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Prospecting leads on LinkedIn

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Social media provides financial professionals with a powerful tool for prospecting — and with nearly 740 million individuals on LinkedIn, the platform has an enormous pool of prospects. The opportunity for ROI from posting content and interacting with potential clients is obvious, but with so many financial professionals using LinkedIn for business, setting your firm apart will take effort and vision.

Setting a clear, firm-wide strategy about the clients and prospective clients you’re targeting and the tactics you’ll employ will help your team make the most out of its LinkedIn networking. Here are a few tips to get started.

Identify the right targets for you
Casting your net too wide will leave you with too many prospects, so focus on the ones who fit your expertise. Start targeting your niche by presenting yourself as the go-to financial professional for that audience. You can do so by including something specific that introduces you to them in key areas, such as your headline or summary. Instead of simply entering your job title underneath your name, creatively explain what you do or how you help clients, while being clear about your credentials, whether you are a licensed insurance producer, a registered representative, or both. If your skills can help female small-business owners, brand yourself that way and make sure your firm’s company profile supports those claims.

You can also 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’re in the group, you can view the other members and see who is “in your network.”

And, of course, you can use LinkedIn’s extensive search tools to find connections who fit into the niche you want to target.
 
Get a referral
According to LIMRA’s 2020 Insurance Barometer Study,* almost half of all respondents say they have used social media to gather information on financial topics, companies or financial professionals. One of the more reliable sources of leads may be your second-level 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.

Make use of introductions, just like in the real world. LinkedIn recommends asking for a referral from someone you know, or at the very least highlighting that you have shared connections in your first message, to help you get your foot in the door.

Many CRMs can link directly to LinkedIn. Salesforce, for example, automatically allows for integration, so your firm can likely use your existing client communications software with the platform. There are also widgets and sync options for other CRMs.

Use content to show your skills
Creating content for your target audiences will help generate trust and show that you’re a thought leader in your area of expertise. Use attention-grabbing headlines and be consistent with your firm’s overall brand and messaging. Engaging content can be used to keep prospects interested until it’s time for the sale.

Things to do today

  1. Clearly define the customer characteristics of the niche audience you want to target on LinkedIn.
  2. Talk with your compliance officers about flexible communications and rules and regulations for social media.
  3. Check out additional resources to build your digital presence in the Social Savvy Toolkit.

This information is brought to you by Athene — where innovative annuity solutions are powered by unconventional thinking.