A visit to your website, a "like" on a Facebook post, a new connection on LinkedIn, those 140 (or less) little characters that make up a tweet. They might not seem like much, but they can amount to a lot when it comes to strengthening your existing client relationships and helping cultivate new ones. After all, we live in a digital world, as the graphic below shows.
The web and social media are prominent, powerful and have the potential to make a big impact on businesses. That's why it's important to consider the role your digital presence – or lack thereof – is playing in yours.
As a financial advisor, referrals are a critical piece of your ongoing growth, and in the digital age the Internet has become an integral part of the referral process. For Raymond James advisors, referrals represent 90% of new business, and 90% of those referrals use Google, Facebook, LinkedIn, professional websites and more to "vet" a recommended advisor before ever making contact directly. Online presences are the new first impressions, helping to engender confidence in your abilities and even trust long before a discovery meeting, and perhaps the most important presence you can develop online is your website.
More than just an online brochure or business card, your website should be used as a digital extension of your "storefront," establishing or reaffirming your credibility for clients and prospects. It's an opportunity to feature every facet of your brand – save for the face to face – in one place.