
Have you ever scrolled through Michael Kitces’ profile on LinkedIn and wondered how he amassed over 67,000 followers in addition to his 500+ connections? As an industry thought leader and a top financial influencer, Michael Kitces is the perfect example of how to leverage LinkedIn to build your brand.
Many financial advisors mistakenly believe that “followers” are reserved for bona fide social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but as the world’s largest professional networking site, LinkedIn has a lot to offer financial advisors who want to level up their social media presence. If you haven’t heard of LinkedIn Creator Mode, you could be missing out on a chance to grow your influence and connect with more prospects. Use this guide to learn more about Creator Mode and how it can be used to help you stand out from the crowd.
What Is LinkedIn Creator Mode?
LinkedIn Creator Mode is a free profile setting available to all LinkedIn users. It provides access to additional tools, analytics, and features to help you grow your audience. Some of the key features include:
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- Follow Button: Instead of the option to connect, users will be able to follow you. Both your follower count and your connections count will be displayed on your profile.
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- Automatic Following: If users choose to send you a connection request, they will automatically follow you even if you don’t accept their connection.
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- “Talks About” Hashtags: You can use hashtags in your profile introduction to help others quickly identify what your content is about.
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- Suggested Creator to Follow: Once in Creator Mode, you become eligible to be listed as a Suggested Creator to Follow by LinkedIn. This can help boost your visibility and drive growth.
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- Creator Features: LinkedIn Live, Newsletter, Post Analytics and Audience Analytics
Transform Your Presence
At first glance, LinkedIn Creator Mode may not seem all that different from the way you already use the platform. But with Creator Mode, you can transform your profile into a dynamic content hub by highlighting your knowledge and experience, sharing thought leadership articles, and leveraging various interactive features to engage with your audience. Let’s take a look at how you can use the Creator Mode features to expand your reach and attract more clients.
1. Build an Engaging Personal Brand
With features like adding hashtags and links to your profile introduction, Creator Mode allows financial advisors to quickly and easily build a compelling personal brand and drive traffic to their websites. Potential followers can find you effortlessly by searching for Talks About hashtags that resonate with their interests and needs. (Tip: Make sure your hashtags and profile headline are working with each other to tell the same story about your brand!)
On the content side, you can leverage Content Performance and Post Analytics to keep track of which topics and posts resonate the most with your audience. You can use this information to tailor your personal brand around the topics that receive the most positive engagement from followers, allowing you to build credibility and trust with potential clients.
2. Establish Thought Leadership
Creator Mode also allows you to position yourself as an industry authority by regularly sharing valuable insights and expertise. Creator Mode optimizes your LinkedIn profile for promoting thought leadership by moving the Featured and Activity sections of your profile to the top. In this way, you can highlight your original content and drive new connections and followers to learn more about your expertise.
Not only that, but Creator Mode also removes your likes, comments, and other activities from the Activity section so your profile is not bogged down with minutiae. Instead, it is carefully curated to showcase your thought leadership and attract a loyal following.
3. Foster Meaningful Connections
LinkedIn offers an unparalleled opportunity for financial advisors to engage with other professionals, clients, and industry influencers by actively participating in discussions, responding to comments, and joining relevant groups. Building genuine connections allows you to expand your network and increase your visibility within the financial community and potential clients.
LinkedIn Creator Mode takes this one step further by enabling financial advisors to connect with their target audience on a deeper level. Using Audience Analytics, financial advisors can monitor who is engaging with their content and hone in on a specific target audience. Detailed demographic information, including job titles, locations, industries, companies, and seniority, is readily available for the users interacting with your posts. You can quickly determine when your audience shifts from the ideal niche you have developed and adjust your marketing as necessary. You can also use the demographic information to connect with new target audiences and expand your network.
4. Utilize Video Content
Video is an incredibly effective marketing tool, and LinkedIn Creator Mode makes it easier than ever to create and share engaging videos. You no longer have to upload a YouTube video or share a link to another platform. With the LinkedIn Live option available in Creator Mode, you can live-stream events, webinars, and Q&A sessions. Leverage this feature to deliver personalized messages, share success stories, provide financial planning tips and tricks, and engage with your audience on a deeper level. You can also add a video introduction to your profile as a way to show your personality, humanize your brand, establish trust, and enhance client engagement.
3 Video Ideas
- December: A holiday-related video
- January: Get a second opinion
- March: Guess the Dow close
5. Optimize Your Discoverability
Last but certainly not least, LinkedIn Creator Mode allows financial advisors to optimize their discoverability by becoming a Suggested Creator to Follow. Let LinkedIn do the work for you by putting your name and profile in front of more users. Eligibility for Suggested Creator to Follow occurs automatically when you enable Creator Mode on your profile. Not only will this boost your visibility in search results, but it can also significantly enhance your marketing reach and attract more high- quality leads.
How to Access Creator Mode
If you’re not already using Creator Mode, don’t worry! It’s a simple (and free!) setting that gives you automatic access to additional resources to grow your network and connect with more prospects.
Here are the steps to turn on Creator Mode:
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- Login to LinkedIn.
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- Click the “Me” icon at the top of the page.
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- Click “View Profile.”
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- Go to the Resources section and click on Creator Mode.
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- Click “Next” on the Creator Mode pop-up window.
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- Add topics to indicate which topics you post about the most. These will appear as hashtags in your introduction.
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- Click “Done.”
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- Toggle Creator Mode “On.”
Ready to Take Your Marketing to the Next Level?
If you’re ready to transform your marketing and start utilizing tools like LinkedIn Creator Mode, Indigo Marketing Agency is here to help. Whether you’re looking for content creation, email marketing, or automated social posting, we’ve got you covered. Take the next step by scheduling a free consultation today!