The rise in mobile device use, a 24-hour news cycle and online networks that connect us instantly are transforming modern-day consumers. With new behaviors, needs and purchasing habits, the industries hoping to reach them must evolve, too. The demographics most affected by these changes are the Gen X and Gen Y cohorts, which comprise nearly 150 million Americans between the ages of 20 and 55. Overlooking this part of the population would be a missed opportunity for the financial services industry — and a costly one. These groups are accumulating wealth from work, inheritance, and entrepreneurial endeavors, and they’re searching for guidance on how to save and manage it. To meet this growing demand, financial advisory firms are shifting how they attract potential clients and a new generation of advisors who can serve them.

When marketing to these new audiences, firms must understand what motivates them personally and professionally. For example, because they’ve grown up in the digital age, they want to work with advisors who are as tech-savvy as they are. They’re purpose-driven and support socially conscious companies. And, while they connect and interact online, they also seek out meaningful human relationships. We’ve outlined how firms can remain relevant and competitive — and appeal to this new wave of financial planners. 

Be present online

Just like prospective clients, more job seekers are searching online to learn about companies — and they’ll notice if you’re not keeping up. Your firm should have a consistent and engaging social media presence, a user-friendly website, and digital resources and options like web conferencing and self-service. Investing in technology and modern developments gives clients and employees confidence the firm will adapt along with them.

Job candidates will also seek an inside look into your company’s culture. Feature awards such as “Best Places to Work,” unique benefits, and photo- and video-heavy profiles that paint a picture of what it’s like to work with you.

Be socially conscious

Gen Yers, or millennials, are skeptical of traditional forms of advertising and operational status quo. Social responsibility and community involvement are distinctions they value when choosing a business or employer. Highlight how your company gives back and serves, or initiate socially responsible investment options, so they know they can make a difference by working with you.

Be flexible

To the new generation of advisors, time is a precious commodity. They value memorable experiences, time spent with family and pursuing passions outside of work. Additionally, their life choices may be unconventional and non-linear compared to their older counterparts. More people are returning to school later in life or waiting longer to get married and have kids. Working remotely, flex scheduling, paid family leave, tuition assistance, and other forward-thinking benefits are significant negotiation tools when attracting and retaining top talent. 

Be a champion for diversity

Younger clients are choosing firms where they feel represented, valued and understood. The financial services industry hasn’t historically been analogous with diversity. But with recent developments like InvestmentNews’ Excellence in Diversity & Inclusion Awards, as well as more women and minorities joining the field, diversity initiatives are gaining significant momentum and resources. Firms with advisors spanning cultures, race, gender, age, religious upbringing, and educational backgrounds are differentiating their voice in the industry to serve and support clients from all walks of life.

Be human

It’s a big misconception that young people, and specifically millennials, are mobile device addicts with no real people skills. It’s an even bigger mistake to market to young advisors based on this assumption. Young job candidates value working with like-minded individuals in collaborative environments, as well as participating in mentorship that’s truly a two-way street. They don’t want to be typecast in robo-advisor roles, either. This generation thrives on connections and being able to make a difference in people’s lives. They’re seeking opportunities to use their training and interpersonal skills in real human interactions.

Reaching the new generation of financial planners and clients will mean more than just hiring a young person to manage your Facebook page or spruce up your website. The future success of financial firms will be contingent on building workplaces that potentially look vastly different but will have a lasting effect in every area of business.

Source:

U.S. Census Bureau, Age and Sex Composition in the United States: 2018

Email remains one of the strongest ways to reach prospects and clients with little to no cost, but how do you build your email list over time? A strong email list is perhaps the most valuable asset your sales and marketing team owns, and it needs some good TLC. A healthy email list requires weeding, nurturing, and consistent messaging to keep it active and growing. 

Here are some tips and tricks to build your list the right way, and keep it for the long haul. 

Don’t cut corners.

There will be people trying to sell you lists that are thousands of emails long, but the integrity of those lists is often very poor. You never know what you’re getting when you purchase a list. Plus, with the recent crackdown on the CAN-SPAM Act, sending unsolicited emails to a large list with a high bounce rate could land you some serious consequences. Some email platforms restrict you from sending emails for 48 hours or more as a penalty. Make sure your data is clean and there isn’t a mismatch of data integrity between different CRMs if you use more than one. 

Build your list through gated content.

If users are already on your website, there is a good chance they are interested in your product or service. Gated content, like a pop-up on your homepage, is a much healthier way to add to your email list without requiring a purchase. Invite users to subscribe to your newsletter or download an ebook. Put a simple name and email address form on the popup with a message that will entice users with more valuable content. Experiment with different messaging, colors and orientation to boost engagement. 

Optimize blog content.

