Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
Practicing good social media etiquette is critical in the digital economy.
Raise your hand if you like getting solicited from random strangers. Strange, I don’t see anyone’s hand raised.
The pandemic has nearly doubled the number of requests I’ve been getting on LinkedIn from people I have zero connections to. While many of them seem innocuous enough, the majority aren’t. These “harmless” requests may seem like an ideal way to expand my network, but far too many times they end in disappointment. If you’re fed up like me, the rest of this article will put a smile on your face. If, however, you fear you may be an offender, then please read on for some tips on how you can improve.
Let’s start by asking the question, “What should LinkedIn be for?”
It’s about developing your network and elevating your brand. The best marketing experts will all tell you that to succeed in today’s economy, it is no longer about mass appeal, but about niche targeting. You don’t need your message to be heard by everybody to generate enough leads; you need it to be heard by a narrowly defined audience that has the highest likelihood of becoming a client or partner. Since I know my brand and value proposition extremely well and have a clearly defined target audience, I’ve always tried to be strategic with the connections I both pursue and the ones I accept.
This is my first tip: To optimize LinkedIn for yourself, do not use a buckshot approach spraying connections requests everywhere based on “suggestions” or people from your network you don’t want to do business with.
Admittedly, with many people reaching out to me, every once in a while, I do decide to give someone the benefit of the doubt and let my guard down. Nine times out of 10 it is a bad idea. My second tip is: Go with your gut because it’s normally right (that’s true for food and LinkedIn).
In the digital marketplace, the wrong content is deadly.
People tune you out or don’t respond favorably because you’re demonstrating you don't know them very well. Far too many financial professionals talk at their audience instead of talking with them and inviting them into a conversation. My third tip is: Don’t be tone deaf. Develop an audience-first mindset to meet people where they are. Provide your connections with meaningful content and start the relationship by supporting their growth and aspirations before you invite them to work with you.
Let me share with you my list of dos and don’ts to help you take a more strategic approach and see much better LinkedIn results.
Let’s start with the don’ts
Don’t send auto-generated LinkedIn invites
Either send a personal note or no message at all, but the canned invites demonstrate you are thoughtless about your approach at the outset of forming a potential relationship.
Example: Hi Brian,
Hope you are well. I am actively seeking new connections on LinkedIn and was hoping you would become one of them.
Warm regards,
SOMEONE WHO CAN’T THINK FOR HIM/HERSELF ENOUGH TO PERSONALIZE THINGS
Don’t connect with anyone who asks
Place a high value on forming meaningful relationships. Have a strategy for growing your network. If you have too many connections that don’t represent your target audience, you lose the power of socialnomics. Socialnomics, as Erik Qualman describes it, “is one where your digital connections that are kindred spirits will actually interact with you and support you…and eventually even refer people to you.”
Don’t be tone deaf to someone’s response
Example:
NOV 7
Hi Brian, thanks for connecting.
So many families are scrambling right now, doing their best to figure out what to do with their finances and how to plan for their future during this crisis. To that end, we have a program that helps you get in front of high income families that need your help (especially during a crisis when they need you most). Most of our advisors using this method are acquiring 2-3 new clients a week worth $3000-$10,000 each plus AUM if they are securities licensed.
We’ve taught it to 1000s of advisors over the past 20 years across the country and I'd love to share the details of how it works.
May I send the details your way?
Thanks,
SOMEONE WHO’s clearly not interested in you for anything more than selling you something
Brian Haney CLTC CFS CFBS CIS LACP CAE sent the following message at 7:30 AM
No thanks SOMEONE. Not looking for solicitations when I connect with people virtually. I use LinkedIn to develop virtual relationships and get to know others but since we have yet to form such a relationship I have to be up front and tell you I’m not interested. Thanks anyway though!
JAN 5
Someone sent the following message at 4:46 AM
Hi Brian, and happy new year! I wanted to get your take on this ...
