinkedIn has evolved from a job-search, resume platform to a powerhouse of networking and business development opportunities. In this blog, we'll explore the best ways for financial advisors to harness the power of LinkedIn to grow their client base and enhance their digital presence.
1. Optimize Your Profile
Before you start anything, make sure your profile is fully optimized, making sure you have filled out all the areas LinkedIn itself recommends. Pages with complete information get 30% more weekly views (Spout Social).
Here's what you should focus on:
Professional Photo: Use a high-quality headshot where you appear approachable and professional. Make sure it is current. A 10-year-old photo, no matter how good it looks, is no longer relevant.
Compelling Headline: Your headline needs to communicate your expertise and value proposition. Avoid generic titles like "Financial Advisor." You want to tell people what you do and convey that in a way that lets people know how you are going to be able to help them. Below are formulas that are a good start:
(Title) at (Company) – Helping USP (Unique Selling Proposition)
(Title) | (Company) | (USP)
Title + Company + benefits of working with you | keywords related to your niche | personal touch (HUBSPOT)
I [help/action word] [ideal client] achieve [desired result/transformation] (Natalie)
Banner: This is free retail space. Use it to your advantage. Random stock images might look nice, but they aren’t selling you. They aren’t telling people what you do. So think of this as your mini billboard. Use the space to grab attention and invoke action. Below are some of my favorite banners. You will see how they use social proof and tell a story about who they are and what they do:
Contact Info: This section allows you to provide further information and the best way for people to contact you outside of DMs. Make sure this information stays up to date.
About: Your About section is not your resume. This is where you have an opportunity to connect on a personal level, differentiating yourself from others. Clearly state who you are, what you do, and how you help clients. Use this to connect on a personal level. And don’t forget to add in your distinct personality.
Here are a few examples of About sections that stand out:
Experience: Detail your work history and accomplishments. Showcase your financial advisory experience and any relevant certifications.
Skills and Endorsements: List your skills and encourage clients and colleagues to endorse them (if allowed by compliance).
Recommendations: Request recommendations from satisfied clients or colleagues who can vouch for your expertise (If allowed by compliance).
2. Compelling Content
To establish yourself as a thought leader and engage your network, you need to regularly share valuable content. What is important is to make sure the content you are sharing is content your audience actually likes, not what you think they will like. It is easy to fall into this trap.
A few ideas on how to find out what your audience wants, ask your audience, pay attention to FAQs, run polls, and check out Google Trends.
Here are some ideas you can implement:
Images Work: When it makes sense, add a photo to go along with your post. But only if it makes sense. Don’t add a random photo for the sake of it. And when using images, using your own is the best way to go. Stock images will not perform as well. Using images in your posts has the potential for a 98% higher comment rate compared to text-only posts. But not every post. Mix up your feed.
See below and let me know which one you think will perform better if I am trying to reach my audience and develop trust:
Educational Articles: Write or share articles on financial topics that are relevant to your target audience. Make sure you break up the content so there is white space and add graphics where relevant. (Ahem, similar to this blog!)
Videos: Create short, informative videos about financial planning, investment strategies, or industry trends. Pro tip, create vertical videos instead of horizontal.
Show Who You Are: If you don’t want to sound like every other advisor, then you are going to have to create content that is different. Don’t neglect showing your audience who you are outside of work. This is how people get to know you on a more personal level. Occasionally share about your hobbies, your favorite books, your pets, your family, and even your favorite meal. These will be some of your best-performing posts because people like to see who the real person is.
Client Success Stories: Highlight client success stories (with permission) to showcase your expertise and the positive impact you've had. Another pro tip: ask your compliance how they would prefer you to share client testimonials, that way you have a solid layout of how you can use client testimonials and still appease compliance.
Market Insights: Share your insights on current market trends and their potential impact on investors. Major deal here, don’t just share a link to market insights, share them along with your thoughts on the market updates. Your audience wants to know what you think and are seeking your expertise.
Engage in Conversations: Join relevant groups and participate in discussions to demonstrate your expertise and build connections.
Tip: Try as much as you can to not include links in your posts. The reason behind this is a link means that if people click on it, they leave the platform and no social media platform likes that, so they go against the algorithm. If you have a link to share, let your audience know they can find it in the comment section.
3. Connect and Expand Your Network
LinkedIn is all about networking. It is a social media platform. The first word is “social.”
So make the most of it.
Also, without ongoing connections and conversations, your content won’t go very far. This has been proven by many tests and research. Content and engagement go hand in hand, they are not separate.
Here are a few tips:
Connect Strategically: Connect with the right people. Those who it makes sense to be in connection with. Those who are in your niche. And yes, it is okay to connect with other advisors, this actually can work out in your favor. It is similar to when you see a CVS and Walgreens next to each other. Yes, they are “competitors” but in reality, they bring more business to the area. The same concept applies online.
Follow Influencers…With Caution: Follow industry leaders and influencers to stay updated on trends and gain inspiration for your content. But, do this with caution. I don’t recommend following too many influencers as they can cloud your feed. It is more hard to have meaningful conversations with influencers and followers of those influencers, than it is with closer connections. So, choose those influencers you follow with a clear purpose in mind.
Engage with Connections: Do this consistently. Engaging with your connections not only helps with relationship building but it also acts as a ripple effect. The more you engage, the more your profile and content get seen, the more visibility you get.
Attend Virtual Events: Participate in virtual conferences, live events, webinars, and events to network and learn from others in the industry. Doing this occasionally just might surprise you with the connections you will make.
4. Showcase Your Expertise
One of the most effective ways to demonstrate your expertise is by publishing articles.
Note, LinkedIn articles don’t get the most visibility on the platform, however, they work wonderfully for showcasing your expertise and SEO. Do not skip on this.
How many articles should you write each month? I would recommend a minimum of one per month, however, the more you do, the better the results. It is completely up to you and how much time you have.
And here is a fun hack: do you have blogs? If so, turn those into LinkedIn articles.
Don’t believe me, look at the top 4 hits when I Googled my name. This works!
5. Join and Participate in Groups
LinkedIn Groups are another way to connect with like-minded professionals and potential clients. Find groups related to your niche or target market and actively participate.
The key to groups is to choose wisely. And you will most likely have to go through some duds to find some good ones.
But once you do, the targeted audience and conversations are much more impactful.
Most groups don’t want you to sell, so keep that in mind when you are joining and interacting with others. The best way to use Groups is to share insights, thoughts, ideas, and to network.
You can find more information here about LinkedIn groups.
Premium analytics offered:
Profile Viewers: With the free version, you get to see a limited amount of those who have viewed your profile. With Premium, you get full details.
Search Appearances: With the free version, you get to see how often your profile appeared in search results between a certain date range. With the paid version, you get to see a full 365 days.
7. Stay Consistent
Consistency is key on LinkedIn. Heck, consistency is the key to anything worthwhile.
Best recommendation here: make a schedule for posting and engaging with your network, and stick to it.
As Kirk Lowe, CEO at Proudmouth often says, “Start and stop marketing is stop and start success.”
Building a strong presence takes time, so be patient and persistent.
Wrapping it Up
LinkedIn is a powerful tool for you as a financial advisor to grow your client base and establish yourself as an industry expert. Remember, success on LinkedIn is not overnight, however, with dedication and strategic effort, you can reap the rewards in the form of new clients and enhanced credibility.