{"id":6428,"date":"2025-01-20T16:33:23","date_gmt":"2025-01-20T16:33:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.blueleaf.com\/blog\/im-not-your-fathers-financial-planner-and-other-ways-sophia-stands-out\/"},"modified":"2025-01-20T16:33:33","modified_gmt":"2025-01-20T16:33:33","slug":"im-not-your-fathers-financial-planner-and-other-ways-sophia-stands-out","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.blueleaf.com\/blog\/im-not-your-fathers-financial-planner-and-other-ways-sophia-stands-out\/","title":{"rendered":"“I’m not your father’s financial planner” and other ways Sophia stands out"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"ScreenSophia Bera, CFP\u00ae, is a Gen Y advisor for Gen Y clients, promising “I’m not your father’s financial planner”.<\/p>\n

While building a businesses to provide affordable financial advice to her own generation, Sophia is also leading the way for advisors who want a strong, consistent online presence.<\/span><\/p>\n

Her well-designed website, incredibly personal blog posts<\/a>, and active social media presence are hard to ignore.\u00a0So, I asked her to spill the secret. What do advisors need to do to stand out online?\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Turns out, she’s using the basics – with a twist.<\/p>\n

5 Fundamental Things I Do To Stand Out Online<\/h3>\n

by Sophia Bera, CFP\u00ae<\/p>\n

Rock The Website. Really.<\/h3>\n

Have you looked at a financial advisor\u2019s website lately?\u00a0 Did they use a template from 2005 and stock photos of a compass or a lighthouse?\u00a0 Is there a man playing golf or a happy retired couple?\u00a0 Honestly, most advisors have really boring websites, so one of the easiest ways to stand out from the crowd is to have one that doesn’t bore visitors to tears.<\/p>\n

Check out “9 Advisor Websites That Work and Why”<\/a><\/p>\n

Your website is often the thing making a first impression, so be sure to make it a great one. My tip? Leave it to the pros.<\/strong> Hire someone to design a great website in Wordpress for you.\u00a0 (FYI: Hannah Loaring from\u00a0Further Bound<\/a> did mine). \u00a0I recommend building using Wordpress because it is the most user-friendly and makes updating your blog easy. \u00a0But do you need a blog?\u00a0 The answer is: YES! \u00a0Which brings us to…<\/p>\n

Maintain a Blog<\/h3>\n

A blog is a powerful way to give your prospects a taste of what it would be to work with you and keep your clients up to date on topics they value.<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t worry about updating your blog multiple times each week<\/strong>; instead, focus on creating valuable content that your clients and potential clients will enjoy. I’ve committed to writing one new post per week. It’s maintainable for me and consistent for readers.<\/p>\n

If you have multiple advisors in your office, take turns writing posts.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t know where to start and you don\u2019t want to spend time writing, you may want to hire someone to help your firm with content creation and social media marketing.\u00a0 This is also a wonderful way to engage younger staff members as part of the team.\u00a0 Have them manage the blog and social media for the office. Just get writing.<\/p>\n

Rethink Your \u201cAbout Us\u201d Page<\/h3>\n

Each advisor should tell his or her story<\/em> instead of listing a resume or bio.\u00a0We make meaning of our life through stories and this is a profound way to connect with your prospects and clients. \u00a0Here’s what I’ve done<\/a>. I took the approach of writing “The Formal Version”, immediately followed by “The Informal Version”. Who’s to say our About Us pages need to be dry and boring?<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/span> Instead of using stock photos, have an updated headshot taken. \u00a0A picture is worth a thousand words!\u00a0 People want to work with others who look inviting, approachable, and friendly.<\/p>\n

Establish “Street Cred”\"Screen<\/h3>\n

In our industry we can\u2019t have testimonials, so what\u2019s the next best way to establish credibility?\u00a0 Get quoted.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Seeing your name in the media, magazines, and online helps build trust.\u00a0 If a potential client types your name into Google and nothing comes up, it seems odd and you lack credibility.\u00a0 Your LinkedIn profile is one of the first thinks that will pop up, so make sure that you\u2019ve filled out your entire LinkedIn profile and put your contact information on the main page.\u00a0 A prospect will often look on your LinkedIn profile to find out more about you.\u00a0 On LinkedIn, you can link to the articles that you\u2019ve been quoted in.<\/p>\n

TIP:<\/span> If you want to start getting quoted, the best thing I recommend is to sign up for the business and finances updates from HARO<\/a>.\u00a0 Every day, you\u2019ll be emailed a list of stories that reporters and journalists are writing and they are looking to interview experts to quote in their articles.\u00a0 You can then link to these articles on your website and share this information with your clients and on social media channels.<\/p>\n

Use Social Media Strategically<\/em><\/h3>\n

Don\u2019t have 7 social media accounts<\/strong> that you only update once a month.\u00a0 Instead choose 1-3 that you can be active on every day.<\/p>\n

You don\u2019t have to be on every social media outlet available but you should, at a minimum, create a great LinkedIn profile and post updates regularly.\u00a0 Your clients are all on LinkedIn and they will often connect with you via LinkedIn, so first thing in the morning, post an update. \u00a0Many companies are creating a company Facebook page and Google+ page as well.<\/p>\n

I love Twitter, and I\u2019m going to encourage you to use it to your advantage.<\/p>\n

Twitter is a great way to find other people, companies, and organizations that serve your target market.\u00a0 When you write a new blog post, you can tweet it to those groups and maybe pick up a few of their followers, which leads to prospects, and eventually to new clients.\u00a0 From Twitter, I\u2019ve received invites to write for other websites, speak at conferences, and opportunities to collaborate with other industry professionals.<\/strong>\u00a0 In addition to tweeting my blog posts, I share others content, and post fun updates from my own life.\u00a0 I\u2019ve found that people want to connect, share, and invest with like-minded professionals, so don\u2019t be afraid to share a little about your personal life.\u00a0 It makes you human as opposed to a \u201cstuffy” financial advisor.<\/p>\n

Use Available Resources to Really Nail It<\/h3>\n

Establishing an online presence can feel daunting, but I encourage you to engage those at your firm who are already comfortable with blogging and social media to spearhead this undertaking.\u00a0 There are many consultants and marketing professionals that are willing to help you build your brand online and this is going to be increasingly important as our clients become more tech-savvy and mobile.<\/p>\n

I challenge you to take a small step today to stand out from the crowd.
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