To equip brokers and advisers on the use of social media and the web, FAnews hosted a breakfast discussion at the Bryanston Country Club, with Innosys as the main sponsor and FMI, iTOO and Francois du Toit as co-sponsors.
The talks were informative as the key note speakers spoke on social media and why it is relevant for your brokerage/practice and to what extent, LinkedIn, why you are not finding clients and what to do about it and how storing client data increases your exposure.
Massive value to your business
Glenda Venn, Managing Director and Founder of It’s a Go Communications, said that different people have different preferences for how they engage with serious financial decisions like insurance in the digital space. “A website is part of a bigger ecosphere of how your brand lives digitally.”
“The value of an online platform is immense. It is your personal branding and introduction to the world. It makes you look credible as a company, business or individual. Online platforms also attract referral traffic, so visibility is essential. Your website is the core of your online presence and showcases your knowledge in your area of expertise,” said Mike Saunders, Founder of Digitlab.
“The biggest power that social media has for you is its ability to help you acquire new clients and influence people. It is a way to do exactly what you do every day. An online presence is your introduction to the world to be able to present yourself the way you want to. Brokers can use social media to build their organisation’s brand and help differentiate themselves early in the purchase cycle. Personal branding builds trust and relationships. Your world is about relationships. An online presence helps you build credibility. If you can find ways to extend your personal brand into the online space, you can add massive value to your business. To build an online presence you need to find a narrative that is engaging enough to find the business you are looking for,” highlighted Saunders.
Not getting the result you want
“Have you connected or tried to connect to people and are not getting results or just feel as though social media or LinkedIn is of no value?” Asked Francois du Toit, Owner of Francois du Toit Consulting and Technology.
“Why are you not getting clients on LinkedIn? Because there is a tendency to connect to anyone and everyone, profiles remain incomplete or badly written, there is no strategy or structure, no value in terms of what clients want and need and we are inconsistent. A badly written profile is like meeting someone at an event or function and you leave the conversation having no idea what they do and what they said,” du Toit said.
“Everything starts with establishing and building relationships. LinkedIn is a place to showcase your unique self and compared to other platforms, we know everyone is on LinkedIn to do business. LinkedIn is not just a space for job seekers; it is a place for you to connect and talk business. It is like a 24-hour networking event,” continued du Toit.
Venn highlighted that there is also a fine line when using online profiles to learn about people. “It gives you great insights into their personal lives and insurance needs, but you also do not want to scare people and make them ask ‘how do you know that about me’.
“Start with a professional profile that sells you, your brand and service to your target audience. Supported by a well thought out strategy and consistent execution. When designing your profile determine what you want to achieve, who you are trying to reach and how you can help them. The look and feel must represent you (profile and cover photo),” said du Toit.
The most important thing, said du Toit, on your LinkedIn profile is the headline. “You only have 120 characters to explain what you do, who you help, using relevant keywords. Use the summary to expand on the headline. Be consistent and engage with people. Remember to ask the person about him or herself. If you are not consistent you will battle to find clients on LinkedIn,” he added.
“You should change your CV-based profile into a professional selling profile,” continued du Toit.
Make digital work for you
“You need to decide on the platform/s you will utilise. This can either be your own personal website, your company website or social media platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or Instagram. You could also utilize platforms that allow you to share podcasts, vlogs, blogs etc,” emphasised Saunders.
“There are Artificial intelligence and pattern recognition tools to help you with branding, from easy to use three step website builders to websites that can help you create eye catching logos. The advantage of these, over and above the cost and efficiency of having a full branding package in a few hours, is that you can personalise and adjust the outputs until the brand authentically matches you” said Venn.
Something to be aware of
Speaking of social media platforms, Candice Sutherland, Cyber Insurance Underwriter at iToo Special Risks, said that more than 430 000 tweets were sent, more than 150 million emails sent, more than 3 million items shared on Facebook, 120 new accounts opened on LinkedIn and 44 million messages were processed on WhatsApp, every 60 seconds in 2017. So, what are the risks of social media? Sutherland highlighted four risks:
“Have strong passwords, use two factor authentication, update your privacy settings and use antivirus on all devices. Be wary of free wi-fi which can leave you exposed. If your phone goes missing, remote wipe it immediately. Talk to your clients about cybercrime and ask them if they are prepared for this risk. Think before you click and for most companies a cyber insurance policy is the only means they have to recover from a breach,” concluded Sutherland.
Editor’s Thoughts:
The biggest power that social media has for you, as Saunders mentioned, is its ability to help you acquire new clients and influence people. A key takeaway from the talks was that social media know-how, coupled with the knowledge on what to look out for, can pave the way for brokers and advisers to build their organisation’s brand and help differentiate themselves. Do you believe having an online presence can add value to your business? Please comment below, interact with us on Twitter at @fanews_online or email me your thoughts myra@fanews.co.za
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