Make sure you are consistently adding a CTA (call to action) to every blog post, inviting your readers to sign up for your newsletter or download an ebook for more great content. Also, always add social share buttons at the end of your posts so users can easily share with their network.

Invite through social media channels.

Use all your social media channels to invite your audience to join your email list. You can offer them a prize or resource for doing so, and even reward them for sharing your content with their friends and network. On Instagram, have your users follow your account and tag their friends in the post comments for a chance to win or receive a complimentary resource. Always lead these posts back to your website to increase traffic, and educate your target on what you do.  

Be active on relevant blogs and forums.

Frequently participate in the blogs and forums your clients and prospects are a part of and offer insightful comments. Include a link to your website where visitors will find your opt-in form.

Use your business cards.

When you’re at any kind of networking or industry event, make sure to bring your business cards. Add an offer on the back that invites people to sign up to receive your emails. This is a great way to keep up with all new contacts you’ve met face-to-face and capture their information organically.

Don’t let visitors leave without an invitation.

If visitors peruse your entire website without opting into an email list, entice them one last time before they click away. Set a lightbox to appear asking for an email address whenever someone is about to leave your site. This will give visitors one last chance to engage. 

Add personalization tokens. 

If you’re going to send out a mass email campaign, it’s a good idea to make your emails more personalized. A great way to do this is to add a “personalization token.” This plug-in can auto populate a personalized sentence, like, “Hey John, congrats on being on the Best Places to Work list.” Check out Hubspot to add this feature to your emails. 

Send segmented and targeted messaging.

Once you have a good list, start sending emails specifically tailored toward a segment or target within your list. You can segment by company size, title, industry, type of business, radius and more. (Your email platform should be able to give you multiple options.) This will lead to a higher conversion/ROI because the email will feel more personalized. Reach out multiple times over the course of a few weeks. Don’t spam, but be persistent. 

Go beyond the inbox.

As a final tip, don’t just rely on email as your sole communication channel with your targets. Follow up with LinkedIn messages, and find out what events your prospects are going to via LinkedIn, Facebook events, or industry trade shows — and make sure your paths cross. If you have a booth at a trade show, always include an email signup sheet. 

Looking for more helpful marketing how-to’s? Click here to keep reading. 

We’re looking to hire a Senior Front-End Developer. A great fit would be someone who is passionate about their craft and enjoys working with teams to execute projects big and small. The full description is below!

Senior Front-End Developer

Out & About Communications, an integrative marketing and communications firm based in San Diego, CA, is seeking a front-end developer who’s passionate about the craft and enjoys working with a full creative team. This position is comprised of client communications, working directly with the creative and management teams, and other responsibilities as assigned.

This is a part-time position ranging from 12 – 25 hours a week. The position could grow into full time. To apply, submit your cover letter, resume and portfolio to hello@outandaboutcomm.com.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Work closely with Art, UX, Copy, and Account to execute a variety of projects
• Advise on the technical feasibility and functionality of projects
• Work on a variety of projects, large and small
• Maintain projects over multiple iterations
  

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• 3 – 5 years working as a full-time front-end developer
• Excellent understanding of WordPress and WordPress best practices
• Excellent understanding of:
  - HTML5 — including implementation of semantic HTML
  - CSS3 — including pre-processors such as SCSS
  - JS — ranging from ES6+ JS to older versions of jQuery
• Experience implementing mobile responsive designs for a variety of devices and systems
• Experience working with Javascript frameworks such as React/Vue/Angular
• Experience using Sketch/Illustrator/Photoshop
• Experience with PHP and MySQL
• Knowledge of WordPress theme and plugin development best practices
• Solid working knowledge of Git
• Experience with build systems like webpack, browserify, etc.
• Experience working with third-party APIs such as Google Maps
• Basic understanding of SEO principles and practices

NICE TO HAVE

• Experience with cPanel, WPEngine and various hosting platforms
• Experience with mobile optimization strategies such as Google AMP
• Experience developing rich media ads and HTML email
• Experience working with PM software such as Jira/Asana/PivotalTracker
• Previous experience with Linux a plus
• Based in sunny San Diego, CA

WORK BENEFITS

• Flexible working environment (onsite and remote)
• 401(k) benefits available
• Breakroom stocked with snacks and beverages
• Regular team “lunch and learns”
• Parking available onsite
  

WORKING CONDITIONS

We operate in a collaborative environment, so the ability to work and communicate well with others is a must. Our office is climate controlled and has moderate noise levels.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Mobility and sensory abilities required for the organization of events, computer use, telephone access, and communication one-on-one as well as in group meetings. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. Must be able to lift 20 pounds and sit or stand for long periods of time. Work will include some long hours, evenings and weekends.

STATUS

Part time, hourly

CLASSIFICATION

Non-exempt

Effective content marketing is like a well-executed recipe. When done right, it’s the perfect blend of data, well-crafted messaging, and an emotional connection to effectively reach your target audience. Why do some companies have delicious content marketing and others taste, well — burnt, bland or bitter? 

