Let's face it, in today's digital age, your online presence serves as a form of due diligence. Whether you're reaching out to a potential client or have been referred by an existing one, the first thing people will do is look you up online—most likely on LinkedIn.
Why? Because LinkedIn offers a comprehensive view of your professional identity. It's not just a resume; it's a platform to showcase your career trajectory, accomplishments, and, most importantly, your expertise.
What Potential Clients Look For
Before setting foot in your office or even picking up the phone for an initial consultation, most clients will conduct a background check, and your LinkedIn profile is usually their first stop. When potential clients look you up on LinkedIn, they're not just glancing over your resume. They're scrutinizing your expertise, your social proof, and how you present yourself online to make an initial judgment. They will:
Check for consistency between what you or your referrals have said and what your profile displays.
Look at your endorsements and recommendations as a form of social proof.
Read any articles or posts you’ve shared to gauge your expertise.
What Current Clients Are Checking
For current clients, periodic visits to your LinkedIn profile serve to validate their decision to stick with you. They're interested in:
Any new accomplishments or endorsements that add weight to your professional credibility.
Content that educates them, reassures them, or offers new insights into their financial planning.
Engagements and interactions that show you’re not just active but influential in your field, confirming that they’ve made the right choice in advisors.
The Importance of Building Confidence
When a potential or current client visits your LinkedIn profile, they’re not just skimming through your work history; they are evaluating whether you can be trusted with their financial future. This makes LinkedIn an essential tool for building confidence.
Authority through Content: Regularly sharing insightful articles, reports, or even quick tips about financial planning or investment strategies can go a long way in establishing your expertise.
Social Proof through Endorsements: LinkedIn endorsements and recommendations act as testimonials. These can significantly enhance your credibility.
Visibility through Engagement: Participate in discussions, share relevant content from others in your industry, and don’t shy away from showcasing client success stories (with permission, of course).
Becoming an Industry Thought Leader
To set yourself apart from the competition, you need to be more than just proficient; you need to be an industry thought leader. LinkedIn is the perfect platform for this.
Long-form Articles: Publish long-form articles about trends in financial advising, market analyses, or future predictions. This not only boosts your LinkedIn engagement but also establishes you as a thought leader.
Video Content: Video clips explaining complex financial topics in simple terms or discussing current market trends can be incredibly effective.
Interactive Polls and Discussions: Create polls or open-ended questions that engage your network. This not only increases your visibility but also provides you with insights into what your potential or current clients are thinking.
By focusing on these aspects, your LinkedIn profile becomes more than just a page. It becomes a dynamic, interactive platform that builds confidence among potential clients and sets you apart as an industry leader.
Elevate Your Profile to Stand Out as a Thought Leader
Making your LinkedIn profile a robust platform for thought leadership involves more than just sharing content and engaging with your network. It requires optimizing your profile in specific ways that draw attention to your expertise and credibility. At Big Fish Advisor Services, we specialize in enhancing your LinkedIn presence, and here are some features and strategies to help you stand out:
Creator Mode
One of the newest features on LinkedIn is "Creator Mode," which transforms your profile to highlight your content over your career details. This mode shows off the number of followers you have, instead of the number of connections, highlighting your influence within the community.
Why it Matters: The number of followers is often considered a metric of authority and influence. The more followers you have, the more people are interested in what you have to say.
How We Can Help: At Big Fish Advisor Services, we offer strategies to significantly boost your follower count organically, increasing your reach and impact.
Featured Section
LinkedIn allows you to add a "Featured" section, where you can display your best work—be it articles, video presentations, or case studies.
Why it Matters: The "Featured" section serves as a portfolio of your most impactful work, giving visitors quick access to your expertise.
How We Can Help: We can assist you in selecting and presenting your best content in a way that aligns with your brand and resonates with your target audience.
Skill Endorsements and Recommendations
Encourage satisfied clients and professional peers to endorse your skills and write recommendations.
Why it Matters: Peer endorsements and recommendations add a layer of social proof to your profile.
How We Can Help: We can strategize ways to solicit and showcase these endorsements to optimize their impact.
Engage in Meaningful Interactions
Don’t just post content; engage with your network through meaningful conversations, comments, and collaborations.
Why it Matters: Engagement humanizes your profile and keeps you at the forefront of your network’s consciousness.
How We Can Help: Big Fish Advisor Services can guide you on best practices for meaningful LinkedIn engagement that extends beyond merely liking or sharing posts.
By incorporating these advanced strategies into your LinkedIn profile, you're not just listing your qualifications; you're building a dynamic platform that portrays you as a thought leader in the financial advisory field. With the specialized services from Big Fish Advisor Services, you can take your LinkedIn engagement to the next level.