People use social media to express themselves, discuss their interest and connect with friends and grow their professional connections. Yee Von Lim, an eight-year MDRT member from Malaysia, with two Court of Table qualifications, shares how her personal branding on social media gave her an edge over the competition and increased her credibility as a financial advisor.  

Before using social platforms to promote your personal brand, Lim believes in the importance of understanding the basics of social media and researching which platform would work best for you to help increase your online presence and visibility as financial advisor. 

“Facebook and Instagram are popular social platforms everyone is familiar with. Facebook is great for reaching target audiences that are older in age — an important demographic for many financial advisors.”   

Lim believes LinkedIn is a great place to join and meet groups focused on your areas of expertise and strengthen your personal brand within these communities. The opportunity to network with other professionals can also develop into a valuable source of leads and referrals. 

According to Lim, your chosen platform should be based on which audience you are trying to reach and how you want to capture their attention. She shares, “Financial advisors do not need to be on every social media platform but to utilize the platforms properly to yield favorable results.”  

Lim adds once you have identified your target audience, you need to create an online persona and post engaging content to build your online presence. She shares further tips and trends on this on how financial advisors can do this. 

Identify your target audience  

An important factor when creating a personal brand online is to know your target audience. Financial advisors should be mindful to stick with their target audience. “A financial advisor should weigh the pros and cons before changing their target audience and trying to capture several audiences at once. This can confuse your audiences, disrupting your online strategy in capturing the right segment that works for you.” 

Be consistent  

Posting frequently on social media is important because it helps you stay top-of-mind among clients or prospects. In Lim’s case, this helped her catch the eye of a former high school friend as she was actively posting on her social accounts. “We met in school and each other on Instagram but we had never chatted directly before this. When she needed insurance advice, she approached me. I asked her why me? She said she was following me for years and due to my recent content I posted related to my work, she knew I was the right financial advisor for her.”  

Adapt to social trends 

According to Lim, “Financial advisors should take the opportunity to tap into the undiscovered trends or be quick to take advantage of opportunities in the digital world before it becomes saturated.” She shared, “During the pandemic, many people were stuck at home and consuming media especially in the format of video. So, I started a webinar series focused on mental health advice and tips on financial protection. These short videos were simply shot on my mobile phone, and I uploaded to my Facebook and Instagram accounts.” She adds that video content offers a more personable way to engage with your audiences. It also stands out more, getting more exposure for your content and presence. 

Find a balance  

Financial advisors with the best personal branding on social media tend to post a mixture of content. “Online visibility can help to foster stronger connections with people, as it showcases your approachable personality. However, we should keep in mind to strike a balance. It's acceptable to share some personal information, but oversharing might make your platform dull and rigid.”  

Portray yourself as knowledgeable 

Financial advisors should share informative content to be portrayed as an expert. She believes "sharing educational content about the industry with your clients or what’s going on globally will distinguish yourself in the sea of competitors as a thought leader. There should be a purpose to everything you share with your audience to look competent and professional. However, a balance should be achieved to not come off as an informational hub to your clients either." 

Increase online visibility 

According to Lim, endorsements from clients or colleagues are another way to fully utilize social platforms to help with increasing credibility and online presence. “Positive written feedback or testimonials of your service by clients online or on a B2B online platform such as LinkedIn will raise your reputation as a serious financial advisor to your peers, industry leaders, and potential leads.”  

There are no shortcuts to promoting your personal brand on social media. It requires continuous effort and time to understand your audience and crafting engaging contents. Lim believes challenging the status quo and remaining authentic to her true self was ultimately what helped her gain the trust she has developed with her clients.   

Contact: MDRTeditorial@teamlewis.com