It’s the world’s biggest melting pot. And it’s still growing. Almost 3.5 billion people are on social media now, and an additional million new people create profiles each day. How do financial planners and wealth managers navigate compliance in a social media-dominated world?

Social media marketing can bring your firm great value. When you work in a highly regulated industry, however, you may be concerned that the risks of using social media outweigh the benefits. 

Is it worthwhile to have your team members post on social media? We’ve gathered some ideas on how you can encourage your team participate and connect, while at the same time mitigating compliance risk. 

1. Help them see the value in building your social media presence. 

Offering marketing guidance for your non-marketing team members can be a very positive thing. It can help your team members successfully shape their public profiles and tailor the content they’re sharing to specific potential clients or client personas. 

And, it can help to drive business. For example, 60 percent of financial advisors using LinkedIn for prospecting have successfully gained new clients, some are attracting clients with multiple millions of  assets under management through the platform.

If you’re able to show your team members how strategic social media connectivity can impact them personally and help them close more deals, they’re more likely to agree to post, and to serve as an advocate promoting your continuing success. 

For example, if you have advisors who are working to build relationships with executives in the technology industry, your marketing team can develop blog posts or curate content to address industry- or career-specific issues, then allow the advisors to share it. When they triumphantly seal deals, they’ll remember the marketing resources and social media connections that helped them achieve success, and they’ll go from being neutral or detractors to being excited advocates of your strategy. 

2. Ensure company representatives publicly posting messages are cleared to share content, and provide oversight for the content they create. 

Form ADV includes an option to list social media platforms that will be used on behalf of your firm, as well as the details of the social media channels that will be used. For example, business pages managed by your firm would be included on the form. If you intend to have team members share firm-related information via their personal accounts, the ADV must also reflect that additional profiles will be sharing your content in a professional capacity. 

Provide oversight for team members serving as company spokespeople, even once they are cleared to post via inclusion on your ADV. Content for their social media accounts should be reviewed by your compliance team prior to posting, so you can ensure they are following the guidelines outlined in your ADV. 

3. Understand what platforms might work for your industry. 

Your social media strategy shouldn’t including flinging as many posts at your audience as possible. Instead, take a look at the demographics of your team and the clients you’re trying to reach, and choose your platforms accordingly. 

LinkedIn is viewed by most businesspeople as a great vehicle to connect and network; it’s a place where people expect to receive business and financial information. LinkedIn values interactions and posts from people over posts from company or “official” pages, so encouraging your team members to post or share information on this network boosts your brand’s visibility as well as their individual credibility. 

Your more tech-savvy advisors may be interested in experimenting with other platforms. If they’re working to position themselves as trusted experts in their fields, they may want more virtual face time with their clients and have an interest in creating videos on YouTube, Facebook Live or IGTV.

For example, live videos rank higher on engagement, which may make them particularly attractive to advisors seeking to build an audience; ensure you’re following compliance regulations and the platform is cleared for posting before beginning to create content or film live segments. 

In addition, you may want to consider data retention policies for your industry; you may have specific guidelines on the format of content you’re allowed to post or on what you may be required to save in your files to demonstrate compliance (such as PDF documents showing published versions of articles). And, if you’re required to keep documentation of customer feedback or your responses to online questions/feedback, you may need to invest in a tracking or monitoring system to cover each platform you’re using. 

4. Share case studies of successful, compliant social media interactions. 

The most important thing you can do to build an atmosphere of social media compliance in a heavily regulated industry is to lay out guidelines in black and white. Make sure your ADV is updated with clearly defined guidelines on who can post, where they can post and what type of content they can post. 

If you’re building the content yourself, follow the guidelines to the letter. If you’re having team members create content then pass it through compliance for approval, it can be helpful to provide them with examples of compliant content. 

Supplement the rules and guidelines with real-life examples that drive home the points you want to make. For example, with each rule or guideline you offer, provide examples of posts your company has created in the past that would be compliant or examples that seem appropriate but don’t fit your specific ADV guidelines. 

When you see an appropriate interaction, with the proper disclosures and required text/image/logo sizes, they’ll gain a firmer grasp of what might fit your business’s specific guidelines. From there, they can more thoughtfully create content and cut down on the number of rounds of compliance review and edits to be able to get information posted. 

5. Make it easy for your team to get involved with your social media platforms. 

Becoming comfortable with using social media for business can be intimidating for many people, especially if they’re not comfortable with the platforms. If they’re working in a highly regulated industry and are aware of the potential for issues or the additional work required to ensure compliance, it can be even more difficult to encourage them to engage. 

