What is a good way to stand out from other advisors, showcase your expertise to your target market, and increase your credibility? Publish articles or white papers on LinkedIn!
In a prior post on marketing using LinkedIn, I talked about the importance of getting your profile ready for Secret Shoppers who check you out before they contact you. Most advisors have neglected their LinkedIn profile, which is a turn off for prospective clients. Don’t let that be you!
When working on Business Development with my clients, I prefer to focus on the higher end of the market, and these clients are picky about whom they hire as their financial advisor. They tend to look for advisors who have experience with their particular issues, so it’s important for business planning purposes to curate content that positions you as an expert authority in your field. This helps you rise to level 4 of the financial advisor earning pyramid.
First off, are you asking, “Where is LinkedIn Pulse and how do I find it?”
Click Here to Write Your Article on LinkedIn Pulse
Here are 10 tips for financial advisors who want to publish articles on LinkedIn’s Pulse.
1. Use an image in your post
Using an image will make your post stand out on the LinkedIn home page. Posts with images get 95% more views! When selecting your image, make it one that is impactful, colorful, and memorable. And make sure you have purchased the right to use the image.
2. Longer is better
Some people think the shorter the better, but it’s proven through search engine results that longer posts that are well organized are more widely read. In other words, in depth articles on a particular issue are more widely read and shared.
3. Write for the web
People scan, they don’t read until they determine there is enough information that interests them. To write for the web use:
- Shorter paragraphs
- Bullet points
- Subheads
- Quotes
4. Tell them what to do:
Give the reader a call to action (CTA) at the end of every post.
Example:
◄Contact me to learn more: 480-463-3171 or visit www.ProsperityCoaching.biz ►
5. Link back to your own website
At the end of your article, link back to your website. “Learn more about ABC Wealth Management here” and hyper link the phrase to your home page.
GET MORE EXPOSURE
6. Join more groups
Your article gains more exposure through your membership in groups. The more groups you are a member of, the more exposure your posts and your profile will receive.
Example: you are in a group for corporate executives, and you share your post about corporate benefit packages in the group, all the people in the group will see your post.
7. Begin adding more connections
The more people you are connected with, the more views your post will receive.
Example: you are connected to a Center Of Influence and he/she likes your post, their connections will see your post.
8. Direct Message close contacts
To help your article obtain more exposure, you can direct message 5-10 of your close LinkedIn contacts with this message: “I just wrote this article on the LinkedIn publishing platform Pulse. Would you do me the favor of taking a look at it, and then liking, commenting, or sharing? Here is the direct link to the article: PROVIDE LINK HERE”
9. Use numbers in your headline
In a controlled group, 5 headlines were tested. The headline with numbers and a benefit received the most views.
10. Add an “About the Author” section
To improve your brand message, add a section that talks about your expertise as an advisor, the clients you serve, and any e-books or offers you provide.
Writing your own articles or blogs will definitely help you gain exposure and improve your credibility in the eyes of your prospective clients and centers of influence. Don’t however expect immediate results from this tactic. Provide value consistently over time and you will gain!
