When it comes to financial services, we’ve talked about online behaviors for the end user and for the brand itself. But how are individual finance professionals using online and social platforms? This survey from American Century Investments takes a closer look.
The most popular social tool for business use is far and away LinkedIn. Thirty three percent of financial professionals are using that tool, while relatively few are using Twitter, Facebook or blogs.
In terms of how they use social tools, the most popular function is to collect information, more specifically to read expert commentary and insights. Finance pros also use social tools to research people and share content that might be relevant to clients.
Given the finance professional’s preferred tools and purpose for social media use, we’ve identified a few strategies to make that experience better. Add these habits to your daily routine to find a stream of high quality insights and discussion opportunities on LinkedIn.
1. Follow LinkedIn Today Channels
LinkedIn Today is the network’s social news page, and is a great way to discover the latest finance insights from a variety of sources. To get started, follow topic areas that interest you and your clients. The content will appear on your homepage stream and, if you set it that way, can even be delivered to your inbox via an email digest. Here are a few channels that overlap with financial services:
- Economy
- Entrepreneurship & Small Business
- Leadership & Management
2. Follow Thought Leaders
You can also find content by following trusted industry Influencers. LinkedIn curates a list of influencers in various industries who create their own content as well as share insights from other sources. Influencers can also serve as a great guide for the kind of content that you and your company should share online. Here are a few financial services influencers to check out:
- Jim Kim, President at the World Bank
- Sallie Krawcheck, Past President of Merill Lynch, US Trust and Smith Barney
- David H. Stevens, President and CEO at Mortgage Bankers Association
- Michael Moritz, Chairman, Sequoia Capital
- Linda Descano, Managing Director at Citi
3. Join LinkedIn Groups
LinkedIn Groups are notoriously spammy, but if you find the right one, it can be a great place to find, share and discuss industry insights. Below are a few of the larger groups finance-focused groups. If you prefer a more curated experience, ask members of your network which groups they recommend.