We've launched a new service where we generate 10-20 appointments for financial advisors with high income families in their area who desperately need their help to navigate this new economy. We fill virtual rooms with your dream clients, create a presentation for you to share and ultimately have you close 2-3 new clients a week. These results are typical of what we see w/ the 80+ advisors we've worked with thus far.
Seeing your background I thought this could be of interest. I'd love to set you up a call with myself or a member of our team to share more details + network a bit + give you a better sense of how we could add a new revenue stream to your business.
Perhaps a brief chat later this week or next?
Best,
SOMEONE who clearly didn’t listen the first time
Brian Haney CLTC CFS CFBS CIS LACP CAE sent the following message at 8:14 AM
No, thank you
Don’t be a yucky salesperson
No one likes being a part of an online lead-generation system that is impersonal. Yes, salespeople are trained that it is all a numbers game, so send out as many messages on LinkedIn as you can and something is bound to pop. However, with more and more people recognizing the “game,” the likelihood that this ends up alienating potential customers while damaging your brand is the greater risk. A lot of studies show that client retention suffers when the basis for the relationship was built on “sales scripts and tactics” and not on relational understanding.
Be wary of how you use automatic content-posting services
While they have the advantages of being convenient, trackable, and offer the convenience of a “set-it-and-forget-it” auto-post dynamic, they are widely utilized, which dilutes your brand and makes what you produce seem thoughtless and impersonal. People can tell how much thought goes into your posts, just like they can tell how much thought you put into a card or an email. Covet and protect your brand at all costs and be sure your messaging is a positive reflection of your practice and yourself.
Let’s end with my favorite list of LinkedIn dos
Connect to people for genuine and legitimate reasons
Be interested in who they are and what they do. If you have well-developed “buyer personas” that are driving your niche market development efforts, then take some extra time to consider the connections you’re approaching. Read their profile and some posts before sending an invite request so you can add a personal note like, “Hey, I really found your post about X interesting and would love to become a connection and see more of what you’re doing!”
Get to know someone virtually before approaching them for business
Be interested! No one likes spam emails, robo-callers, door-to-door donation grabbers, or used car salespeople, so be the opposite of that. When you demonstrate you listen and know someone, it creates a level of understanding that is a much better basis for starting a business relationship than, “hey, I am short on my sales goals and need to find some new leads fast!”
Be considerate
if someone responds negatively to your request or your posts, be respectful of that. There’s plenty of prospects, so no need to constantly re-approach people who have responded negatively before.
Be authentic
Being the best version of yourself trumps slick language, scripting and tactics by a landslide. When you’re personal and genuine people can tell and will respond a lot more favorably than if you’re scripted or methodical.
Understand the power of two-way communication
Build better relationships by connecting to your audience and drawing them in with engaging content that sparks thought-provoking conversations. Find the practical places (platforms) and spaces (groups) where you need to be to thrive.
To be a social media superstar, align your focus on providing value to your audience. After taking the right approach and getting to know and understand them more in the digital space, create content that meets them where they are and addresses expressed needs you know they have.
The best content has an offer to it. It helps your audience act and take a step. For example: “Want to learn more? Download the free whitepaper here.” Develop a social media presence that is short, simple to create, and leaves your audience wanting more. We have massive capacity to share our brand with the right audiences and demonstrate our credibility in ways that will lead to meaningful and profitable relationships long term. It all starts with practicing good social media hygiene!
Brian Haney is a certified income specialist who loves helping clients put the retirement puzzle together. Brian is a registered representative of Coastal Equities, Inc. and an investment advisory representative of Coastal Investment Advisors, Inc. Investment Advisory Services are offered through Coastal Investment Advisors, Inc., and securities are offered through Coastal Equities, Inc., Member FINRA/SIPC, 1201 N. Orange St., Suite 729, Wilmington, DE 19801.
Read more articles by Brian Haney
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
