Tips to build online presence: Website
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If you do not have a website it is about time you made one, as new age investors research online before investing and looking for an advisor. There are many web-developers who can help you in creating a website that showcases your services accurately. If you lack resources to create a website then there are websites available that can generate a webpage for you without charges; doodlekit is one such example.
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Make sure that your website and webpage gives the right information about your firm and services.
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Make your website interactive and easy to navigate. Create a feedback dialogue box and be quick with your responses.
All of us have heard of the social media site Facebook by now. If you haven’t familiarized yourself with Facebook yet, it is time you did so.
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Facebook is a social networking website that combines professionals and friends.
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If you use Facebook as a relationship building tool, you can market your business and get out there. It makes it easy for you to connect with people you may not have met before on an online platform that’s serious yet at the same time can be fun.
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Facebook is a great marketing tool for small businesses and IFAs because it’s free.
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So the first thing would be to put up a great profile. Establishing a strong profile is the basis of your entire Facebook marketing strategy because it allows you to show what you can do, who you can help and what you have to offer.
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The second way to use Facebook is to reach out to other people in your industry to make connections.
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An advisor could also look into creating a Facebook fan-page which profiles him and his firm accurately and ask his investors to follow it. Also, post on the fan-page if your opinions have been featured in media.
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In terms of downsides on Facebook – just know that this is a public platform. You ought to be careful about what you are showing to the world.
Linkedin:
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LinkedIn is a kind of an online resume that you keep updated at all times.
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It allows you to kind of see your network, connect with other people in your industry. LinkedIn is a great tool to establish your current network.
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Linkedin can establish an advisor as a professional. With all your accomplishments and specialties/ skills showcased it becomes easier for an investor to gauge the expertise of an advisor. And with most of the industry professionals being a part of the linkedin community you open the probability of new avenues for yourself.
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One disadvantage with Linkedin – it is very static. You don’t have the fun element that comes along with Facebook. For example, you can’t write on people’s virtual walls. You can’t leave people messages, which makes it harder to connect with investors.
Ways in which IFAs can use the social media to drive customer loyalty
Maintaining good relationships with customers has reached a whole new level of importance in the digital age. An IFA’s loyal customers will generate “online word of mouth” with positive reviews and mentions.
So, what should an IFA do to manage the complexity of customer loyalty in an online social world? Here is what you can do to get the social ball rolling:
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An IFA can truly understand how to engage clients if they know what they care about. For that an advisor can observe and listen to what the clients are saying online on various social media.
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Engage clients - it is important to actively participate and communicate with clients (e.g., broadcast or thank them for a good review, ask for reviews and more). This is a great opportunity to engage your best clients who are active online by getting them to do more. This could include things such as rewarding them for referrals or sending them bits of interesting information.
The bottom line: Like it or not, online conversations are happening and continue to increase in volume. The good news is that this trend presents IFA with a fantastic opportunity to listen to, learn from and engage with their clients on a scale never before possible. It’s a brand new way to drive loyalty and sales.
