In a world that has become increasingly more virtual, social media provides a look into businesses, owners, and advisors on a personal level. Social media is the most effective way to reach new customers, engage with current customers, and share a behind the scenes look at your business. While social media might seem like a marketing tool for lifestyle brands and B2C businesses, financial advisors and business advisors can and should be utilizing social media in their marketing plans. Use our helpful tips on how to improve your social media presence to turn likes into followers, followers into leads, and leads into customers.
1 – Be Authentic
The best way for your potential clients to learn more about your business is to share more about your personal life. According to Investor’s Business Daily, sharing personal stories can “have a greater impact than a financial article as people get to know the real you”. A mix of personal and professional content will allow for your reach to increase. “Prospects are looking for answers to their financial questions online, and financial advisors can use social media to answer those questions. These prospects are also looking for a connection”, according to FMG Suite. At EPI we share a mix of content on our own social media accounts. To build the sense of community we strive for in Exit Planning, we highlight our team in blogs and share these stories on social media.
2 – Utilize Analytics
One of the many positive aspects of using Social Media Marketing is the ease of analyzing data. Through Facebook Insights, Twitter Analytics, LinkedIn Analytics, and outside analytics software like HubSpot, you have the capability to see what posts have garnered the most engagement. You can instantly see what content they enjoy the most, demographic information about who viewed the posts, and can develop campaigns to reach specific target markets. Including tracking tags on your website will help to highlight where web traffic is coming from and which social posts attract the most leads to your site.
3 – Follow Compliance Rules
As business advisors and financial advisors, you may be held to strict compliance rules for Social Media usage. According to Investor’s Business Daily, “FINRA, which regulates broker-dealers in the U.S. and works under the supervision of the SEC, provides a specific set of guidelines for the use of social media. In addition, if a financial advisor works for a larger firm, they may have their own compliance department. As such, advisors need to have their content prescreened to make sure it’s compliant before distribution on various platforms”.
4 – Create Engaging Content
Statistically the most engaging content include images and videos. According to Paladin Digital Marketing, “Take some time to brainstorm social media posts that will inspire people to share your content with others. If a couple of your social media posts go viral, that many more people will be exposed to your brand and consider your value offering. This increased exposure will eventually result in more phone calls, emails, and social media connections with prospective clients. Such improved brand awareness will eventually lead to a meaningful spike in business that ultimately adds to your firm’s bottom line”. At EPI we share video content from successful webinars, CEPA Masterclass, and helpful tips from our excellent faculty.
Until in-person marketing and sales initiatives can return, much of your engagement with customers will take place online. By improving your social media impact, you vastly increase your marketing qualified leads and sales overall.
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