How many advisors would be comfortable with a prospect viewing their LinkedIn profile instead of their website? The reality is, a large portion of advisors’ traffic is directed to LinkedIn due to the relevance that Google lends to LinkedIn profiles. The headline and summary sections of an advisor’s profile are searchable by keyword, so their profile is as likely to come up as their website in many searches. If you know advisors with LinkedIn profiles that are not up to speed, encourage them to spend one hour today to get up and running!
Here are the simple steps that take no more than 60 minutes:
Craft a keyword-rich summary similar to the “About” section of your website (15 mins)
1. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel and avoid writer’s block caused by perfectionism. Just focus on getting a strong profile written by borrowing from existing sources of information.
2. Answer in the simplest terms, what do you do and who do you do it for? List your ideal clients and the locations that you serve.
3. Pull from the “About” section of your website to explain your firm’s process and services.
4. Add a paragraph or two from your bio to explain your story, relevant credentials and experience.
5. Take a couple of minutes to tie it all together and make sure you use relevant keywords for SEO so Google can find you.
Be sure to link your profile to your website, email, phone number and other social profiles (5 mins)
Always direct your social media traffic back to your website by listing your site’s URL in the “Website” section of your profile under “Contact Info.” Be sure to list your email and phone number so your connections can reach you. Add your Twitter profile too, if applicable, for cross-pollination.
Upload a professional, well-lit headshot (2 mins)
Pull your photo from your website, upload, and crop from the shoulders up.
Enter your education and work experience (10 mins)
1. Click “Add Education,” select your school and degree, and enter your graduation dates. List any extracurricular activities or honors.
2. Click “Add Position” and list your three most relevant or most recent roles. Don’t worry about listing that job from high school; this isn’t a background check, it’s simply a way to highlight your experience and the companies with which you’ve worked.
Upload any presentations or videos that highlight your expertise (5 mins)
For your current position, click on “Add Media” and upload any presentations, videos, or links that illustrate what you do. Presentations are a compelling way to introduce prospects to your firm and what makes you different.
Join three LinkedIn groups where ideal prospects can find you (5 mins)
Think about your hobbies and interests. Then think about your ideal clients’ hobbies and interests. Join three groups where there is overlap. This is how you can interact with prospects you don’t already have a relationship with.
Connect with all clients, potential clients and centers of influence (15 mins)
LinkedIn makes it easy to upload your email contacts and connect with all clients and prospects. On the top of the page, click on “Connections,” and then “Add Connections,” to use the built-in interface to quickly connect with your existing network. Don’t be shy! Most folks are happy to receive an invitation and expand their network. Be sure to add the email addresses for centers of influence, such as CPAs and attorneys, with whom you work.
Link your FMG Suite Social tool to post relevant content that drives traffic back to your website (3 mins)
FMG Suite’s social media tool provides an automatic way to share compliance-approved content with your network. Login to the FMG Suite dashboard, click on “Connect Social Sites,” and enter the username and password for your LinkedIn account. Set it and forget it!
But don’t stop there! Growing your LinkedIn presence is an ongoing exercise. We recommend spending your first cup of coffee or 10 minutes a day connecting with clients and prospects, responding to messages, participating in group discussions, and sharing compelling information! Let us know how it goes by emailing [email protected] today.