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What inspired you to become a financial planner?
I was inspired to become a financial planner after talking with my career counselor in college about potential careers I could pursue. I always knew I wanted my own business but after studying business economics in college I wasn’t sure a field in finance would be a good fit for me. I had this idea that finance was too boring for me, and being the social butterfly I am, I wanted to make sure I found a career where I was able to think like a business woman, be around people a lot and help them.After talking with my counselor, the career of a financial advisor seemed like a good fit, so I accepted the job offer I received and started at Ameriprise Financial after college as a financial advisor.
What kind of challenges did you face when you started out on your own?
It was very challenging to deal with the cash flow challenges of a business.As a financial planner, I love being able to crunch numbers, run projections and plan ahead but sometimes as a business owner, the uneven cash flow every month can make it very difficult to do so.Over the past three years of having my own RIA (Registered Investment Adviser), I have spent a lot of time and effort really building systems to better handle the ever changing cash flow and have worked hard to make more and more of my business revenue consistent and regular.
You have adopted social media to reach out to prospects. Please share tips on how advisors can reach out to new clients through social media...
First and foremost, have a strong website presence.The website is the first impression your clients have about you and your firm so it needs to speak to them in a very compelling way.You should have a brand and website that clearly identifies your target client and how you can help them with their financial goals and dreams.Your website should have some sort of “free” giveaway someone can receive from you if they sign up to your email list.Once they are on your email list, then you can email them more value regularly and begin building the rapport so they think of you as a trusted resource when it comes to financial planning.I am a big believer in providing as much value as possible to your ideal clients as when it is time for them to do financial planning, they will think of you first and most likely hire you for your services.
How many clients have you acquired through social media?
About 50 financial planning clients since I started my firm almost 3 years ago.
What kind of content should advisors post on social media?
Post content that is engaging, educational or entertainment.Make sure you post content according to the social media site.For example, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn all have different communication styles so you want to make sure you are posting content on each platform accordingly.
Many advisors are using social media to connect with people. How do you stand out?
I have a solid brand and specific way of marketing to my ideal clients leveraging Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.I stand out by providing fresh, light hearted and fun content on my sites that relates to my ideal clientele.
How can they present data/facts in a refreshing way on social media?
Be yourself. People want to do business with people they like and trust so make sure you are communicating in a very personal way with your followers on social media. Be authentic and share personal stories to help relate them on a personal level.
What was the idea behind making a spoof video of yourself?
I wanted to make my finance rap video to spice things up in my marketing.I saw the opportunity to talk about money in a fun and light way and also deliver financial wisdom in a way that people are used to digesting information these days, via funny, creative spoof videos. I followed the approach Buzzfeed (a US based news site) does with their videos and created my own version of what I thought would be a funny approach to learning money management tips. I had a blast and it definitely was a dream come true to make the rap video.