To mitigate this, you can provide a number of different resources along with your expectations for posting. For example, depending on the guidelines in your ADV, you may be able to give your team members the option to: 

• Share content directly from your company’s official page
• Use a collection of pre-curated posts you or your team have developed. Try to give them this content to review a few days in advance. If you provide it too far in advance, the content may not remain relevant; if it’s too short of a turnaround, you may get additional pushback regarding posting. 
• Provide disclosures. If you can create lists of disclosures and trigger terms, your team members can have the option to begin creating interesting content on their own. Then, you can have your compliance professionals review it to ensure you’re covered before any of the content is posted. In this way, your advisors can begin to develop content and understand the process, but you’ll still have oversight to make sure you’re staying within the regulatory bounds. 

Navigating compliance concerns can be challenging, especially in a fast-evolving area like social media. However, if you’re debating whether it’s worth it, remember: just because you’re not there, doesn’t mean the conversations stop happening. Your existing and potential clients are most likely on social media, and if you’re not actively connecting, you’re missing out on an opportunity to provide value, build relationships, and grow trust. 

If you’re ready to dive into social media, but need some support, our Out & About Communications team is ready to help. Our experienced digital marketing professionals are well-versed in both social media trends and regulatory compliance. Take a look at our portfolio of clients we support, and contact us if you have questions about social media or want to discuss mastering your compliance concerns together.

As a busy marketing manager, you only have only so many hours in a day to make an impact on prospects. By creating a strong presence on social media networks, you have the opportunity to tell your story, position yourself as an expert and nurture connections that can lead to long-lasting client relationships.

Where does LinkedIn fit into your digital marketing funnel? Building relationships organically via social posting is a great way to connect with new prospects or move leads down the sales funnel while being conscious of your marketing dollars.

And, connecting via LinkedIn can lead to additional engagement with potential clients and opportunities to sell. Among social media platforms, it’s the most effective at driving prospects to your site; generating 46% of all social media traffic to company websites.1

Here’s why LinkedIn can be one of the best places to create online community connections that lead to sales success.

1.It’s Important to Be Where Your Target Audience Is

According to LinkedIn’s Organic + Paid Playbook for 2019, digital is slated to pass TV as the leading advertising medium in the U.S. this year — after hitting 33.9% of market share in 2018 — and that share is expected to grow to 47.9% by 2022.

Your target audience is spending their time on digital platforms like LinkedIn. They use LinkedIn to research companies that interest them, and to directly connect with professionals who may offer solutions to their needs.

Research shows us that your customers want to have access to socially qualified information about products and services that benefit them, and about companies they’re interested in doing business with. In fact, 90% of customers want to access online social content like reviews as part of their pre-purchase research. The preference for online feedback and social recommendations is strong; these customers look to their online connections for advice, even if they choose to make their actual product purchase through a salesperson or at a physical location.

LinkedIn is one of the key sources they’re using to do this research, as members are connecting with content via the platform at increasingly high rates. More than 130,000 articles are created per week and LinkedIn feed views have increased 60% over 2018.

2. LinkedIn Engagement Values People Over Companies

While you probably have an official company profile on LinkedIn, it’s important to bring your entire team on board and encourage members to connect and build relationships on this social media platform.

LinkedIn has made it known that it gives preference to influencers and company leaders when determining content visibility, so it’s important to make sure you’re creating a culture of personal connections as well as providing information via your official company page.

For example, GE encourages its executives to share content and publish long-form articles on LinkedIn regularly. By building a robust presence and interacting from personal and company pages, they’re able to position themselves as thought leaders and experts in the field.

If you don’t have the resources to create long-form content on a regular basis, you can still use your network of people to connect and communicate. Focus on curating content relevant to your industry or areas of expertise, then offering your own insights on the content.

Also, encouraging employees to cross promote each other’s posts can allow you to get more bang for your buck on content creation. When they have a wider pool of content to share, they can leverage each other’s networks to grow followers and increase engagement.

3. Posting and Curating Content Creates Relationships

One of the easiest ways to increase engagement on your LinkedIn profile is to ensure your information is complete and you’re giving viewers a full picture of the person they’re connecting with.

For example, just including a profile photo can boost your engagement; LinkedIn users with a professional profile image receive 21 times the page views as those without a photo. (Read our post on fully optimizing your profile to perfect your LinkedIn presence.)

As you begin creating and sharing content on LinkedIn, the following tips can help you increase engagement and build relationships:

• A picture is worth a thousand words. Including images and videos in the messages you share can boost your engagement.
• Use links to boost likes. Posts with links to additional useful content (articles, videos, webinars, etc.) can contribute to a 45% higher follower engagement.

