The internet, new media and social media are continuing to grow in popularity and importance for interacting with people. What should advisers be doing to make the most of these opportunities?
Like most things in life, it is not for everyone, and you will probably get as much out of it as you put in. But the question isn’t whether or not we embrace social media. It is, how well can we do it?
Chris Tuite, Rostrum Communications
There is little doubt that the internet, new media and social media in particular are growing in popularity and will continue to do so.
With such huge numbers, the growing role the internet and social media will have in changing the way we purchase financial products is clear.
Most people now research and buy from the web, so making your online presence and third-party recommendations felt is crucial.
People talk and make recommendations online about providers and advisers they trust, so by the time a prospect comes to you they will more than likely have already formed an opinion of your service. It is vital therefore that you have all the basics in place.
Your website should be regarded as your 21st century shop window, and how interactive and easy to navigate it is will play a growing role in defining how successful your protection sales are.
However, you will also need to drive traffic to the site and increasingly, social media is one of the most important tools to do this.
A social media presence that is well-integrated and consistent will generate links and improve search engine rankings, as well as bring in potential new business prospects.
Social media is personal by nature and therefore relationships can be created and maintained with customers and it allows you to influence the opinion formed of your offerings prior to engaging with potential customers.
Advisers and providers need to be involved in the right ‘conversations’ to ensure they don’t miss out as buyers become increasingly armed with impressions of a business before they commit to spending their hard earned cash.
