Getting involved in the online conversation

The fact is that most people now research and buy from the web, which means that your online presence and third party recommendations are absolutely crucial, no matter how big or small you are as an organisation.  Even a cursory glance at the popular personal finance forums or a simple search on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn shows just how much is being said online in the world of financial services alone. People talk and make recommendations in cyberspace about providers and companies they trust, or indeed, identify ones they don’t! As a result, by the time a prospect comes to you they will more than likely have already formed an opinion of your service. It’s therefore vital to get involved in these conversations in order to protect the reputation of your business and generate sales leads.

Your organisation’s website should be regarded as your 21st century ‘shop window’, and how interactive and easy to navigate it is will play a vital role in defining how successful your sales are likely to be. As with any shop window its success should not just be defined by how good it looks but how effective it is at increasing footfall through the door and to the tills. In the online world this means driving traffic to your site, and social media is one of the most important tools to do this. 

A social media presence that is well-integrated and consistent will generate links and improve search engine rankings and potential new business prospects. The personal nature of social media means that strong relationships can be created and maintained with customers; furthermore, it allows you to influence the opinion formed of your offerings prior to engaging with potential customers and other influencers (journalists, bloggers etc). Advisers and providers alike need to be involved in the right ‘conversations’ to ensure they don’t miss out, as buyers become increasingly armed with impressions of a business before they commit to spending their hard earned cash.