An independent financial services firm’s most important marketing tool is their website.  Websites truly are the window into the firm and the first line of communication with prospective clients.  Done right, a firm’s site will serve as a showcase for investor oriented content and will allow the firm to communicate its resources, philosophies and profile its people in a compelling manner.  Further, a website is the cornerstone of a firm’s branding efforts and represents a critical component of the marketing mix when attempting to differentiate the firm for competitive advantage.

In the words of the noted physicist Marie Curie; “Nothing in life is to be feared. It is only to be understood.”   This sentiment has never been more apt than as it relates to the growing adoption of social media marketing by financial advisors as part of their practice development efforts.

The financial services industry has been late in adopting social networking as part of its marketing mix.  Uncertainty over the regulatory do's and don'ts has played a role, limited technology solutions to comply with FINRA's monitoring and archiving requirements and difficulty in efficiently managing content to ensure compliance with the organization's social media marketing policy and regulatory guidelines.  In spite of the challenges, advisors of late have begun to integrate social networking into their practice development efforts, with great success.