Showing posts with label fpa business solutions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fpa business solutions. Show all posts

4/09/2010

To Blog or Not to Blog ... That is the Question

Last week, I was pleased to receive a phone call from journalist Helen Kearney.

Helen writes the Wealth Manager content for Thomson Reuters, the big news wire syndication service. She was hoping to speak with someone for a story she was writing on blogs - were they a useful marketing tool for advisors?

I was happy to share my opinions with Helen. And, yes, I did tell her that I thought blogs were a useful marketing communications tool for advisors.

I was happy to tell her about the first-ever Web 2.0 and Social Media Boot Camp powered by FPA and Impact Communications (held 2/28/10 in Dallas in conjunction with FPA's annual Business Solutions Conference) and how Andy Millard (that's Andy in the photo on the left, about to go into his video interview session), one of the 22 participants in that beta boot camp had really embraced blogging since he set up his professionally branded blog and Twitter accounts as a part of the boot camp experience.

Below is Helen's article. There's lots of good advice in it - including insights from boot camp participant Andy Millard.

I also have great news:

FPA and Impact Communications will be offering another Web 2.0 and Social Media Boot Camp on October 9, 2010 in conjunction with FPA's annual national conference (it's being held in Denver this fall). You can learn more at www.fpanet.org.

Pricing, location and other details are yet to be determined but we are thinking there will be one webinar to set the stage before the live boot camp, then a 3/4 day at the live boot camp in Denver where everyone will set up their own blog and Twitter accounts, film their first interview, record their first podcast, enter their first blog comments, and then share their results with the class while there in Denver. We'll still offer some sort of support after the boot camp - either a live webinar 30 days later or use FPA's online discussion board system.

I'll also be travelling quite a bit the next 3-6 months, talking about how to use social media to build your business while being compliant and still finding time to embrace your traditional marketing and PR activities (oh, and take care of your clients, your staff, your business, your life ...).

I'll be at IAA's Annual Conference in Chicago on April 28, FPA's Dallas Symposium on May 7 and FPA's Chicago Symposium on May 24 talking about the aforementioned topic (as well as many other conferences where I'll be talking about Marketing and PR, articulating your value as an advisor today, and much more. You can see all my speaking events at www.impactcommunications.org.

And so, without further ado, here is Helen Kearney's article:

To Blog or Not to Blog

By Helen Kearney

NEW YORK, April 6 (Reuters) - If you think blogging is something better left to your teenage daughter, think again. Financial advisers who have jumped into the world of social media say it's a big hit with their older clients -- and a great way to attract new ones.

"My retired clients spend a lot of time online. Their kids have set them up on email and they have more time to look around," said Andy Millard, a Tryon, North Carolina-based independent financial adviser who recently started a weekly blog.

Blogs can be a useful marketing tool for advisers.

READ MORE>>>
To Blog or Not to Blog

3/08/2010

At Boot Camp, Advisers Learn Social-Media Tools

Dear Boot Camp Graduates,

You may have noticed that Davis Janowski, a reporter from Investment News, sat in on our Web 2.0 and Social Media Boot Camp last week.

Here's his report:

At boot camp, advisers learn social-media tools

Sammie Gatti, Steve Johnson and "Midwest Marty" (Marty Kurtz) are quoted - and our premier got some good, positive ink!

You can "follow" Davis Janowski on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ddjanowski

Enjoy,

Marie Swift
Lead Instructor

Twitter Digest - A Baker's Dozen

Hey Boot Camp Graduates!

Here's a quick look at what I've been reading and tweeting about:
  1. Getting the Most Out of Twitter - good NY Times article - http://nyti.ms/dqg9cU
  2. Advisers aim to ramp up marketing spending - Investment News: http://bit.ly/cListy
  3. David Drucker profiles @brettellen #1 w/ Securities America multiple yrs - FA mag: http://www.fa-mag.com/fa-news/5252-strong-alliances.html
  4. Financial Planning mag: Special Report - Your Practice Management Questions Answered: How do I stand out? http://bit.ly/cmNxeH
  5. Happy to be home after a flurry of trips. Spoke at TD Ameritrade conf, #T3Show and #FPABizSol. Next up Tiburon CEO Summit to run press conf.
  6. Dare we try this? At least we can read this journalist's blog entries about her travails. No Spend Challenge Week 1 http://bit.ly/bPv7Td
  7. FinaMetrica offers risk-tolerance test online FREE thru April if use link www.riskprofiling.com/money (offer in conjunction with MONEY mag)
  8. Gauge your appetite for risk FinaMetrica’s 25-question risk-tolerance test www.myrisktolerance.com accurate measure psychological tolerance
  9. Good article on balancing appetite for investment risk and capacity for investment risk. http://tinyurl.com/riskprofile
  10. From @RIABiz: The FPA's practice management event #FPABizSol boasts two hot speakers in its first day http://www.riabiz.com/a/139166
  11. Wow! This is a GREAT site. Full of free worksheets and articles focused on creating Financial Happiness. http://www.financial-happiness.com
  12. Securities America Advisors Collaborate and Achieve Success - podcast with Paul Lofties, plus related news release: http://shar.es/m3JOb
  13. Estate Planning in 2010 - Good article by Kate McBride, editor, Wealth Manager: http://shar.es/m3iN
Not on Twitter yet? You should be! Sign up for free at http://www.twitter.com and search "people" to find "marieswift". Then follow @marieswift and join in as the spirit moves you.

