Prospecting leads on LinkedIn
This content is categorized as:Social media provides financial professionals with a powerful tool for prospecting 鈥� and with on LinkedIn, the platform has an enormous pool of prospects. According to , more than half of all consumers who responded say they have used social media to research information on financial products or services. The opportunity for Return on Investment (ROI) from posting content and interacting with potential clients is obvious, but with , setting your firm apart takes effort and vision.
Setting a clear, firm-wide strategy about the prospective clients you鈥檙e targeting and the tactics you鈥檒l employ can help your team make the most of its LinkedIn networking. Here are a few tips for getting started.
Identify the right targets & optimize your presence to reach them
Casting your net too wide can leave you with too many prospects, so here are a few tips to help you focus on the ones who fit your expertise.
Start targeting your niche by presenting yourself as the go-to financial professional for that audience.
Consider how you can use spaces like your profile Summary or Headline to simply describe what you do or how you can help potential clients. Be sure to clarify your credentials, whether you are a licensed insurance producer, a registered representative or both.
For example, if your skills can help female small business owners, make an effort to include references to supporting women and make sure your firm鈥檚 company profile supports those claims. When possible, call out specific components of your work history that help support your expertise, and identify 5-7 key skills to support your industry knowledge.
Join specific groups that are set up for your niche market.
If you want to target web developer clients, join an organization that supports that type of professional in your area. Once you鈥檙e in the group, you can view the other members and see who is 鈥渋n your network.鈥�
Identify, follow, and use LinkedIn hashtags prominently used by members of this audience.
Use LinkedIn鈥檚 search function to discover popular hashtags aligning with subjects of your expertise and begin to implement them into your copy as you create content. You may also consider following other industry thought leaders and influencers sharing about similar topics to observe which hashtags they use most frequently.
Use content to show your skills.
Creating content for your target audiences can help generate trust and show that you鈥檙e a thought leader in your area of expertise. Use attention-grabbing headlines and be consistent with your firm鈥檚 overall brand and messaging. Engaging content can be used to keep prospects interested until it鈥檚 time for the sale.
And, of course, you can use LinkedIn鈥檚 advanced search tools to filter connections by industry, location and mutual connections to discover new prospects who fit into the niche you want to target.
Help build your practice by building your online profile
Start & build meaningful relationships
LinkedIn鈥檚 platform and algorithm prioritizes building meaningful relationships centered on engagement and connection. Here are some tips to consider as you grow your network online:
Consider sourcing new connections with the help of existing contacts.
One of the more reliable sources of leads may be your second or third-degree contacts on LinkedIn. Because you already have connections or relationships with the primary contact, making a connection with their connections via social media is a natural step.
Since LinkedIn keeps track of the acceptance rate of your invitations to connect, it can be helpful to make use of introductions, just like in the real world. Asking for a referral from someone you know, or at the very least highlighting that you have shared connections in your first message, can help you get your foot in the door.
Don鈥檛 forget to engage with existing connections
You may have connections that you haven鈥檛 converted to clients or that could help you find your next lead. Using tools like the 鈥淐atch Up鈥� function under LinkedIn鈥檚 My Network tab can help you keep track of milestones within your existing network and send proactive messages congratulating them on job changes or work anniversaries that could keep prospects warm.
Spending 15 minutes a day to scroll through your feed and comment on or reshare content from your connections can also build upon existing relationships and signal to LinkedIn鈥檚 algorithm that you use their platform to start meaningful conversations. While these interactions may seem trivial, they can boost the reach of your content, comments and following over time.
Consider investing in tools like LinkedIn鈥檚 Sales Navigator
Using a tool like can help you integrate your CRM directly into LinkedIn. Salesforce, for example, , so your firm can likely use your existing client communications software with the platform. There are also for other CRMs.
Things to do today
- Work with your team to define the ideal characteristics of prospects or niche audience you want to target on LinkedIn.
- Talk with your compliance officers about flexible communications and rules and regulations for social media.
- Set 15 minutes a day on your calendar to spend on LinkedIn engaging with existing connections, adding new prospects, or sharing content.
- Check out additional resources to build your digital presence in the Social Savvy Toolkit.
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