The answer is simple: most businesses are missing the key ingredients to a successful recipe, and they don’t even know it. 

Let’s start by defining what content marketing actually is. According to the Content Marketing Institute, it’s:

“a strategic marketing approach focused on creating and distributing valuable, relevant, and consistent content to attract and retain a clearly defined audience — and, ultimately, to drive profitable customer action.”

Content marketing is not a direct sale. It’s about connecting with your target audience and stimulating their interest in your product/service. One way to get started on a successful content marketing campaign is to backsolve. What is your competition doing that’s working? Use their content as a template. Mimic where they’ve shared their content, look at who’s engaging with it and reach out to those prospects. 

Here are some other key ingredients to put into your content marketing recipe this year:

Examine your metrics to learn what your target market wants.

Crafting a content marketing strategy without data is like trying to drive blind. You don’t know which way to turn, and inevitably, you’re going to crash. Data is your roadmap. It tells you what your audience wants and doesn’t want. It informs you of the pain points keeping them up at night. These are the points you should address in your content, and then lead your audience to a solution. 

Don’t be the definition of insanity.

Don’t do the same thing over and over and expect a different result. It’s time to analyze what you’ve been doing, and if it hasn’t produced results, stop doing it and pivot. It’s time to change your strategy. Are your ads not engaging with your target? Are you getting bounces off your landing pages? Are you not able to get your targets down through your marketing funnel? You’re not hitting them with the right messaging. 

Look at your data and research your target market’s pain points. Try some A/B testing to see which ads perform better. Even changing a title or color can make a big difference in engagement. Try some different channels, too. Where is your target audience spending their time? Do they like LinkedIn more than Facebook? Are they posting inside groups? Again, what is your competition doing? If you see it working for them, be present in the same spaces they are.

Create clear, actionable content.

Every time you post content, make sure there is a clear call to action (CTA) throughout the piece. What action do you want your readers to do next? Does it lead them to a landing page? Is there a link to a blog? A form to fill out to be on your email list? Or does it lead to your contact page for next steps? Whatever content you’re creating, make sure there’s always an action at the end — never lead to a dead end. 

Include gated content.

As soon as your target audience clicks on your site, you have only seconds to keep them there before they move on. Gated content in the form of a pop-up on your homepage is a great way to capture their information quickly. Invite them to download a free e-book or guide in exchange for their email address, or invite them to join your newsletter list, so you can drip content to them about your product/service.

Make your content easily scannable.

In our scrolling generation, content needs to be a quick read. Anything you write needs to pass the scan test. Use lots of headlines throughout your articles and bullet points to break up copy. Even adding the time it takes like, “3 min read” to the top of the article will let your readers know in advance how much time they’ll be investing reading your content. These little tweaks will go a long way in keeping your audience engaged in your content for longer, which increases the likelihood of conversion.

Fold content into a larger campaign.

Look at your content as a part of a holistic marketing campaign and connect every piece together. This will help move your target audience through the funnel. Here are some places to start: 

• Push content through digital ads, like Facebook ads, to create a larger campaign. 
• Create a series of blog posts that lead to a drip campaign or e-newsletter.
• Create a “Lifecycle Campaign.” Think about educating your audience instead of selling them. This is called “middle of the funnel” marketing.
• Give them information and educational resources with your content so they’re learning about the value of what you offer, and how that fits into their unique lifestyle. 
• Have your sales team share with its network by sharing your content on LinkedIn and through sales emails.
• Cross-promote to other pages on your website and link to other thought leaders’ sites. You can ask other businesses to promote you on their sites as well.

Move from digital to print collateral.

Now that you’ve executed on digital content marketing strategies, you can translate that success to print collateral. Any well-performing email can be turned into a snail mail piece. Send a postcard to prospects and offer them a free resource or invite them to a landing page via a unique URL from which you can track open rates. This will determine the success of your mail piece. 

Also, any well-performing PR features can also be used for physical prospecting pieces. Print them out and keep them in a nice folder for walk-in prospects, or use them at trade shows or other industry meet-ups. The more streamlined your marketing looks, the more reputable you’ll look to your prospects. They’ll trust what you say, follow what you do, and then — they’ll want a bite of that delicious pie you’re offering them.  

Looking for more ways to optimize your content marketing strategy? Take a look at the top social media trends every business must know this year.

We are looking for an all-star Digital Marketing Assistant to join our team. Learn more below.

Out & About Communications, an integrative marketing and communications firm based in San Diego, CA, is seeking a go-getting Digital Marketing Assistant to join our team. This part-time position will include day-to-day administrative duties, assignments with quick turnarounds, scheduling content, updating design files, website updates and projects as assigned. Get the full scoop below.

