The Business Insights Survey Report for 2014 highlighted that most professional advisers are ready to create a strategic plan and to join the digital world. But where do you start? The slideshare presentation covers some critical areas for your marketing. It is a 101 guide to help advisers to generate a positive ROI with the web and social media. The key take-out messages are - Be strategic, be decisive and be the expert - a true leader in your field of expertise.

1. A 101 guide to generate a positive ROI with web and
social media marketing
@ColinTWilliams – Search for ‘HFS Marketing’

2. What the Presentation will address
 Current trends in web and social media use
 What is the ROI for social media platforms
 ‘Great’ communication more profitable than ‘Good’
 Strategic, tactical and opportunistic marketing
 Your web and social media plan
 Be the expert – The leader in your field of expertise
 Tips for your website
 Tips for social media messaging
 Tools you can use for efficiency

3. Current Trends – Show of hands
Hands Up If:
 You use the web for research
 You have a Smartphone and/or tablet
 One or more in your home is on Social Media
 You (personally) are on Social Media
 You think your client and prospect database share a similar
profile to the results in this room
 Your business has a website
 Your business is on Social Media
 Staff on social media representing your business

4. The Results – No Surprises (I hope!)
 If your hand was up between 90 and 100% of the time,
join the club
 This exercise highlights that the vast majority of
people are now online and on a daily occurrence
 One interesting point – When I do this exercise at
conferences, the most popular platform for advisers is
LinkedIn. Most of their connections are fellow advisers
- They don’t give you referrals! You should connect
with clients and prospects

5. What is ROI – Web and Social Media
The web and social media are ‘platforms’ for
communicating your messages.
Consider these questions:
 What is the ROI on a piano for you?
 What is the ROI on a piano for Elton John?
 What is the ROI on your mobile phone?
 What is the ROI for communicating with clients?
 What is the ROI for GREAT communication with
clients?

6. Macquarie (See beyond the numbers)
Recent Macquarie research highlights that:
 Satisfied clients (score 6-8) - 19% High likelihood to
refer
 Highly satisfied clients (score 9 – 10) - 90% High
likelihood to refer

7. Macquarie – See beyond the numbers
The three MOST important adviser attributes that the
clients wants:
1. Ability to choose financial solutions that meet my needs
2. Keeps me informed*
3. Proactively manages my affairs
Attributes that advisers tend to measure
themselves on – portfolio performance, financial
and investment knowledge and fairness on fees,
did not make the top 10

8. Keeping clients informed
Two key parts
1. Actively improve the clients financial knowledge
2. Use many touch points including blogs, emails and
events
The communication style needs to be consistent, jargon
free and educational
Manage expectations – The ‘when’, ‘what’ and ‘why’
What have you sent and why did you send it

9. To Think About
 Social Media – A marathon not a sprint...but the gun went
off 10 years ago!
 It is no longer an option to be just on social media – you
have to be effective
 Traditional Push marketing (one way messaging) is now
ineffective
 Pull marketing is in – Engagement and conversation
 Your website should more visitors than your office
 Transparency and Authenticity in everything we do
If you're not talking to your clients online – who is?

10. What some leaders say
 ‘If you come home from work and ask ‘What’s on TV
tonight’ you are showing your age’ – Mark Scott, ABC TV
CEO
 ‘Google made the mistake of not getting on board with
Social Media - Won't be making that mistake again’ –
Eric Schmidt, Executive Chairman Google
 ‘We are a nation of Google and Facebook’ – Barack
Obama
 ‘I skate to where the puck is going to be, not where it has
been’ – Wayne Gretzky (Brian Solis)

11. Who finds Who in 2014?
People search for what they want.
Do you come up in the search results?

12. Refresher - Social Media Platforms
 Facebook – Family and Friends, est 90% of
households access to Facebook
 LinkedIn – Popular with professionals
 Twitter – Crosses all sectors. The ‘new news’ platform
 Google Plus – Getting popular with business
 Instagram – Images and link to SM platforms
 YouTube, Slideshare – Used with SM
 Blogs – Shared content/articles on your website

13. Web and SM - Great For Small Biz
Pre social media
The marketing
budget bought
reach
Reach is FREE
How you plan
and implement is
now critical

14. Strategic Vs Tactical Vs Opportunistic
Strategic – Long term
 Vision, mission, your purpose, your ‘why’ and values
 Your target market, your offer and why they should do
business with you.
Tactical – Ready to adapt
 Measure and analyse results, look for improvement,
adapt and continue the cycle
Opportunistic – In the present
 Taking advantage when opportunity arises, prepared to
take a risk

15. Strategy, tactics, opportunistic all matter
The speed of change today - Those who don’t adapt, die
– Records, CDs, newspapers etc
Big data (information on steroids) – We have
information to be tactical, but don’t regularly change
your strategy. Use data to improve efficiencies
Opportunities arise - Social media and the web can
make it happen e.g. Oreo ‘Dunking in the dark’ NFL
Super bowl 2013. Became the best ad of 2013 off the
back of one opportunistic tweet

16. Your Web and Social Media Plan
 It should be part of your strategic plan – not something on
the side
 You need a clear vision (your why/purpose) to
communicate
 Core objectives and duties including:
 Commitment of time
 Understanding your target market
 Measurement of results
 Prepared to try new things and fail occasionally
 Be tactical - Things move quickly
 Be opportunistic – Be alert

