I am excited for the release of my book, The LinkedIn Guide for Financial Advisors! I know the book is going to be a helpful reference for independent advisors looking to be more effective and less frustrated with LinkedIn. Today, I want to share with you why I was inspired to write the book.
My goal is to help you to stop being confused, intimidated, or frustrated by LinkedIn. It’s not rocket science and it only takes a small upfront investment of time to master. The lingo and interface can be downright annoying to use and I am the first to admit it isn’t always user-friendly. But that’s no excuse to give up.
Learn the Technology
In your work as an advisor, I guarantee that you deal with more sophisticated technical systems every day to research investments, rebalance accounts, and create financial plans. The difference is that you’ve given yourself permission to be an expert in those arenas. Trust me when I tell you that you’re capable of navigating all of the complexities LinkedIn has to offer if you put forth some determination and a little patience. When you approach the effort with a can-do attitude, it will be a piece of cake.
That said, my own Dad still will not log into his LinkedIn profile unless I am physically sitting next to him. He forwards me the email notifications from LinkedIn and asks me to come to his office and help him log on. Luckily, my office is less than a mile from his, so I agree to show up if he’ll make coffee. It’s perfectly fine to ask your kids, spouse, or administrative assistant for help until you feel confident.
Empower Yourself
However, if you get one thing from my book, I hope you empower yourself to figure this stuff out on your own. Our world has gotten more techy in the past decade, but it is also easier than ever to find help and tutorials for any technology problem. If you ever get stuck on LinkedIn, pick up this book for step-by-step instructions or do a Google search for help.
As a Millennial, I get pushback from advisors that I don’t understand how difficult all this social media stuff is for them and I understand that. But I am in the oldest wave of the Millennial generation; Facebook didn’t come out until I was almost through college. I didn’t have a cell phone until my Senior year of high school. I guess it’s remarkable that I was able to graduate without texting my way through algebra.
My younger Millennial siblings think I am older than the dirt, out of touch with kids today, and that I don’t “get” their social media practices. They laugh when I use emoticons (those little smiley faces and symbols) “wrong” or don’t know what their trendy new acronyms mean. My two younger sisters-in-law are not only done using Facebook, they’re already “so over” Instagram!
Try Something New
Snapchat is all the rage with that age group and since I want to be involved in their lives (and let’s face it; I want to seem cool) I’m in the process of learning how to be the savviest of all Snapchatters. All it takes is some time, some focus, and a couple YouTube videos. I’ll have my finger on the pulse of their lives until they take up some new social network next month.
I encourage you to join me in making an earnest effort to be tech-savvy for your age, no matter what your age! I sincerely hope the book is helpful in bringing you up to speed on LinkedIn and I wish you best of luck in your marketing and your business. Thanks for all that you do for your clients and your community!
Get your copy of my book, The LinkedIn Guide for Financial Advisors! Buy now on Amazon.
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