Some financial advisors overestimate the effects of joining a social media network, says Shauna Trainor, marketing manager with the Covenant Group in Toronto. Some believe the leads will just start coming in once they sign on.

“It’s important to understand,” she says, “that social media provides small, incremental success as opposed to huge wins.”

And even those small successes will remain elusive if you make these five common social-media mistakes:

1. Posting inconsistently
Whether on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn, posting regularly and making your presence known is essential.

It might seem a little overwhelming to think that you have to produce original content several times a week. But keep in mind that “updating” can be as simple as commenting on others’ posts and sharing others’ content, such as articles you find interesting.

2. Spreading yourself too thin
Posting regularly can be more difficult if you have many profiles. So, choose the one or two networks that best suit your personality and your business approach.

Trainor suggests all advisors should be on LinkedIn. You should also consider Google+ because of Google’s dominance in the online world. Choose Twitter if you are prepared to update often, but with short messages. Facebook is a good option if you like the idea of making your profile more visual.

Ask your clients where they spend their social-media time, Trainor says. Having an online presence is important for reaching out to the general public, but you should first ensure you are connecting with the clients you already have.

3. Talking “at” people
Engagement does not mean “broadcasting” information by solely providing updates on your business, Trainor says.

Participating in conversations is critical to effective social media use.

“[Conversations are] the only way you’re going to actually create a community, or broaden your own community and generate an audience,” Trainor says.

Twitter and LinkedIn are good places to start. On Twitter, you can search for keywords like “financial planning” and “wealth management” to see what people are saying about those topics.

LinkedIn is known for its myriad groups that cover a wide range of interests, from financial services to fashion and book clubs. You can join groups with members who fit your ideal-client profile.

4. Talking strictly business
Show a little personality — as long as it follows compliance rules — to help you engage with others.

For example, try not to limit your updates to financial news or business announcements. Incorporate your interests — by cheering on your favourite sports team, for example — or referring to a charity event you organized.

Topics like these are a good way of engaging your own clients as well as like-minded prospects.

5. Not tracking results
There are ways of measuring your results on social media, Trainor says, so make use of them.

Websites such as Google Analytics and Bitly provide free tools you can use to measure which of your content is most popular and which network is providing the most traffic to that content.

You can find out which strategies are most effective for you and focus on them.