• Follow hashtags to increase awareness. Follow hashtags for topics related to your industry to get a better understanding of what your prospects care about, and find beneficial content to curate. For example, if you work in HR recruiting, following #careers can expose you to content from industry thought leaders, which you can then share on your feed as appropriate.
• Engage with others’ content. If you see something a connection might be interested in, @ mention them. They’ll appreciate the information, and you’ll make your profile visible to others interested in the topic as well. The same feedback applies to commenting; focus on being a good community member and sharing value as opposed to simply targeting sales prospects.

Sharing useful content and creating engagement isn’t just about building a good image for yourself; these efforts create credibility in the minds of your potential buyers. Buyers are more likely to engage if they see you can offer new insights or information related to products or goods that spark their interest.

4. A Little Social Connectivity Can Go a Long Way

When it comes to LinkedIn engagement, more is not necessarily better. You can maximize your social posting efficiency with these tips:

• Post quality over quantity. A recent report from CoSchedule indicates you can post as little as once a day and still see results.
• Thoughtfully curate content. Sharing or curating others’ content can be added into the mix as well, and don’t be afraid to try new things.
• Experiment. Testing out different types of posts and noting their level of engagement will help you get a better understanding of your audience — the time of day they’re online, the types of content they like to consume, etc.
• Use social management tools to support your efforts. You can plan out posts a week or a month in advance, then use a scheduling tool like CoSchedule, Hootsuite or Buffer to auto-post for you. Your responsibility then is to manage the engagement that comes from the posts, responding to comments and building community.
• Cross-promote to increase visibility and engagement. Getting your employees to post and engage authentically with each others’ posts will multiply the effectiveness of your efforts. You can also draft content for your sales team to post as a way to get the ball rolling.

Consistent and relevant posting is key to success on LinkedIn. Start using some of these tips and building connections; you’ll soon find yourself growing a healthy follower base and using social media as a tool to extend your marketing reach.

For more digital marketing how-to articles, check out these helpful posts.

Sources:

1. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-b2b-marketing/2017/10-surprising-stats-you-didnt-know-about-marketing-on-linkedin 
2. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-b2b-marketing/2018/introducing-the-organic---paid-playbook
3. https://blogs.constantcontact.com/do-customers-trust-online-reviews/
4. https://blog.hootsuite.com/how-the-linkedin-algorithm-works-hacks/
5. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/linkedin-elevate/2017/how-ge-overcame-barriers-to-social-sharing-and-created-an-army-o
6. https://www.inc.com/rhett-power/the-art-of-the-linkedin-profile-photo.html
7. https://business.linkedin.com/marketing-solutions/blog/marketing-for-education/2018/4-content-tips-for-engaging-prospective-students-on-linkedin
8. https://coschedule.com/blog/how-often-to-post-on-social-media/ 

Whether or not your website is ADA compliant can have real consequences. With websites from Beyonce.com to fifty different colleges being sued over their lack of accessibility, it’s easy to feel you could be the next in line.The reality is that ADA lawsuits are on the rise, with website compliance being the primary issue. As reports continue to come in about businesses being sued for not being compliant, you may be wondering how this could impact your company. 

Why ADA Compliance Matters

We are all familiar with accessibility in our everyday lives. Closed captioning on TV screens, disabled parking spots, Braille alternatives to books or brochures, ramps into buildings, and so on represent “reasonable accommodations” in public places, as outlined by the Americans with Disabilities Act. In an increasingly digital world, online spaces are often considered public and in some cases, websites have been required to meet certain accessibility stipulations as well. 

Examples of ADA Compliant Websites

Are you curious how your website could be made more accessible? Are you wondering what some of the requirements are for certain websites? Here are some areas to explore.

 1. Make It Easy for Screen Readers - Just as Braille is the print alternative, screen readers may be engaged by some users. Make sure your images and other elements have descriptive alt tags so screen readers can clearly translate what is on the page. Also consider how your text is displayed. Is your content written to make it easy for the screen reader to translate well? Will it sound like how you intended it? Are there headlines to support the reading?

 2. Make Videos More Accessible - Adding captioning on your videos as well as transcriptions can provide greater access to your video content. Also consider the usability of your videos. Is the audio level adjustable? Can a viewer easily stop or pause the video? 

 3. Consider Visual Clarity - Think about users with visual concerns. Is your website crisp, with clear distinctions between the foreground and background? Are navigation buttons well-seen and distinguishable?

 4. Think about General Usability - Think about the user experience for anyone coming to your site, from any number of backgrounds. Is it easy to navigate? Are instructions for filling out forms or other next steps well-explained?  

Website Accessibility Is More Than a Legal Issue

While some are concerned about the legal implications, there’s also a certain practical and moral consideration. Do you want your website to be more accessible to a broader range of people? Do you want more people to have the ability to interact with your website well and gain the information they need? Of course you do! 