TO APPLY, SUBMIT YOUR COVER LETTER, RESUME AND SOCIAL LINKS TO HELLO@OUTANDABOUTCOMM.COM.

THIS ROLE IS FOR YOU IF…

• If handed content and assets, you could go to town creating a layout in WordPress, HubSpot or Constant Contact. Challenges are welcomed, because you know they’ll help strengthen your skill set.
• Working with tools like Hubspot, WordPress and scheduling tools is your jam. You like playing around with the nitty-gritty details to polish off each product. 
• You know enough about Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop to be dangerous. You can navigate your way around design files to edit and update them. If you have a question, you know Google knows the answer.
• You’re a digital maven. You love digging into all things digital. It’s pretty obvious to you if something looks like it isn’t designed for web or social media. 
• You can work well under pressure. You get a task that needs an edit to polish it off, and you say “I got it!”
• You spot website bugs quickly and enjoy understanding UX, UI, and responsive design and how it works across platforms and browsers.
• The idea of working with a creative team — virtually and in person — sounds like an amazing experience to partner and learn from others who love their craft.
• Bottom line, you’re up for jumping in to learn and get your hands dirty on projects big and small. 

QUALIFICATIONS

• Basic understanding of Adobe Creative Suite, social media, scheduling tools, WordPress, HTML and email marketing tools.
• Fluency in Google Docs and Dropbox.
• Ability to work quickly and efficiently under pressure with strong communication skills.
• High attention to detail when making edits and reviewing documents.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, preferably in graphic design, marketing or journalism.
• 1+ years of hands-on experience with tactical marketing projects from development to execution.
• Must be based in sunny San Diego, CA.
• A self-starter who has a genuine passion for marketing, excellent judgment and an efficient work ethic.

WORK BENEFITS

• Flexible working environment (onsite and remote)
• 401(k) benefits available
• Breakroom stocked with snacks and beverages
• Regular team “lunch and learns”
• Parking available onsite

WORKING CONDITIONS

We operate in a collaborative environment, so the ability to work and communicate well with others is a must. Our office is climate controlled and has moderate noise levels.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Mobility and sensory abilities required for the organization of events, computer use, telephone access, and communication one-on-one as well as in group meetings. Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions. Must be able to lift 20 pounds and sit or stand for long periods of time. Work will include some long hours, evenings and weekends.

STATUS
PART TIME, HOURLY

CLASSIFICATION
NON-EXEMPT

The world of social media is an ever-changing landscape, and to stay in front of the right audience, your social strategy needs to adapt to the trends. Because of this, a good business practice is to reassess where you’re at with your social media strategy every quarter.

With more than two billion users on Facebook, one billion users on Instagram, 300 million users on Twitter, and 260 million active users on Linkedin, social media is by far your richest lead source and a space to keep investing your marketing dollars.

In 2020, there will be more changes rolling out across social platforms that will affect how you reach your clients and prospects on a daily basis. To help you cut through the clutter, we’ve put together the latest trends you should incorporate into your 2020 digital marketing strategy. 

1. Voice search is on the rise

Search is going to be more integrated with social media and according to this prediction, by 2020, 50 percent of search will be through images or voice. Since Google+ shut down in April 2019, Google has decided instead of creating its own social platform, it will incorporate social content into search, making search engine result pages even stronger. This means don’t use marketing jargon in your SEO efforts. Create content around how your target market actually speaks on a daily basis and you’ll expand your reach.  

2. Stories provide a gold mine of reach

More than one billion people use Facebook and Instagram stories everyday. This limited (also called ephemeral) content is a huge opportunity to get your business in front of an active audience. Stories will continue to be a large part of how people interact with brands daily, so it’s important to post them on a regular basis. Here are some tips from Facebook on how to optimize your business’ stories.

3. Influencer marketing isn’t going anywhere

Influencers aren’t just famous TV stars; they are thought leaders in key spaces your target market is following, trusts and reads about. Influencers can be a great way to market your business, but there is a right way and wrong way to go about it.

One thing to consider when using influencers is that social media metrics will be tied to their account, not yours. When you create direct Instagram ads, however, all your metrics are attributed to you. Influencers can get your product or service in front of a loyal audience and expand your reach. Just choose your influencers well. Select influencers who have a loyal following and have built a genuine trust with their audience.

We also suggest not putting all your eggs in one basket. Split your ad budget spend on influencers and Instagram ads and see which performs better. For some tips on how to do this, take a look at this article. 

4. Video content will reign

If you’re wondering if it’s worth it to invest in video marketing, the answer is a resounding yes. Here are some quick stats to give you an idea of the power of video marketing. 

