Where advisers can find help with social media

If you're an average RIA firm owner, you're in your mid-50s. That means you didn't grow up with computers, iPhones, the Internet, Facebook and LinkedIn. Younger clients expect their advisers to be tech savvy and communicate with them individually, and “generally” through social media. Even clients who are your age or older have embraced these new tools — initially motivated by a desire to connect with their grandkids. So, how can we advisers take advantage of the power of social media? It's easy: Enlist help. Face it: Your younger employees know this stuff like they know how to breathe. To get started on social media, give one or two of your newer staff members the opportunity to develop a strategy. It's best to give them an idea of what you want; they will know the questions to ask. For me, a young staff member volunteered to take on this project. I told him that I'd like to take advantage of LinkedIn and have more of a presence on social media. From that, I got more input than I knew what to do with. He suggested the following: • Set up a LinkedIn company page, as well as a personal account. • Join relevant groups. • Connect with as many people as possible and encourage people to join the company group. • Set up a Twitter account. • Publicize the Twitter account on LinkedIn. • Publicize the company's LinkedIn page and my Twitter presence in communications with clients, centers of influence and on our website. • Write regular blogs. • Comment on others' postings. It seemed like an overwhelming list. Yet, with the assistance of my able employee, the list became much more doable. He helped with all the setup and showed me how to check in on current postings, as well as how to post my own updates, tweets and comments. On an ongoing basis, he stays up with what's out there. He lets me know when I might want to post a comment, he'll post links to groups when an article of mine is published, and, what I find most helpful, he provides me with various topics of current interest that I might write about. Even with help, it takes time. But the help makes it all possible. If you want your firm to remain relevant and attractive to new (and current) clients, you must participate in social media. You just don't have to do it alone. So finally, I send a big thank you to Daniel Anderson! Sheryl Rowling is chief executive of Total Rebalance Expert and principal at Rowling & Associates. She considers herself a non-techie user of technology.