Here are two great resources for learning more about making your website ADA compliant - the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines from the Web Accessibility Initiative. 

If you need to make some tweaks to update your website, or you’re ready for an overhaul, come ready more about why your website is one of your best investments.

As a business leader, you pour your blood, sweat and tears into making your company successful. You’re always on and strategizing how to position your brand and generate meaningful results.

When it comes to connecting professionally on social media, you’ve probably established a thoughtful, well-curated LinkedIn presence for your company. After all, LinkedIn is most commonly viewed as the top social network for business and lead generation. 

Building company connections is definitely important. You want to make sure your business is featured in front of millions of LinkedIn users (more than 610 million, to be exact). 

Even if you’re keeping your business information up to date, you might be overlooking a secret weapon you can use to improve your business’s online presence and connectivity: your personal profile. 

When you have a personal profile that stands out, you can use it to attract attention, create familiarity, build relationships and position yourself as a trusted expert in your field, all of which can contribute to your business success. 

Making your profile stand out doesn’t have to be a long and arduous process. We’ve compiled some of our favorite tips and tricks to make your LinkedIn personal profile professional and memorable. 

Tip #1: Keep Your Photo Fresh 

Your profile picture is important, because it’s the first thing most people notice on LinkedIn, whether they’re looking for you specifically or searching for professionals in your field. A professional profile picture humanizes you and draws your viewer’s attention; in fact, profiles with photos receive 21 times more views than profiles that don’t include an image.

When choosing a profile image, your photo should be: 

• An image of you: not a superhero, pet or company logo (unless that matches your company vibe!)
• A recent, recognizable image: less than five years old is a good guideline, but it can also be updated more frequently if your appearance has changed significantly
• A professional image that reflects your brand: no selfies, dating site photos or casual/leisure pictures
• A photo that’s consistent with the rest of your online persona: if you maintain a professional page on other social networks, or if you have a photo on your company’s website, keep it consistent so you can begin to build familiarity with your audience

Tip #2: Amp Up Your Headline

Along with your profile picture, your headline and location are some of the first facts LinkedIn information seekers see. Think of it as commensurate with an email subject line; you want your headline to intrigue your viewer and to invite them to engage further. 

You can certainly feature your job title (no need to call yourself a ninja, guru or maven - unless that's part of your company lingo); however, you can also use the space to describe a problem you solve for clients or a benefit you can provide them. 

For example, instead of saying “Financial Planning Professional” or even “CEO/Owner of XYZ Firm,” something like “Investment professional helping executives meet their retirement goals” turns the focus on what you can do to make your clients’ lives better. 

Tip #3: Make your Profile Summary Pop

Your profile summary is your opportunity to tell your story. In your own words, you can let your potential clients and business partners know what differentiates you from others in your market, and can highlight the benefits you offer potential clients. 

Instead of listing a few plain-and-simple facts about you (“I employ 6 people,” “I manage investments for high net worth clients”), add some sparkle.

Use this space to show your potential clients exactly what they stand to gain from building a relationship with you (“Grew our business from a single advisor to a group of 6 professionals focused on providing investment strategies that help clients achieve their retirement goals.”). 

Tip #4: Give Your Website Some Link Love 

LinkedIn drives more visits to company sites than any other social media platform (accounting for 46% of social media traffic to corporate websites).

By making sure you include your website link on your profile, you can encourage additional interaction with your business from LinkedIn viewers visiting your site. If your online presence includes a blog, consider also featuring that link, as well as your email and other professional social media handles into your profile. 

Tip #5:  A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (Integrate Visuals). 

As part of your LinkedIn profile, you have the opportunity to share examples of your work or to highlight recognitions you’ve received. 

If you have online content you’re serving up in other areas (blog posts, social media images, infographics, webinars, etc.), use your LinkedIn profile as a way to highlight and cross-post them.

By using visuals when sharing your successes (awards, accomplishments, achievements), you can extend your reach, get your content in front of additional eyes, and continue to position yourself as an expert in your field. 

And, most importantly, your use of visual content can create opportunities for conversation, which can be nurtured into eventual business partnerships. Sharing content with a visual element increases the likelihood of receiving comments from other users by 98%. 

Tip #6: Take Time To Connect 

Making yourself visible and creating connections is important on LinkedIn. You have multiple options to do this effectively, including: 

• Sharing interesting, useful content: Sharing useful business information positions you as an expert and shows those who review it that you’re a professional they can trust. When they have questions related to your industry in the future, you’ll be top of mind. 
• Engaging with other users’ content: By commenting, sharing or liking relevant content from other users, you can begin to build or reconnect a relationship. 
• Sending inbox messages: If you’ve seeking to connect directly with a business connection or start a conversation with a prospect, you can send an inbox message. A typical LinkedIn message has a higher open rate than traditional sales emails (one company’s study reported an 11x better open rate for InMail than traditional email marketing), which means you have a better chance of your content being seen and taken seriously. 