• Last year, at least 85 percent of all internet users in the U.S. watched online video content monthly on any of their devices.
•  In 2019, 87 percent of professional marketers said they are using video as a tool in their marketing arsenal. That is up from 81 percent in 2018 and 63 percent in 2017. This is because video marketers get 66 percent more qualified leads per year through video and the majority of users (72 percent) prefer to learn about a product or service through video than text or any other medium. 

Need help knowing where to start with your video investment? Here’s a quick guide to get you going in the right direction. Keep in mind video content can include vlogs, video interviews, presentations, tutorials, product reviews, testimonials, ads, live stream recordings and product demos. There is no limit to your creativity. It’s about getting personal and helping people get to know you and your company’s personality before they work with you.

5. LinkedIn is now a more viable content platform

If you haven’t noticed, LinkedIn has become a digital content powerhouse and is giving a lot of love (and by love we mean visibility) to people who share a lot of content. With its new content platform, you can post your own blog, give a live update and upload videos to promote your business. If you upload a video directly to LinkedIn’s platform versus linking to YouTube, you will also be more highly rated and therefore get more “hits” or visits. Also, for your posts, we recommend using non-stock photography to make a greater impact. In a way, you become an influencer by sharing more of your ideas, opinions and products on LinkedIn. The more you share, the more your own platform will get a boost. Watch this space.

6. Facebook’s data privacy creates ad challenges

In light of Facebook’s recent privacy scandal and the uncovering of ads used to shift people’s view of reality in the last election cycle, new privacy laws can make advertising on the platform more difficult. Companies can have more walls (figurative and digital) to permeate to reach their target audiences, so ad spend strategies will have to pivot. One new thing you can do is place ads on your existing business pages to reach more of your target audience. More on that here. 

Make sure to check back for more Out & About marketing tips and tactics to help you stay relevant and grow your business. Wondering why some companies are successful with content marketing and others aren’t? Check out our latest post on that here.

The modern marketer knows that using video storytelling is no longer a luxury — it’s a necessity. If you want to increase exposure and conversion, video marketing needs to be an essential part of your overall digital strategy. 

Marketers who use video on their landing pages typically increase their conversion rate by 80 percent,  with 40 percent of users taking some kind of action after watching a video ad. One-hundred million hours of video are viewed on Facebook daily, while five billion videos are watched on YouTube every single day. 

That’s a lot of engagement! So how do you stand out?

Whether you realize it or not, poor video quality creates one more obstacle between you and your audience. Having quality audio and video allows you to make a greater impact on your audience. That’s why it’s so important to use an external audio recording device. Never use the microphone built into your camera. 

To achieve better audio quality for your videos, here are the devices we recommend:

1) A wireless microphone system

A wireless microphone system is best all-around. It syncs the audio directly to your video because the receiver sits on top of your camera and plugs in directly. This allows you to capture good, clean audio from your subject. The Rode Filmmaker Kit is the one our video production team uses most often. You’ll need to be in about a 100-foot range of your subject when recording, which shouldn't be an issue for most situations.

2) A small audio recording device 

The Zoom H1 is another great option. It’s reliable, durable, easy to use and has a long-lasting battery life. Stick this one in the jacket pocket of your subject, who can wear it for hours. Because this recorder doesn't plug straight into your camera, audio will need to be synced up with your video in the editing room. 

Here’s a pro tip: Once both your audio and video are recording, ask someone to clap twice loudly. You can find the clapping sound when you’re editing, and it makes syncing up much easier. The plus side to this method is the device records clean audio independently of the camera, so no need to be in range.

3) Shotgun microphone

Shotgun microphones that sit on top of your camera are good for speeches, meetings, conferences, and lectures — generally situations where your subject is stationary and speaking in one direction. The shotgun mic is directional, so it needs to be pointed directly at your subject. (Aim for the chest of your subject for the best results.) One thing to note about a shotgun mic is that if your subject turns his or her head, or moves out of the direction of the mic, audio with be affected. 

Also, shotgun mics tend to pick up ambient noise (HVAC systems, echoes, etc.), but this can be remedied with a wind sock, usually sold with the mic, or with a parabolic mic that has a small shield around it to block out sounds from either side and amplify sounds coming directly at the mic. Overall, the shotgun mic is a good option if you don't have the time or ability to mic up your subject.

4) Smartphone audio recorder 

To most people’s surprise, smartphones have incredibly good audio recorders built right in. If you’re in a pinch, this is a great option. The only thing you need to buy is a lapel mic, which ranges in quality and price, and an adapter to fit your phone’s input. Much like the Zoom H1 portable recording device, this option records independently of the camera, so you can set it and forget it. This works well for interviews, weddings and conferences, to name a few. 

We hope these tips are helpful next time you find yourself doing a video shoot. As a final tip, we suggest hiring a professional video storyteller to film and edit your marketing videos. Producing your own videos may save money in the short term, but you could risk repelling your audience with a low-quality video and spend four times the hours it takes a professional to edit. This will end up costing you more time, money — and potential followers. By using a professional, you ensure the greatest possible impact on your audience.

