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All the financial advisors sound the same on LinkedIn and it’s pathetic. Follow these financial advisor LinkedIn profile page tips to get a page that will set you apart, not be a ho-hum presentation, and get attention from the prospects you want!
You’ll learn:
- The types of language to leave off of your LinkedIn profile page
- The typical jargon financial advisors use on LinkedIn and why it doesn’t work
- What the important parts of your LinkedIn profile page are for a financial advisor
- The importance of the niche focus
- How to make a good financial advisor LinkedIn profile page
For those of you who are new to my blog/podcast, my name is Sara. I am a CFA® charterholder and I used to be a financial advisor. I have a weekly newsletter in which I talk about financial advisor lead generation topics which is best described as “fun and irreverent.” So please subscribe!
Let’s get on with the blog!
What financial advisors should leave off their LinkedIn summary
Financial advisor LinkedIn summaries are full of junk. So let’s start this blog about financial advisor LinkedIn profile page tips by clearing it all out. Does your bio have any of the typical financial advisor crap in it?
#1
“I’m an independent, fee-only fiduciary financial advisor, I follow the fiduciary standard, and I have been a practicing the fiduciary standard and putting my clients’ best interests before my own since the idea was invented! Did I mention I’m a fiduciary by the way?”
A little virtue signaling? It’s not that it’s a bad thing to mention how you are paid and that you are a fiduciary. But it’s not something that really sets you apart; there are a lot of advisors who are, and many people don’t even know what it is in the first place.
Avoid trying to don the fiduciary halo and call it quits. It’s not a brand, and it’s not enough to set you apart. You have a lot more work to do.
#2
“Contact me for a free portfolio review.”
This is one of the oldest sales lines in the book. Not only is it obtuse to suggest that somebody who knows nothing about you be ready to turn over their personal information to a stranger, it’s also not even that useful.
Does a free analysis constitute the same level of diligence as the work you would do for a client? No. It’s merely a chance for you to show off your skills and knowledge. Take this line off your page, and the next time someone asks you for a free portfolio review, say, “Sure, that’ll be $2,000. Will you be paying by Visa or Mastercard?”
#3
“I have 25 years of experience.”
Who cares? What have you done specific to ME?
Hint: It has to be about ME not YOU if you want me to trust you!
An example of a more targeted statement:
“In my 25 years of experience as a financial advisor, I have helped over 30 female entrepreneurs retire, put 50 kids through college in New York state, and save over $1MM in assets for retirement.”
Now that’s saying something!
#4
“I work with individuals, families, executives, and business owners and help them retire comfortably.”
Could you be any vaguer? This is like saying, “I work with anyone who goes to sleep at night.”
Get a niche. I know, I know, you all are scared to exclude people who aren’t in the niche. I think it’s probably the exception though rather than the norm that a person would say something like, “I think she’s a great financial advisor, but I really wanted someone who works with dentists and she works with surgeons.”
You’ve got to present it the right way. Obviously you don’t make it totally exclusive. Say something like, “I am a financial advisor serving medical professionals in Charleston, South Carolina, with a focus on surgeons.”
Make a niche statement, but leave it a leeeeetle open, see?
#5
“If you want to discuss your financial situation, contact me to set up an appointment.”
You know, the other day I needed a contractor to do some work on my bathroom. I looked up a bunch of websites on Google but I didn’t contact any of the companies. I wasn’t sure if they were open to taking new appointments or not.
See how silly that is? Obviously if you’re out on the internet advertising yourself, you are open for more business. If not, usually there’s a waiting list you can join.
The summary section of a financial advisor’s LinkedIn page is essentially your chance to put forth your elevator pitch.
Make a brief, powerful statement, and then shut up.
Financial advisor LinkedIn headlines
The title is important because it’s essentially your headline. But you advisors mess it up all the time using meaningless jibber jabber like the titles below:
- I make work optional for my clients
- Helping my clients live their best lives
- Financial steward of your hopes and dreams
- Personal CFO for busy families
- Helping you achieve financial peace of mind so you can sleep at night
- Helping my clients achieve financial freedom
Now, this is a serious profession and so I can appreciate you not wanting to sound overly frivolous. If you want to keep it 100% serious, at least don’t use these tired old cliches above. If you’re a bit more daring, consider adding an emoji, a symbol, or something describing a hobby or interest of yours.
Example: Financial advisor and avid astronomer
Just a touch of character, no?
Financial advisor LinkedIn profile page tips
What should a financial advisor’s LinkedIn profile say? Well, I can’t tell you exactly the words to use because that kind of information is what I teach people in my membership. However, here are some general guidelines and financial advisor LinkedIn profile page tips:
- Include a call to action above the “see more” line in your About section, because people are unlikely to scroll down. You want them to take action right away when they visit your page.
- Elements on the top of the page tend to get more attention than the middle or bottom. Include all important information at the top.
- Don’t neglect the banner photo behind your headshot.
- Spend the most time designing a compelling title and About section because those are where you are going to differentiate yourself the most.
- Include a Featured Post that speaks to your differentiating characteristics.
Sara’s upshot – going beyond just financial advisor LinkedIn profile page tips
What’d ya think? Was this helpful?
If yes…
Learn what to say to prospects on social media messenger apps without sounding like a washing machine salesperson. This e-book contains 47 financial advisor LinkedIn messages, sequences, and scripts, and they are all two sentences or less.
You could also consider my financial advisor social media membership which teaches financial advisors how to get new clients and leads from LinkedIn.
Thanks for reading. I hope you’ll at least join my weekly newsletter about financial advisor lead generation.
See you in the next one!
-Sara G
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