Tip #7: Let Someone Else Tell Your Story (Request Recommendations)

We’ve talked about telling your own story through your profile summary and accomplishments. Your recommendation section allows your colleagues and business partners to tell your story as well. 

Ask colleagues and contacts to recommend you on LinkedIn. If there are specific projects or proficiencies you’d like them to mention or stay away from, don’t be shy; let them know. For example, some industries may have specific compliance guidelines regarding testimonials. If that’s the case in your field, your recommendations can focus on your willingness to create a personal connection and spend time outlining client goals, rather than on the actual dollars and cents results that were generated. 

Tip #8: Key in on Competitive Keywords. 

Searching for keywords on LinkedIn is easy but can require some creativity and experimentation. Keyword research can include reviewing competitor’s pages and searching LinkedIn hashtags, then plugging those terms into LinkedIn’s advanced search option. 

When you find keywords that resonate, use these words as naturally as possible throughout your profile, from your headline to your job descriptions to your skills section (listing at least five relevant skills can boost your messages by 31 percent). 

Once your profile is up to date, your work on LinkedIn is only halfway done. To optimize your LinkedIn presence, you need to continue to connect, build and strengthen relationships via the platform on a daily or weekly basis.

And, when you level up on something in life, whether it’s a new role, a new skills or training, or the creation of a new piece of content, don’t hesitate to share it. By sharing information on LinkedIn and updating your profile frequently, you can put your page back at the top of your connections’ news feed and create more opportunities for conversations and relationship nurturing. At Out & About Communications, we’re focused on building relationships and helping our clients become visible online. LinkedIn is just one of the many areas where we help our clients build winning strategies. Take a look at some of our other digital marketing how to guides here.

Hello! My name is Josefina Terrera and I’m excited to be working with Out & About Communications’ talented team as a front-end web developer. 

I’ve been working as a developer with large and small teams for the past six years and I’m looking forward to lending my expertise to create beautiful websites for Out & About clients. 

I’m originally from Argentina, but moved to the States over a decade ago. I live in beautiful San Francisco and love getting out and about here. 

In my free time, I enjoy reading, hiking and cooking vegan dishes.

By 2025, more than $16 trillion in assets are expected to be managed with the support of a robo offering. To put that number in perspective, it’s three times the assets of the world’s current largest investment firm.  

If you’ve included a robo offering as part of your portfolio of services, you’re probably hoping to reach out to a new target demographic and let its members know financial planning resources exist to support them. Even if they aren’t sure whether they’re ready to commit to a full-fledged financial planning or wealth management partnership, offering a tech-based relationship can empower them to begin investing in their financial success. 

If you’re providing a robo offering as an avenue for connecting with new clients, you may be concerned about how and when to promote these services as part of your financial planning offerings. After all, if you’ve built a reputation on personal connection and high-touch service, how do you incorporate a robo offering into the value proposition? 

We’ve put together some guidelines for creating value with a robo offering and using it to attract a new demographic of clients to your firm. 

Strategy #1: Consider Connecting Differently 

You’ve built a brand and reputation on your ability to connect with your clients. When you’re striving to connect with a new generation of clients, you may wonder about how to build the right relationships. 

While most high net worth individuals recognize the important role a financial advisor can play in their personal wealth management, many people who are still building their wealth don’t recognize the benefits a traditional advisor can provide. 

For example, only  11 percent of millennials currently use a financial advisor, and less than 30 percent plan to create a relationship with one in the future. A robo offering should be positioned as a way for them to begin a relationship without feeling like the additional expense makes it a high stakes commitment. 

Consider connecting through different channels to create these relationships. For example, you should still make valuable face-to-face connections, but you should also create online opportunities to connect, such as lead magnets that allow you to collect email addresses in exchange for sharing valuable content or access to a webinar or other program. 

Strategy #2: Give Your Potential Clients Plenty of Information to Guide Their Decision-Making

Millennial consumers are far more likely to rely on online information, particularly content marketing like blogs, than they are to connect with traditional advertising options. 

These consumers want to have a good grasp and understanding of the product or service they’re buying into before they make a commitment. For example, 95 percent of consumers choose the solution that provides content to answer questions and support the value of its offering at every step of the way. 

Connection in this case means giving your prospective clients enough information to be well-informed and assess whether a solution is right for them. Creating white papers, offering video demonstrations, and highlighting the technological capabilities of your robo offering can help support your potential clients through the decision-making phase and “sell” your value more thoroughly than traditional advertisements.