Check out our blog on What You Should Expect to Pay for An Effective Video for more information on video production and check back often for more professional tips!

It’s the world’s biggest melting pot. And it’s still growing. Almost 3.5 billion people are on social media now, and an additional million new people create profiles each day. How do financial planners and wealth managers navigate compliance in a social media-dominated world?

Social media marketing can bring your firm great value. When you work in a highly regulated industry, however, you may be concerned that the risks of using social media outweigh the benefits. 

Is it worthwhile to have your team members post on social media? We’ve gathered some ideas on how you can encourage your team participate and connect, while at the same time mitigating compliance risk. 

1. Help them see the value in building your social media presence. 

Offering marketing guidance for your non-marketing team members can be a very positive thing. It can help your team members successfully shape their public profiles and tailor the content they’re sharing to specific potential clients or client personas. 

And, it can help to drive business. For example, 60 percent of financial advisors using LinkedIn for prospecting have successfully gained new clients, some are attracting clients with multiple millions of  assets under management through the platform.

If you’re able to show your team members how strategic social media connectivity can impact them personally and help them close more deals, they’re more likely to agree to post, and to serve as an advocate promoting your continuing success. 

For example, if you have advisors who are working to build relationships with executives in the technology industry, your marketing team can develop blog posts or curate content to address industry- or career-specific issues, then allow the advisors to share it. When they triumphantly seal deals, they’ll remember the marketing resources and social media connections that helped them achieve success, and they’ll go from being neutral or detractors to being excited advocates of your strategy. 

2. Ensure company representatives publicly posting messages are cleared to share content, and provide oversight for the content they create. 

Form ADV includes an option to list social media platforms that will be used on behalf of your firm, as well as the details of the social media channels that will be used. For example, business pages managed by your firm would be included on the form. If you intend to have team members share firm-related information via their personal accounts, the ADV must also reflect that additional profiles will be sharing your content in a professional capacity. 

Provide oversight for team members serving as company spokespeople, even once they are cleared to post via inclusion on your ADV. Content for their social media accounts should be reviewed by your compliance team prior to posting, so you can ensure they are following the guidelines outlined in your ADV. 

3. Understand what platforms might work for your industry. 

Your social media strategy shouldn’t including flinging as many posts at your audience as possible. Instead, take a look at the demographics of your team and the clients you’re trying to reach, and choose your platforms accordingly. 

LinkedIn is viewed by most businesspeople as a great vehicle to connect and network; it’s a place where people expect to receive business and financial information. LinkedIn values interactions and posts from people over posts from company or “official” pages, so encouraging your team members to post or share information on this network boosts your brand’s visibility as well as their individual credibility. 

Your more tech-savvy advisors may be interested in experimenting with other platforms. If they’re working to position themselves as trusted experts in their fields, they may want more virtual face time with their clients and have an interest in creating videos on YouTube, Facebook Live or IGTV.

For example, live videos rank higher on engagement, which may make them particularly attractive to advisors seeking to build an audience; ensure you’re following compliance regulations and the platform is cleared for posting before beginning to create content or film live segments. 

In addition, you may want to consider data retention policies for your industry; you may have specific guidelines on the format of content you’re allowed to post or on what you may be required to save in your files to demonstrate compliance (such as PDF documents showing published versions of articles). And, if you’re required to keep documentation of customer feedback or your responses to online questions/feedback, you may need to invest in a tracking or monitoring system to cover each platform you’re using. 

4. Share case studies of successful, compliant social media interactions. 

The most important thing you can do to build an atmosphere of social media compliance in a heavily regulated industry is to lay out guidelines in black and white. Make sure your ADV is updated with clearly defined guidelines on who can post, where they can post and what type of content they can post. 

If you’re building the content yourself, follow the guidelines to the letter. If you’re having team members create content then pass it through compliance for approval, it can be helpful to provide them with examples of compliant content. 

Supplement the rules and guidelines with real-life examples that drive home the points you want to make. For example, with each rule or guideline you offer, provide examples of posts your company has created in the past that would be compliant or examples that seem appropriate but don’t fit your specific ADV guidelines. 

When you see an appropriate interaction, with the proper disclosures and required text/image/logo sizes, they’ll gain a firmer grasp of what might fit your business’s specific guidelines. From there, they can more thoughtfully create content and cut down on the number of rounds of compliance review and edits to be able to get information posted. 

5. Make it easy for your team to get involved with your social media platforms. 

Becoming comfortable with using social media for business can be intimidating for many people, especially if they’re not comfortable with the platforms. If they’re working in a highly regulated industry and are aware of the potential for issues or the additional work required to ensure compliance, it can be even more difficult to encourage them to engage. 

