THE TOP 10 BEST PRACTICES YOU NEED TO KNOW Registered Representatives of a Broker-Dealer and employees of Registered Investment Advisors are subject to their firm s policies.
INTRODUCTION From social media listening (researching where people are talking about you), engagement with your prospects and clients, to thoughtful consideration of posts, this top 10 list will provide helpful broad principles to consider for engagement. 2
1 - SET LIMITED OBJECTIVES Drive traffic to a content-rich web site Establish presence as a member of the community Generate prospective leads 3
2 - ESTABLISH WAYS TO MEASURE SUCCESS Add tags or Google Analytics to content to determine content read; shared activity Evaluate metrics to learn pages/content of interest; focus marketing/ advertising to capture leads 4
3 - ESTABLISH POLICIES Designate staff to post approved messages and respond when applicable; follow a chain of command Develop a blueprint for handling common social media interactions posts/responses, community platforms using your firm s overall brand identity, including messaging, imagery, and language 5
4 - ADOPT STANDARD PUBLIC RELATIONS PROTOCOL Create a plan to deal with crises including market events and operational glitches Tactics to keep clients apprised of news (Facebook, Twitter, revising website to prominently feature links to Facebook and Twitter) Policies regarding tone and approach to various potential crises 6
5 - SOCIAL ADVERTISEMENTS Study current followers/ connections to learn of their needs and help define content including call-to-action driving audience beyond the ad Use click-thru metrics to determine the success of each ad and adjust accordingly New pool of followers/connections that might be prospective clients 7
6 - PROACTIVE RECRUITMENT Invite trusted colleagues and connections to a forum and openly discuss candidates/referrals Create an impression of a firm that is successful and thriving, helping to enhance firm s image. 8
7 - FOSTER DISCUSSIONS Host discussions on web site and social media platforms for clients to make them feel part of a community Show the firm s loyalty to client satisfaction by responding to such feedback and encourage further interaction 9
8 - MAKE THE CLIENT THE HERO Highlight clients success stories to add a human touch to brand identity Create a case study and offer professional insight/advice on a similar, hypothetic scenario; mentor the client through growth and document advances 10
9 - EMBRACE MULTIMEDIA Content needs to be visually enticing and accessible across a prism of platforms to attract all audiences With the new formats, people are actually consuming content, sharing, reading, and sending feedback via comments, e-mails, new posts 11
10 - LEVERAGE SUCCESSFUL ONLINE RELATIONSHIPS OFFLINE Pull contacts from all social networks and discussion panels to help launch a professional networking group Host the first event and encourage invitees to bring a guest Clients/connections who had participated in online discussions meet face to face in a relaxed setting 12
DISCLOSURE This presentation is provided by RidgeWorth Investments for informational and discussion purposes only and is not intended to be authoritative. Unless otherwise noted, the opinions provided by the authors and other sources are not necessarily those of RidgeWorth. Information provided is general and educational in nature, and is intended for use by investment professionals. The material was created using a range of sources which RidgeWorth believes to be, but cannot guarantee to be, accurate. This material is not intended to be, and should not be construed as, investment, legal, estate planning, or tax advice. RidgeWorth does not provide legal, estate planning, or tax advice. Registered Representatives of a Broker-Dealer and employees of Registered Investment Advisors are subject to their firm s policies. 2014 RidgeWorth Investments. RidgeWorth Investments is the trade name for RidgeWorth Capital Management LLC, an investment adviser registered with the SEC and the adviser to the RidgeWorth Funds. RidgeWorth Funds are distributed by RidgeWorth Distributors LLC, which is not affiliated with the adviser. Collective Strength Individual Insight is a federally registered service mark of RidgeWorth Investments. 13