Strategy #3: Determine the Appropriate Amount of Online Visibility for Your Business 

If you’re working to reach new potential clients with a robo offering, it’s important to make sure you have accessible online information supporting that offering. However, you don’t have to place your robo option front and center on your website. 

Generally, your site should appeal to the broader part of your consumer base. If your main focus is serving high or ultra-high net worth individuals, you know they want a high-touch relationship and will benefit more from a traditional relationship with your firm. 

For new clients you’re seeking to bring on board with a robo offering, you can still make information available online, but will want to consider placing it in a less prominent area or creating a microsite that specifically highlights the robo offering. Then, as you promote your offering online, through means like social media, email marketing or pay-per-click advertising, you can send interested parties directly to the page that highlights the robo offering. 

You may also want to give the robo offering landing pages a slightly different look or style to differentiate the service from your other offerings. Your messaging can also have a different tone if you’re seeking to appeal to a more tech-savvy or younger audience, but make sure you stay on-brand and don’t let your tone come across as patronizing. 

In addition to ensuring you’re pushing this offering to the right potential clients, personalizing and targeting communications to specific groups can generate higher response rates. Segmented email campaigns can generate up to a 760 percent increase in revenue, so separating out this content makes sense from a marketing perspective as well. 

If you have a robo offering and are trying to find the best way to present it to your clients, Out & About Communications can help. We work with many financial advisors and CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professionals to build strategies for growth as well as introduce new products and services. 

Take a look at our portfolio of award-winning work to see how we’ve helped others highlight their services, and how we can help you.

Callan Capital is an independent financial advisory firm based in La Jolla, California. It has been serving clients for more than 15 years, offering financial planning and wealth management services. Its team helps bring clarity, direction and discipline to clients’ daily financial choices. 

It was time for the Callan Capital website to get a facelift to better tell its story. Going into the redesign project, the firm had four main objectives: simplify the design, update all imagery, provide easy access to client logins and optimize mobile access.

We are excited to unveil the sleek, new site that showcases the Callan brand and its story with simplicity and sophistication. Let’s take a quick tour!

1. Simplify the design

Before the redesign, the homepage had disconnected messaging across four slides that didn’t give an explanation about Callan Capital. A simple introduction was needed that encompassed everything it does. Now, the homepage is simplified with one main message above the fold of who Callan Capital is. Below the fold, there is a section about its two main services, a statement about the Callan difference and resources toward the bottom.

 The navigation was also reorganized so the pages could be consolidated under simpler categories. This allows users to easily flow through the site to find what they need.

2. Update imagery

The imagery throughout the site needed a fresh update and Callan Capital had new individual and team photos to include from its latest company photo shoot. Headers across multiple pages include office shots of Callan employees at work, which gives the brand a more personal, approachable feel. In addition, the team page includes a welcome video summarizing the firm’s mission and services.

3. Easy access to client logins

The team at Callan Capital wanted clients to have easier access to resources so they can stay on top of their accounts. The client login page was updated and can easily be accessed from the main navigation. 

4. Optimize mobile access

Currently, more than 50% of all online traffic is accessed through a mobile device, so optimizing Callan’s mobile site was crucial. By enhancing the mobile experience, we improved the site’s load times, which in turn can help decrease the bounce rate and improve overall user experience. Responsive design was also incorporated, so the site’s layout is flexible and appears appropriately on any device, something that also improves user experience.

How can a fresh, new website help you grow your business? Read this blog post for more tips and tricks!

Hi there! My name is Daokai Lin and I’m Out & About’s summer intern. I grew up in Hong Kong and decided to come to the U.S. for college. I’m currently a junior at the University of California San Diego, pursuing my degree in communication and design.

My dream job is to be a full-time UX/UI designer and establish my own company. I’m very grateful for the experience I’m gaining at Out & About — which will help me get one step closer to that goal! 

I like front-end development and UX/UI design because I enjoy the challenge. You must have a wide variety of skill sets, like an understanding of social science as well as graphic and coding abilities, to be good at it. 

Here’s a little more about me.

Q: What are the top three brands you really admire?

A: The top three brands I really admire are Microsoft, Sony and DC Comics. Microsoft is obviously a software engineering giant that’s creating a lot of cool and amazing stuff right now, like the new Windows phones. I love Sony because I’ve spent half my life playing Sony games. I had a PS2, 3 and 4. I also admire DC Comics because my favorite character is Batman and I grew up watching all the Batman movies.

Q: Who do you look up to the most? 

A: The biggest reason I wanted to get involved in the front-end developing industry is because of my best friend, Andrew. He’s someone I really look up to in the coding world. He was in college with me, but he graduated and is now a software developer at Google. He has amazing coding skills and is probably the best software engineer from our school. He’s incredibly innovative and always creating. He told me coding can be a great career for the rest of my life.

