9 ways to track down those Internet leads

We live in a day and age when people flock to the Internet for just about everything: entertainment, research, shopping, social interaction, etc. While people used to physically search for a financial advisor, now they go to the Internet to educate themselves about financial planning and retirement.

Given that the Internet is such a consumer and research Mecca, it is essential that you find ways to engage prospects and make a good first impression. Here are nine quick things that can help you achieve your online goals:

1. Do webinars and promote them on your website. Webinars are an awesome lead-generation strategy. You not only build thought leadership, but also acquire a strong list of leads. After your webinars, aim to network and build stronger relationships with those who attend.
2. Emphasize your level of expertise. What makes you a credible, reliable and sought-after advisor? Who currently works with you? Where has your content been featured? What books have you written? Have you been on radio shows or television? Make sure all your credentials are visible and prominent on your website and that your bios are on social media.
3. Create offers and calls to action. Did you know that companies with 30 or more landing pages generate seven times more leads than those with fewer than 10? Creating offers is one of the strongest ways to bolster your lead-generation initiatives. Offers can come in the form of downloadable e-books and whitepapers, access to webinars or opt-ins for e-newsletters. Once people sign up to receive the offer, you can continue to market to these individuals with automated email funnel campaigns and invitations to future events and webinars.
4. Circulate your blog and include a call to action. Simply writing a blog is not enough to generate leads. In order to maximize the effectiveness of your blogs, it's important not only to circulate it well, but also to add calls to action. You need to have points of entry in virtually all your marketing efforts.
5. Do a case study and promote it. People are very interested in statistics and the narratives of other like-minded people. Do a case study that piques the interest of your audience while simultaneously conveying the value of your products and services. At the end of your case study, add a call to action.
6. Create a video about your business and promote it. Videos are great avenues for introducing people to your business. As a financial advisor, you can use videos to give an overview of yourself and your company. You can also use them to discuss pressing topics, such as saving for retirement, taxes and college.
7. Offer FREE consultations. Free consultations are a great way to get prospects in the door without the weight and anxiety of commitment. Arranging an in-person or phone meeting with prospects is a great way to address questions and objections without having to bounce emails back and forth. Also, such a meeting is more likely to be effective, because you will have a chance to really get to know your prospect. Even if a consultation doesn't lead to a sale, you are likely to gain insight from such a conversation.
8. Create a LinkedIn Group that your target market would be interested in joining. Groups are an awesome way to build and facilitate conversations that are of interest to your industry peers and prospects. Just think: What exactly are your prospects interested in? Which characteristics do they share? What do they wish to learn more about? Create a group on LinkedIn that will attract your prospects and you will have a plethora of leads.
9. Treat LinkedIn's products and services pages like landing pages. Have you utilized the products and services pages within LinkedIn's company pages? This is a great avenue to promote your products and implement calls to action on your LinkedIn page. For example, instead of including "retirement planning" as a service, include "create your retirement plan today!"

Sign up for The Lead and get a new tip in your inbox every day! More tips:

• What's your lead-generation system up to?
• Get prospects to click on you
• 50 best ways to generate leads