To mitigate this, you can provide a number of different resources along with your expectations for posting. For example, depending on the guidelines in your ADV, you may be able to give your team members the option to: 

• Share content directly from your company’s official page
• Use a collection of pre-curated posts you or your team have developed. Try to give them this content to review a few days in advance. If you provide it too far in advance, the content may not remain relevant; if it’s too short of a turnaround, you may get additional pushback regarding posting. 
• Provide disclosures. If you can create lists of disclosures and trigger terms, your team members can have the option to begin creating interesting content on their own. Then, you can have your compliance professionals review it to ensure you’re covered before any of the content is posted. In this way, your advisors can begin to develop content and understand the process, but you’ll still have oversight to make sure you’re staying within the regulatory bounds. 

Navigating compliance concerns can be challenging, especially in a fast-evolving area like social media. However, if you’re debating whether it’s worth it, remember: just because you’re not there, doesn’t mean the conversations stop happening. Your existing and potential clients are most likely on social media, and if you’re not actively connecting, you’re missing out on an opportunity to provide value, build relationships, and grow trust. 

If you’re ready to dive into social media, but need some support, our Out & About Communications team is ready to help. Our experienced digital marketing professionals are well-versed in both social media trends and regulatory compliance. Take a look at our portfolio of clients we support, and contact us if you have questions about social media or want to discuss mastering your compliance concerns together.

As a busy marketing manager, you only have only so many hours in a day to make an impact on prospects. By creating a strong presence on social media networks, you have the opportunity to tell your story, position yourself as an expert and nurture connections that can lead to long-lasting client relationships.

Where does LinkedIn fit into your digital marketing funnel? Building relationships organically via social posting is a great way to connect with new prospects or move leads down the sales funnel while being conscious of your marketing dollars.

And, connecting via LinkedIn can lead to additional engagement with potential clients and opportunities to sell. Among social media platforms, it’s the most effective at driving prospects to your site; generating 46% of all social media traffic to company websites.1

Here’s why LinkedIn can be one of the best places to create online community connections that lead to sales success.

1.It’s Important to Be Where Your Target Audience Is

According to LinkedIn’s Organic + Paid Playbook for 2019, digital is slated to pass TV as the leading advertising medium in the U.S. this year — after hitting 33.9% of market share in 2018 — and that share is expected to grow to 47.9% by 2022.

Your target audience is spending their time on digital platforms like LinkedIn. They use LinkedIn to research companies that interest them, and to directly connect with professionals who may offer solutions to their needs.

Research shows us that your customers want to have access to socially qualified information about products and services that benefit them, and about companies they’re interested in doing business with. In fact, 90% of customers want to access online social content like reviews as part of their pre-purchase research. The preference for online feedback and social recommendations is strong; these customers look to their online connections for advice, even if they choose to make their actual product purchase through a salesperson or at a physical location.

LinkedIn is one of the key sources they’re using to do this research, as members are connecting with content via the platform at increasingly high rates. More than 130,000 articles are created per week and LinkedIn feed views have increased 60% over 2018.

2. LinkedIn Engagement Values People Over Companies

While you probably have an official company profile on LinkedIn, it’s important to bring your entire team on board and encourage members to connect and build relationships on this social media platform.

LinkedIn has made it known that it gives preference to influencers and company leaders when determining content visibility, so it’s important to make sure you’re creating a culture of personal connections as well as providing information via your official company page.

For example, GE encourages its executives to share content and publish long-form articles on LinkedIn regularly. By building a robust presence and interacting from personal and company pages, they’re able to position themselves as thought leaders and experts in the field.

If you don’t have the resources to create long-form content on a regular basis, you can still use your network of people to connect and communicate. Focus on curating content relevant to your industry or areas of expertise, then offering your own insights on the content.

Also, encouraging employees to cross promote each other’s posts can allow you to get more bang for your buck on content creation. When they have a wider pool of content to share, they can leverage each other’s networks to grow followers and increase engagement.

3. Posting and Curating Content Creates Relationships

One of the easiest ways to increase engagement on your LinkedIn profile is to ensure your information is complete and you’re giving viewers a full picture of the person they’re connecting with.

For example, just including a profile photo can boost your engagement; LinkedIn users with a professional profile image receive 21 times the page views as those without a photo. (Read our post on fully optimizing your profile to perfect your LinkedIn presence.)

As you begin creating and sharing content on LinkedIn, the following tips can help you increase engagement and build relationships:

• A picture is worth a thousand words. Including images and videos in the messages you share can boost your engagement.
• Use links to boost likes. Posts with links to additional useful content (articles, videos, webinars, etc.) can contribute to a 45% higher follower engagement.