 Q: What do you like to do when you’re out and about?

A: When I’m out and about, you can find me studying in the library, chilling out with my friends on campus, working out at the gym, playing basketball, boxing, playing video games, watching movies and going to concerts.

5 Favorite Things: 

• Favorite food: Italian risotto with seafood
• Favorite movie: Up
• Favorite show: Fargo
• Favorite music: jazz — I like going to listen to it live
• Favorite animal: elephant, because of its stature and strength

We are looking for a Digital Demand Generation Manager to join our team! You can read the full description below.

DIGITAL DEMAND GENERATION MANAGER

Purpose

This position will be comprised of day-to-day digital marketing strategy and campaign management, including but not limited to wire-framing and digital marketing strategy, client engagement, analytics reporting, user experience optimization, and projects as assigned. This is a part-time role starting at 20 hours a week.

To apply, submit your cover letter, resume and digital campaign examples to hello@outandaboutcomm.com.

Primary Responsibilities

• Develop and plan multi-channel digital marketing campaigns
• Define tactical plan to reach client KPIs
• Delegate tasks to creative and development teams and review overall product to ensure quality and strategic validity
• Monitor digital platforms and identify new areas of opportunity for clients and the company — focused on boosting web performance by researching search traffic trends, user experience optimization, SEO, and technology
• Work and communicate directly with clients regarding digital marketing strategy and execution
• Regularly align clients’ priorities with internal campaign management and workflow
• Communicate to team on project priorities and facilitate meetings, as needed
• Assemble reports and recommendations, including Google analytics, project health, resourcing for the projects, and next step planning
• Educate team members and clients on the adoption and deployment of new marketing media and emerging online marketing, advertising, and selling tactics 

Skills and Expertise

• Self-starter who sees problems as exciting puzzles to solve
• Staying up-to-date on trends and best practices in digital marketing as it evolves
• Deep understanding of digital marketing ecosystem and ability to identify ideal strategy based on client resources and goals, i.e., know when to choose organic SEO vs SEM
• Ability to see trends in data and apply those insights to overall strategy and day-to-day tactics
• Excellent analytical, organizational and project management skills
• Ability to multi-task, managing multiple projects and people while leveraging knowledge and experience from project to project
• High attention to detail
• Problem solver who responds quickly and effectively to issues and opportunities while ensuring compliance with brand strategy and guidelines

Education Level

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience, preferably in Marketing, Communications or relevant field

Related Experience

• At least 3+ years experience in a digital marketing role
• Hands-on experience with online marketing tools and practices

General/Special Knowledge and Skills

• Deep understanding of WordPress, HTML and integration tools
• Deep understanding of marketing automation principles; Hubspot experience preferred
• Demonstrated skills with Google Analytics and the suite of Google data tools
• Fluency in collaboration tools like Google Docs, Dropbox, Slack and Asana
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Status

Part time, Hourly

Classification

Non-Exempt

As a business leader, you pour your blood, sweat and tears into making your company successful. You’re always on and strategizing how to position your brand and generate meaningful results.

When it comes to connecting professionally on social media, you’ve probably established a thoughtful, well-curated LinkedIn presence for your company. After all, LinkedIn is most commonly viewed as the top social network for business and lead generation. 

Building company connections is definitely important. You want to make sure your business is featured in front of millions of LinkedIn users (more than 610 million, to be exact). 

Even if you’re keeping your business information up to date, you might be overlooking a secret weapon you can use to improve your business’s online presence and connectivity: your personal profile. 

When you have a personal profile that stands out, you can use it to attract attention, create familiarity, build relationships and position yourself as a trusted expert in your field, all of which can contribute to your business success. 

Making your profile stand out doesn’t have to be a long and arduous process. We’ve compiled some of our favorite tips and tricks to make your LinkedIn personal profile professional and memorable. 

Tip #1: Keep Your Photo Fresh 

Your profile picture is important, because it’s the first thing most people notice on LinkedIn, whether they’re looking for you specifically or searching for professionals in your field. A professional profile picture humanizes you and draws your viewer’s attention; in fact, profiles with photos receive 21 times more views than profiles that don’t include an image.

When choosing a profile image, your photo should be: 

• An image of you: not a superhero, pet or company logo (unless that matches your company vibe!)
• A recent, recognizable image: less than five years old is a good guideline, but it can also be updated more frequently if your appearance has changed significantly
• A professional image that reflects your brand: no selfies, dating site photos or casual/leisure pictures
• A photo that’s consistent with the rest of your online persona: if you maintain a professional page on other social networks, or if you have a photo on your company’s website, keep it consistent so you can begin to build familiarity with your audience

Tip #2: Amp Up Your Headline

Along with your profile picture, your headline and location are some of the first facts LinkedIn information seekers see. Think of it as commensurate with an email subject line; you want your headline to intrigue your viewer and to invite them to engage further. 