17. Components of Social Media Battle Plan
Website as
the Hub
Core Content –
Blogs, video,
images
SM Platforms –
Facebook,
LinkedIn, Twitter
Newsletter Data
Base – Clients and
Prospects
Measure, adapt
and learn –
Google Analytics
Content to be
shared only on
SM
YOU
Listen,
Learn,
Share

18. Why is content so important?
1. Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) – You need to be
found:
“Creating compelling and useful content will likely
influence your website more than any of the other
factors discussed here” – Google SEO Book
2. Content to share on Social Media
3. Your website is your reception – First impressions

19. Content - Blog Ideas
 Simple Plan - One new blog post per month
 Mix them up
 2 X Case studies
 2 X Testimonials
 4 X Newsworthy – what’s happening in the market place
for your target markets (client feedback)
 1 X Federal Budget feature
 2 X Staff features – Achievements, personal insights
 1 X Christmas/New Year update

20. Context to every blog post
1. Know your target market
2. Make a stand – ‘If you don’t stand for something, you
stand for nothing’
3. Add some personal insights with personality
4. How will the reader benefit from your post? – Make
it clear, use examples
5. What will be your call to action? Call me now!
6. Market your blog post – Spread the story
7. Do another blog post – Practice makes perfect

21. Hot Tip - Make yourself the EXPERT
What is the ‘one thing’ (the problem you solve) that
you do really well for your clients who sit at the
centre of your target market?

22. Focus on the one thing
 Write a whitepaper
 Make it valuable
 Talk about it
 Get your clients to talk about it
 Share it
 Make it your Client Value Proposition
Be known as the expert, the leader for fixing this
one particular problem

23. Why be the expert, the leader in your field
 Experts can charge more
 Experts are in demand
 Get down to business sooner – less questioning
 Google loves experts – They take people to the best
content
 Valued on social media
 Do business with anyone who wants your expertise, no
matter where they live. Geographical boundaries are
dead

24. Your website - Must have basics
1. Needs to be Smartphone friendly
2. Linked to social media – Otherwise you are saying you
don’t belong in 2014
3. Easy to navigate (see next slide)
4. All about the client – Not about you
5. Quality content – Regularly updated blog posts
6. SEO – Google friendly
Do you visit sites because they look nice or because
they have good content? Content always wins over
design

25. Your menu - Offer meals or ingredients?

26. Websites should be solution focused
 A list of services is like a restaurant menu listing
ingredients and expecting you to know how to put
them together.
 Highlight how you combine your services to create
solutions for people in your target market
 Be specific as to how you help them
 Use examples.

27. Headline that one thing on your website
 Don’t forget that one thing you do really well
 Make sure it is a real ‘pain killer’ not a vitamin

28. Your Goals on Social Media
 Social Media = Real Time Communication Tools
 Opportunity to:
 Communicate to many
 Be part of conversations
 Help be top of mind with your clients/prospects
 Seek news for your business/industry
 Find news on your competitors
 Gather news on your clients/prospects.
 Direct people to your website - Important

29. Tips for Social Media messaging
1. Know the context of each platform for your target
market
2. When new – watch and listen first
3. Post 1/3 your work, 1/3 content you like, 1/3 personal
insights (Friday to Sunday) – Let people get to know,
like and trust you
4. Engage in a timely fashion
5. Don’t make it a chore – have some fun with it
6. Don’t give this job to the junior in the office

30. Mistakes on Social Media
 Looking to seal the deal on the first date!
 Starting with no plan
 Unsure of target market – shotgun approach
 Lack of content – nothing to say
 Inability to capture opportunities as they arise
 Scared of saying the wrong thing
 Selling what you do – 16,000 advisers sell advice – Why
are you different? (Think that one thing)
 Not willing to spend a little money and time to learn

31. Individuals shine on Social Media
 Individuals outscore corporates on social media
 It’s easier to engage with a person
 What it means for you?
 Small biz allows individuals to shine
 You can be the expert, a leader in your field of expertise
 Become the local expert – local searches are popular
 The spotlight is on you
 Who in the business should also be on social media?

32. Where to start with Social Media

33. Handy Tools and Tips
 For writing blogs
 Ginger (spell and grammar)
 Draftin.com and Google docs – Collaboration
 Add images – Canva.com is hot right now
 Try hemingwayapp – great tips for your blogs to be read with
ease
 Social Media
 Hootsuite or Tweet Deck for managing posts
 Zapier and IFTT for automation
 Use ‘lists’ in Twitter
 Nimble CRM

34. Tools I use for productivity
 CRM – Nimble
 Everconnect for maintaining contact details
 Postwire – Create a page for clients that can be updated
 Mailchimp and Flash Issue for newsletters
 Google Analytics – Must have for all websites
 Last Pass for passwords
 Google Apps for business
 Basecamp for projects

35. One final message
We can all make a lot of noise on a piano and on social
media
The challenge is to cut through the noise with great
content and a style that hits the right chords for our
target market

36. Need Help?
Contact:
Colin Williams +61 432 485 569
www.hfsmarketing.com
@ColinTWilliams or www.hfsmarketing.com