• Follow hashtags to increase awareness. Follow hashtags for topics related to your industry to get a better understanding of what your prospects care about, and find beneficial content to curate. For example, if you work in HR recruiting, following #careers can expose you to content from industry thought leaders, which you can then share on your feed as appropriate.
• Engage with others’ content. If you see something a connection might be interested in, @ mention them. They’ll appreciate the information, and you’ll make your profile visible to others interested in the topic as well. The same feedback applies to commenting; focus on being a good community member and sharing value as opposed to simply targeting sales prospects.

Sharing useful content and creating engagement isn’t just about building a good image for yourself; these efforts create credibility in the minds of your potential buyers. Buyers are more likely to engage if they see you can offer new insights or information related to products or goods that spark their interest.

4. A Little Social Connectivity Can Go a Long Way

When it comes to LinkedIn engagement, more is not necessarily better. You can maximize your social posting efficiency with these tips:

• Post quality over quantity. A recent report from CoSchedule indicates you can post as little as once a day and still see results.
• Thoughtfully curate content. Sharing or curating others’ content can be added into the mix as well, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
• Experiment. Testing out different types of posts and noting their level of engagement will help you get a better understanding of your audience — the time of day they’re online, the types of content they like to consume, etc.
• Use social management tools to support your efforts. You can plan out posts a week or a month in advance, then use a scheduling tool like CoSchedule, Hootsuite or Buffer to auto-post for you. Your responsibility then is to manage the engagement that comes from the posts, responding to comments and building community.
• Cross-promote to increase visibility and engagement. Getting your employees to post and engage authentically with each others’ posts will multiply the effectiveness of your efforts. You can also draft content for your sales team to post as a way to get the ball rolling.

Consistent and relevant posting is key to success on LinkedIn. Start using some of these tips and building connections; you’ll soon find yourself growing a healthy follower base and using social media as a tool to extend your marketing reach.

For more digital marketing how-to articles, check out these helpful posts.

Sources:

1. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-b2b-marketing/2017/10-surprising-stats-you-didnt-know-about-marketing-on-linkedin 
2. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-b2b-marketing/2018/introducing-the-organic---paid-playbook
3. https://blogs.constantcontact.com/do-customers-trust-online-reviews/
4. https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-the-linkedin-algorithm-works-hacks/
5. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-elevate/2017/how-ge-overcame-barriers-to-social-sharing-and-created-an-army-o
6. https://www.inc.com/rhett-power/the-art-of-the-linkedin-profile-photo.html
7. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/marketing-for-education/2018/4-content-tips-for-engaging-prospective-students-on-linkedin
8. https://coschedule.com/blog/how-often-to-post-on-social-media/ 

Whether or not your website is ADA compliant can have real consequences. With websites from Beyonce.com to fifty different colleges being sued over their lack of accessibility, it’s easy to feel you could be the next in line.The reality is that ADA lawsuits are on the rise, with website compliance being the primary issue. As reports continue to come in about businesses being sued for not being compliant, you may be wondering how this could impact your company. 

Why ADA Compliance Matters

We are all familiar with accessibility in our everyday lives. Closed captioning on TV screens, disabled parking spots, Braille alternatives to books or brochures, ramps into buildings, and so on represent “reasonable accommodations” in public places, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In an increasingly digital world, online spaces are often considered public and in some cases, websites have been required to meet certain accessibility stipulations as well. 

Examples of ADA Compliant Websites

Are you curious how your website could be made more accessible? Are you wondering what some of the requirements are for certain websites? Here are some areas to explore.

 1. Make It Easy for Screen Readers - Just as Braille is the print alternative, screen readers may be engaged by some users. Make sure your images and other elements have descriptive alt tags so screen readers can clearly translate what is on the page. Also consider how your text is displayed. Is your content written to make it easy for the screen reader to translate well? Will it sound like how you intended it? Are there headlines to support the reading?

 2. Make Videos More Accessible - Adding captioning on your videos as well as transcriptions can provide greater access to your video content. Also consider the usability of your videos. Is the audio level adjustable? Can a viewer easily stop or pause the video? 

 3. Consider Visual Clarity - Think about users with visual concerns. Is your website crisp, with clear distinctions between the foreground and background? Are navigation buttons well-seen and distinguishable?

 4. Think about General Usability - Think about the user experience for anyone coming to your site, from any number of backgrounds. Is it easy to navigate? Are instructions for filling out forms or other next steps well-explained?  

Website Accessibility Is More Than a Legal Issue

While some are concerned about the legal implications, there’s also a certain practical and moral consideration. Do you want your website to be more accessible to a broader range of people? Do you want more people to have the ability to interact with your website well and gain the information they need? Of course you do! 

Here are two great resources for learning more about making your website ADA compliant - the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines from the Web Accessibility Initiative. 

If you need to make some tweaks to update your website, or you’re ready for an overhaul, come ready more about why your website is one of your best investments.