Social media has become, for many, part of daily life - whether we like it or not.

Many financial advisers have embraced social media platforms such as Twitter and LinkedIn to engage with peers and potential clients.

For them, sometimes it is not clear how regularly or indeed what exactly they should be posting online.

For others, the thought of building a social media presence seems daunting or, possibly, too time consuming. And does it really help advisers grow their businesses?

With the General Data Protection Regulation having been implemented in May and the regulator frequently on the warpath when it comes to poor behaviour in the financial advice market, many advisers may feel more than a little wary about using social media on a professional basis.

But there are plenty of reasons why posting content across social channels and getting into conversations online can be beneficial.

In this guide, advisers can find out how exactly to benefit from being on social media and the most useful platforms for them.

It will also consider the dos and don'ts of social media use, in particular, the regulation advisers should be aware of and tips for advisers starting to build their social media presence for the first time.

This guide is worth an indicative 60 minutes of CPD.

Contributors to this guide: Emma Walker, director of digital at LifeSearch; Stuart Phillips, director of Aalto Mortgages; Mark McKenna, head of global marketing at Putnam Investments; Scott Gallacher, chartered financial planner at Rowley Turton; Roger Edwards, marketing director at Protection Review; Stuart Wilson, channel director at more 2 life; Putnam Investments, Intelliflo.

Ellie Duncan is features editor at FTAdviser.com and Financial Adviser