Blog Entries in Social media

I attended a great webinar last week put on by Socialware: 2011 Year in Review: Social Media in Financial Services. Not only did the webinar recap and discuss some of the key highlights and trends throughout 2012, including new regulatory guidance like FINRA Notice 11-39 and large firms announcing their move from prohibition to participation, but the webinar also showcased advisor stats that continue to show interest in social media to drive business. These stats are what I’d like to share with you in this blog post – they showcase advisor usage of social media, the results they’ve achieved, as well as the obstacles that still exist. Let’s delve into these stats and discuss their implications on the financial services industry in 2012...Read More »

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As a financial professional, you spend a lot of time looking for new customers. Your daily routine is consumed by a numbers game where more prospects translate to more clients. The allure of social media is great. But how do you simultaneously navigate social media sites like LinkedIn andcompliance regulations—and still make social media work for you?..Read More »

I remember being a teenager, hopping on my bike, and setting off on the mile long journey to work. As I climbed the last hill a huge billboard would slowly emerge over the horizon. I stared at it intensely everyday, distracting myself from the pain burning in my legs. I always thought, why do they change it when they do? Who decides what to put on it? Why would they put that up there? We spend most of our lives being marketed to. Everywhere we go, we see ads for everything from cars to canned food. As technology changes, we move into a time where there is a computer in every home and 80% of Americans are using social media networking sites daily. How is this different from the days on my huffy?..Read More »

I woke up yesterday morning and began my normal routine of coffee and eggs, and then began scrolling through the barrage of emails on my Blackberry. With 50+ emails waiting to be read I initially skimmed right past the announcement from LinkedIn. However, when I later sat down at my computer I realized what an important announcement this was and the profound impact this will have on how companies interact with clients and prospect on the LinkedIn network. Here’s a breakdown of the updates and how you can implement them on your Company Profile...Read More »

There’s usually one in every company. The cowboy. He’s got a swagger in his walk and a smirk in his talk. He gives lip-service to the rules because he’s smarter than the rest of us. He’s too full of testosterone or maybe a deep-seated desire to get daddy’s attention. Who knows what really motivates him? If you’ve got one in your company, don’t authorize him to use social media. Don’t let the cowboy shoot your firm in the foot...Read More »

In our last blog, we posted the first installment of our guidelines for helping you write a blog for your firm (shown in gray below). Now, here’s the second installment to finish up the series. Remember, these guidelines are designed to help you write the best blog possible, while spending less time and effort doing it. You don’t have to be a professional writer to write a great blog. All you need is a desire to position yourself as an expert in your field, drive more visitors to your website, and attract new clients...Read More »

You’ve probably heard a lot about blogs. Many advisors are writing them. And why not? Blogs can be an effective way to establish thought leadership for your firm, drive traffic to your site, and in the best of all worlds, get a new client or two. You don’t have to be a professional writer to write a good blog. Most advisors don’t have a degree in journalism and aren’t published novelists. Instead, you need a clear idea of what you’d like to say. The determination to put your words in writing. And the willingness to follow a few simple guidelines that will make the process as quick, easy and efficient as possible. That’s what these 21 tips are for.....Read More »

When Morgan Stanley Smith Barney announced in May that it will allow its 17,800 financial advisers to use Twitter in October, I said it was a breakthrough. Here was a major Wall Street wirehouse recognizing that the social media revolution was real and that it had to be part of it. I took a few arrows for that call. Some bloggers and writers thought I was foolishly naive and didn’t understand the fine print. Didn’t Morgan Stanley state that they would allow advisors to use only pre-approved tweets? Didn’t that undercut the conversational power of Twitter?..Read More »