There was an era when advertisements were predominantly transmitted through radio, television and newspapers, which was essentially a one-way communication. It was very expensive for sellers to advertise. Now, as more and more people get connected on the web, it has become easier for marketers to reach out to their audience in a cost effective way.
Today, most consumers research and compare prices on internet before making a buying decision. In fact, studies have found that clients, especially younger ones, do a background check of financial professionals online before even meeting them by checking out their social following and online profiles in particular. Thus, having your virtual identity has become essential.
So here we are a few tips which will help you create your virtual identity:
Strong foundation
The secret to creating a successful identity is to start from the basic, i.e. create a strong foundation. Everything has to be worked on – website name, domain and content. Treat it like your child who has to be named and groomed so that people judge you on the basis of your children or here the identity you create online.
Select your audience
You have to understand your target audience and try to reach out to them accordingly. For example, if your target audience are single working women then try to share tips on having a health insurance, tracking expenses, avoiding debt, building an emergency corpus, etc. to connect with them.
Design your website professionally
This may require you to spend a little extra from your pocket. In order to create a professional website you have to get it designed professionally. Here are some tips that can help you create a good website:
- Never go for a pre-package template. Create your own template and make sure to copyright it.
- Have a mobile version for the website. It is easy for clients to navigate when they access the website through their smart phones.
- You can even create an app for your website which can have features like money tracker, mutual fund calculator, etc.
- Protect your website from hackers by installing anti-virus software.
Detailed ‘About You’ page
People normally hit the ‘About you’ page first when they visit any website. If you are planning to invest in a company you would first want to know about the company and the owners. So tell your story to them. Write it as if they are sitting in front of you. Try to talk about your vision and mission and if you have a workforce, make sure to introduce them to your prospects.
Create a blog
Blogging is the new postal system to connect with clients. It lifts your website from being just a brochure to providing an insight into you and your firm.
Thus, it is necessary to interact and share your personal experience with your clients and your potential clients. For instance, Warren Buffet has been doing it since 1977 through his letters.
Case Studies
Publish case studies and client testimonials on your site. This will give an idea to your prospective clients about your work ethics, style and approach to investments. More importantly, this helps in establishing your credibility and building trust.
Conclusion
So whatever we discussed so far was more about creating your identity. Once your platform/website is ready, then comes social media. After your content is ready, you can start featuring your stories on other sites and blogs or tie-up with financial magazines and personal finance news portals. The more content you get across the more visibility you get.
If you need any help just drop a comment below!
