I've used social media to grow my business over the last five years by maintaining and updating a blog five times a week. It's been a good tool and it's definitely been worthwhile. It has helped me grow my business steadily albeit in some rather unconventional ways. Here's how you can use social media to grow your practice, too.
The payoff
Before we explore how to do it, let's get clear on the benefits of using social media.
As I said, I've been writing posts for more than five years. Yes, I've gained clients, but that's just the frosting on the cake. More important, I make sure my current clients get my weekly updates and encourage them to share these posts with their friends, relatives, attorneys and CPAs. This has been the number one way I get in front of new people without wasting time on public seminars or wasting money on direct mail.
My blog is a differentiator and a credibility builder. It's like a business card on steroids. It's a low barrier connector that makes all the difference.
Which media to use
I suppose you could use Twitter and/or LinkedIn to troll for clients, but I have no experience with that. I created a blog and write about financial planning topics instead. I try to write about topics my clients really care about – or should care about.
I try to present the ideas in easy-to-understand language rather than try to impress people with jargon. When I write, my goal is to help the reader understand something they didn't understand before they read the post. Communicate in a straight-forward manner and be helpful if you really want to connect with people.
Assemble your team
Blogging does require some technical know-how but I suggest you hire that talent rather than waste your time trying to become a techno-nerd. Just beware and get good references. When I first started, a firm wanted me to pay them $3,000 to set me up. I found someone else who wanted only $300 for the same job. Shop around and ask a lot of questions.