You can certainly feature your job title (no need to call yourself a ninja, guru or maven - unless that's part of your company lingo); however, you can also use the space to describe a problem you solve for clients or a benefit you can provide them. 

For example, instead of saying “Financial Planning Professional” or even “CEO/Owner of XYZ Firm,” something like “Investment professional helping executives meet their retirement goals” turns the focus on what you can do to make your clients’ lives better. 

Tip #3: Make your Profile Summary Pop

Your profile summary is your opportunity to tell your story. In your own words, you can let your potential clients and business partners know what differentiates you from others in your market, and can highlight the benefits you offer potential clients. 

Instead of listing a few plain-and-simple facts about you (“I employ 6 people,” “I manage investments for high net worth clients”), add some sparkle.

Use this space to show your potential clients exactly what they stand to gain from building a relationship with you (“Grew our business from a single advisor to a group of 6 professionals focused on providing investment strategies that help clients achieve their retirement goals.”). 

Tip #4: Give Your Website Some Link Love 

LinkedIn drives more visits to company sites than any other social media platform (accounting for 46% of social media traffic to corporate websites).

By making sure you include your website link on your profile, you can encourage additional interaction with your business from LinkedIn viewers visiting your site. If your online presence includes a blog, consider also featuring that link, as well as your email and other professional social media handles into your profile. 

Tip #5:  A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words (Integrate Visuals). 

As part of your LinkedIn profile, you have the opportunity to share examples of your work or to highlight recognitions you’ve received. 

If you have online content you’re serving up in other areas (blog posts, social media images, infographics, webinars, etc.), use your LinkedIn profile as a way to highlight and cross-post them.

By using visuals when sharing your successes (awards, accomplishments, achievements), you can extend your reach, get your content in front of additional eyes, and continue to position yourself as an expert in your field. 

And, most importantly, your use of visual content can create opportunities for conversation, which can be nurtured into eventual business partnerships. Sharing content with a visual element increases the likelihood of receiving comments from other users by 98%. 

Tip #6: Take Time To Connect 

Making yourself visible and creating connections is important on LinkedIn. You have multiple options to do this effectively, including: 

• Sharing interesting, useful content: Sharing useful business information positions you as an expert and shows those who review it that you’re a professional they can trust. When they have questions related to your industry in the future, you’ll be top of mind. 
• Engaging with other users’ content: By commenting, sharing or liking relevant content from other users, you can begin to build or reconnect a relationship. 
• Sending inbox messages: If you’ve seeking to connect directly with a business connection or start a conversation with a prospect, you can send an inbox message. A typical LinkedIn message has a higher open rate than traditional sales emails (one company’s study reported an 11x better open rate for InMail than traditional email marketing), which means you have a better chance of your content being seen and taken seriously. 

Tip #7: Let Someone Else Tell Your Story (Request Recommendations)

We’ve talked about telling your own story through your profile summary and accomplishments. Your recommendation section allows your colleagues and business partners to tell your story as well. 

Ask colleagues and contacts to recommend you on LinkedIn. If there are specific projects or proficiencies you’d like them to mention or stay away from, don’t be shy; let them know. For example, some industries may have specific compliance guidelines regarding testimonials. If that’s the case in your field, your recommendations can focus on your willingness to create a personal connection and spend time outlining client goals, rather than on the actual dollars and cents results that were generated. 

Tip #8: Key in on Competitive Keywords. 

Searching for keywords on LinkedIn is easy but can require some creativity and experimentation. Keyword research can include reviewing competitor’s pages and searching LinkedIn hashtags, then plugging those terms into LinkedIn’s advanced search option. 

When you find keywords that resonate, use these words as naturally as possible throughout your profile, from your headline to your job descriptions to your skills section (listing at least five relevant skills can boost your messages by 31 percent). 

Once your profile is up to date, your work on LinkedIn is only halfway done. To optimize your LinkedIn presence, you need to continue to connect, build and strengthen relationships via the platform on a daily or weekly basis.

And, when you level up on something in life, whether it’s a new role, a new skills or training, or the creation of a new piece of content, don’t hesitate to share it. By sharing information on LinkedIn and updating your profile frequently, you can put your page back at the top of your connections’ news feed and create more opportunities for conversations and relationship nurturing. 

At Out & About Communications, we’re focused on building relationships and helping our clients become visible online. LinkedIn is just one of the many areas where we help our clients build winning strategies. Take a look at some of our other digital marketing how to guides here.