Building credibility, online, is key for every professional. Especially a consultant and/or entrepreneur. You have to communicate and prove your worth to potential clients.
As a financial planner, your online brand needs to prove your worth to prospective clients. You can do this through creating a solid online brand and extending it with your LinkedIn profile.
Your LinkedIn profile gives an idea about your background, knowledge, skills, service and product you offer. It’s designed to create an image of yourself as an expert in your field. Your online communication and branding is a powerful and clever way to help prospects get to know and like you before you ask them to trust you.
Imagine looking for a barber shop online. You find its location – Google Maps drives you there. The sign outside says, “Jimmy’s Barber Shop & Locksmith”. There’s a great logo too with a hair clipper and a key shaking hands.
Would you walk in there, confident of Jimmy’s skills as a barber?
I wouldn’t.
What’s Jimmy really good at? Jimmy, do you cut hair or do you cut keys?
If you’re a financial planner with a side business in stocking vending machines, it’s advisable to only display specific information on your LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a website for your financial planner services – get one. Don’t put the vending machine business as your main website link on your LinkedIn profile.
People look for specific, personalized solutions for their problems. What they find about you should immediately say, This person will help me!
Irrelevant information misrepresents the features, advantages and benefits of your service.
Cluttered and confusing information doesn’t help your network get to know you – it won’t bring people to you.
The strategic focus in business marketing has slowly shifted, from seeking potential clients to them finding you. Leveraging your online communication within your existing network of clients is a far more powerful and engaging strategy to building your business.
That won’t happen if your online brand includes information people don’t need. Instead, they’ll doubt the level at which you offer that service. Or, if your service has the personalised experience they are looking for.
