Chuck Rylant, CFP®

Chuck Rylant served as a panelist for a break-out session at the 2009 ACA Annual Conference.  He explained how social media has played a key role in building and marketing his practice. Although Chuck has been in the financial planning business for only a few years, he already has a small but full practice with a waiting list for new clients.

During the launch of his practice Chuck read many books and articles on marketing and promotion.  His initial marketing strategy was to attend Chamber of Commerce networking events in his hometown of Santa Maria, California.  Chuck found that he would have brief conversations with other business owners, collect a huge stack of business cards, and then return to his office and wonder what to do with them.  Chuck admits that he does not have an outgoing personality and was uncomfortable with the “self-promotion” needed to be an effective networker.

But he also understood that marketing was critical to the success of his practice. He needed to find a strategy that he was comfortable with and make it part of his regular activities. With that in mind he began using social media outlets such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter to interact with friends and acquaintances using a subtle, non-invasive approach. 

He firmly believes that people do business with those they know, like, and trust.  He uses these platforms to casually interact with his network of friends and beyond so they recognize him on both personal and professional levels. These individuals get regular reminders that Chuck is a financial planner who can help them if the “spear in the back” situation arises.

Chuck has had the best results with Facebook and typically follows these guidelines: 
- Make at least one post a day to maintain visibility without being too obtrusive. 
- Make three personal postings for every one promotional post.  This ratio helps maintain the social context of the site while keeping his network apprised of his thoughts on various financial topics.
- Do not to post any negative or defamatory messages.
 
Chuck has a clear marketing strategy for his website as well. At  www.cjrylantwealthmanagement.com the prime real estate is comprised of his most recent blog postings and an email opt-in form. Many of his Facebook messages mention topics from his blog which helps drive to traffic to his website. The opt-in form allows visitors to register their email addresses to receive a “free special report.”  Those who register are added to his drip email list and receive regular updates from Chuck. The opt-in form has been highly effective in adding prospects—many of whom eventually become clients—to the marketing pipeline. 

Before opening his financial planning practice Chuck served as a police officer for 12 years.  He still works as a detective in a part-time capacity but is slowly phasing out of that line of work.  He and his wife also operate a fitness club where he uses social media techniques to attract customers.