Are you using digital media as a building block for sales❓

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When I am not traveling for work, mornings find me walking up to Mount Tabor Park in Portland, OR, an amazing urban landscape of huge trees and quiet trails. Near one of the park entrances, a rock wall is being installed. The landscape crew, now about halfway through the project, is working at moving huge boulders, fitting them into their proper places. I am fascinated by this process.

My fascination stems from an awe of their precision in placing these stones. They use levels to guide their efforts. But, because nature is unpredictable, there is no exact plan on which rock to place first, second, third and so on. In order to make their beautiful walls they simply need to lay the first rock, review the space and then select the next one. But a wall will not exist until they get started.

Some people (still) feel the same way about using social media.

It all seems complicated and overwhelming, so they opt to simply stand on the sidelines. Sadly, these folks miss out on important conversations, critical connections and an inexpensive way to build their market.

No more excuses! What’s the first rock that you plan to lay to start your social media effort?

Make this the week that you sit down to connect, write, record or film. Whatever it is, begin by beginning.

Set an intention to get involved and dedicate time each day to integrate digital media into your face-to-face networking and sales efforts.

Here are a few ideas to help you get started:

  • Follow your key partners or leaders in the financial services industry. Principal, Fidelity, American Century and others use a myriad of digital platforms to get the word out. You can learn quite a bit from their posts and discussions. (Ditto for industry associations!)
  • Follow and connect with other advisors outside your region. If you’ve decided Twitter is the place for you, search for the hashtag #fintwit to find them.
  • Before your next meeting, head to LinkedIn and review the profiles of the key decision makers. THEN! Review their recent activity. Perhaps they’ve contributed an article, posted an article, or commented on someone else’s activity.
  • One of the easiest ways to participate is to simply comment on other people’s activities. Even better? Include your thoughts and share their post with your network.
  • Set a timer for just 10 minutes a day to explore the digital arena. That way you won’t worry about the distraction, and you’ll have a definitive deadline for your efforts.