As a financial advisor, your business hinges on your reputation. In this age of technology, reputation is built and maintained online.
Here are a few tips on how to protect your online reputation.
- Check your online review
Google your or your company’s name and look for the reviews. When a prospective client does an online search on you and sees a bad review, he or she may not approach you.
To deal with this, respond to the reviews. If it is a positive one, give thanks. If it is negative, argue your case keeping tone of the response respectful. This will show to prospective clients who are ‘googling’ you that you care and do your best to rectify a bad situation. Try to improve your business over time so that you get a positive review.
And remember, the more recent the review, the more power it holds.
- Set up Google alert for your name
All you have to do is visit google.com/alerts and enter the search term you want to track separated by commas. You can think of Google Alerts as customised Google searches that deliver specific search results to you, automatically. You get a notification in your inbox every time someone writes something about you or your company (or about anything else for that matter). Therefore, even if you are dealing with other tasks, you are aware of what is happening online.
- Keep your social media profiles updated
If you are on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Instagram or Snapchat, make sure it is updated regularly. Having an inactive social media presence is worse than having none at all.
“Are they still in business?” “Why are they so out of touch?” “Will they be able to communicate with me effectively?” These are all questions people ponder on when they land on an abandoned social media profile. So make sure you keep yours updated.
Since some of your prospects and clients will prefer to communicate over social media, be sure to give them a clear picture of platforms you use.
- Don’t get into online arguments
There is an old quote by Benjamin Franklin that says, “A man convinced against his will, is of the same opinion still.” These are words to live by, because even though you might technically be right in an argument, you cannot really win. Instead, you run the risk of looking petty, harsh, or unprofessional. None of these is good for financial advisors.
- Be relevant to what you post
If a client searches for your agency’s name, you would want to be found in the best light. One way of doing this is by presenting yourself as a knowledgeable, trustworthy professional. This also means backing it up with content and knowledge.
Create a blog where you can display your expertise on mutual funds and personal finance. Add informative material prospects can use. If you present and back up your agency as an expert, others will see you as one.
