Are you protecting your reputation capital?

Digital professionalism isn't just about having a nice website and posting occasionally on social media.

It's about having an online presence that builds reputation capital: the trust and credibility that becomes your competitive advantage as a financial adviser. But there are both opportunities and stakes at play here. 

On the one hand, our digital reality means you can establish credibility en masse and help the right people find you much quicker than ever before. On the other, there's a defensive necessity to make sure your online presence doesn't damage your reputation or undermine the brilliant adviser you are in real life.

So, why does digital professionalism matter? Let’s start with the “Google reflex.”

The Google reflex

We all do it, right? It's this instinctive behaviour of immediately searching online to research, validate or gather information about a person, product or service before making any contact or commitment.

Your potential clients are doing the same thing. 

The question isn't whether your potential clients are Googling you – it's what they're going to find when they do.

The attention deficit economy

Attention has become the scarcest resource on the planet. That scarcity has made us all brutally judgy, making lightning-fast decisions about credibility, trustworthiness and professionalism.

The reality is that first impressions lock in our perception of a business or person.

The professionalism gap

Netwealth research from last year found that 46% of prospects cited an external endorsement as a significant factor in shaping their perceptions when choosing a financial adviser. This demonstrates that referrals are the warmest leads and more likely to convert than any other source.

But what happens when that glowing recommendation clashes with what a prospect finds online? 

When someone refers you as a premium adviser, but prospects discover unprofessional or outdated content, doubt creeps in. And doubt rarely leads to people taking action.