I learn a lot from following my favorite journalists and industry peers on Twitter.

Why not give it a whirl - if only just to listen?

3/02/2010

FPA Business Solutions Conference Recap 2010





Great recap of the conference on Day 2 from Davis Janowski of Investment News!


http://www.investmentnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100302/BLOG02/100309972/1094/INDaily03

Social Media Boot Camp to the Rescue!

Great recap of our 3.5 hour workshop together in Dallas on 2/28/10 compliments of the FPA national staff. Good photos, too - Julie Littlechild, Sammie Gatti and
Lewis Walker.

Excerpt:
"
Marie Swift hosted a Social Media Boot Camp on Feb. 28 as a pre-conference event to FPA Business Solutions 2010 in Dallas. During the live session on Sunday afternoon, participants worked with on-site media experts to learn more about avenues on the Web for building interactions with colleagues, clients and prospects. They also got the chance to record short video and audio clips for uploading to their newly created blogs."


Read FPA's complete boot camp recap by clicking here.

We hope to repeat the Web 2.0 and Social Media Boot Camp in cities across the country in the coming months. "Follow" @marieswift on Twitter to ensure you get the latest and greatest news. You can also "follow" this blog and get updates via email every time something new is posted - just click "follow" on the left hand side of the screen.

Also - don't miss this example of new blog one of our "students" created - complete with video interview, podcast and compelling article - during the 3.5 hour workshop: http://www.andymillard.blogspot.com.

Blog on new students!

Marie Swift
Lead Instructor, Dallas Boot Camp 2/28/10

2/27/2010

Check List for Your Dallas Trip

Your coaching team and I look forward to seeing you in Dallas this Sunday, February 28, 2010.

Please arrive 15-30 minutes early to check in and get settled. We will begin promptly at 2:00. We have a lot to accomplish in our 3 1/2 hours together.

Please be sure to bring the following items with you:

1. Laptop, batteries, cords, mouse. We need everyone to be self-reliant with their own computer equipment; however, a few "loaner" laptops will be available for emergency use.

2. Your customized scripts / talking points for both your audio recording and your video recording. You should have received two base scripts - one for the audio and one for the video - to edit and "make your own" (earlier this week, from Mary Ellen Banta at Impact Communications). If you didn't get them or haven't customized them, don't worry, we will have hard copies at the boot camp and you can do quick edits there.

3. Ideas for your first "foundational entries" for your newly established blog and Twitter page. You can also just "get into the spirit" and create them in the moment while in the Content Creation Room in Dallas.

4. URLs, passwords and usernames for (a) your blog account (b) your Twitter account. You will need to get into both your blog and your Twitter accounts to post content.

5. Wear camera-ready attire on Sunday. We will be filming you.

6. Smiling face, alert mind, energy!

Don't worry if you don't have everything "perfect" before arriving in Dallas. Just be sure you have your basic blog and Twitter accounts established. A coach will be on hand in the Foundation Room to help you finish up that process if you have not had time to get through that entire set up process.

The goal of the boot camp is to show you how easy it is to create and upload content to your blog. We will also help you do your first couple of Tweets to draw traffic to your blog and/or website (or to other important articles).

If you need to hold back a little bit due to needing compliance approval first before going "live" with any audios, videos, text, etc., no worries. You can use this as a practice session - and, who knows, compliance may approve your content "as is" once they see it.

Here's contact info for my team:
  • (913) 649-5009 - Impact Communications Main Office (will route calls to me)
  • info@impactcommunications.org - (staff will respond and/or forward notes to me)
My team and I will be flying in to Dallas on Saturday 2/27/10 (today). We will be staying at the conference hotel so if you need to reach one of us, just call the front desk and ask to be connected with either Marie Swift or Quinn Law. We'll be on the premises as of 7 pm cst 2/27/10.

See you there! We are going to have a lot of fun creating and adding content to your newly established blog and Twitter pages.

Warm regards,

Marie Swift
President and CEO
Impact Communications, Inc.

1/11/2010

Save 15% on FPA Business Solutions Conference 2010!

Sponsored by
To save 15% on registration: Use code BSC10MS

Visit www.fpasolutions.org to register for both the

FPA Business Solutions Conference 2010

an advanced practice management conference
being held in Dallas March 1-3, 2010

and

Web 2.0 and Social Media Boot Camp

a special pre-conference session powered by FPA
Impact Communications in Dallas on February 28, 2010