By now, we all know the power of social media. Its influence is significant enough to sway elections, change buying behaviors, and alter public opinion on almost anything! It’s too big to ignore, so rather than fight it, you should embrace the capabilities of social channels to help connect you with your potential customers.
By being on social media, you let your customers know that you exist, you’re open for business, and you’re ready to listen. It’s a tool you need to leverage as a part of your marketing strategy to remain relevant and competitive.
Digital marketing for financial advisors can help increase your brand visibility and boost sales in a fast and cost-effective manner. Social media platforms act as mystical portals through which to channel your enchanting story. Cast your spell and put yourself in front of your ideal clients today. It may sound funky, but the reality is that it works, but only if you actually do it.
When Should You Post On Social Media?
A frequency asked question is, when is the ideal time for financial advisors to be posting social media content? Although there is no universal handbook for posting times, and the algorithms of big platforms continue to change regularly, I still have some advice on how to go about your content scheduling. Here are some general rules of thumb:
- The best time for click-throughs is around 1 to 4 p.m.
- Wednesday is proven to be the best day to post.
- The worst time for click-throughs are weekends between 8 p.m. and 8 a.m.
Take these times with a grain of salt. I’m not saying that you should only post to social media during these times, but as a virtual financial advisor who has been doing this since before mass adoption, these are the best averages to go on.
Your posting schedule will be dependent on your target audience. Say, for instance, you’re a financial advisor who specializes in working with educators. You probably wouldn’t want to follow this advice because your audience will be in school teaching during the “prime times”. So, tailor your approach to your market to maximize exposure and reach. A/B testing is a great way to gauge response rates at different times and on different days. It’s how you find your sweet spot.
Keeping It Real
Originality is everything when it comes to content and should be your main priority. Your content is an extension of yourself and your story. Please don’t be sending out canned spam into the ether, and by canned spam, I mean cold, generic, lazy and impersonal content. You know exactly what I am talking about! The kind of content that makes a terrible first impression and probably does more harm than good to you and your practice.
Keep it real – when it comes to social media marketing, content drives engagement. When content is unique and original, it encourages clients to engage with you. Make it personal by writing for your audience. Ask them questions to grab their attention and make them feel as though you are having a conversation with them in an authentic way.
Originality is a brand builder. Posting original content will help search engines drive traffic to your website and boost your reputation in terms of creativity and trustworthiness. This approach can have potential clients feeling as if they know you before even using your service, which is a fantastic foot in the door on the way to building a lasting relationship.
So, what should you post on Social Media? A variety of original content. Plain copy posts. Pictures. Short videos (try to keep them under 2 minutes). Articles. Audio clips of podcasts you are on or are producing. The list goes on.
All of it should be driven by WHO your ideal client is. And stay out of the weeds, people don’t care so much about complex financial products, strategies, etc. They want to know who you are. They want to know how you can help them. They want to know why you instead of the next advisor. They want to know the benefits of working with you. They want to know your why.
The Fundamentals For Social Success
Integrate social media into your overall marketing strategy – Think of social media as an element of, not a replacement for, your other marketing efforts. Start slow. You don’t need to break the internet overnight and trust me, and you won’t. Trying to do too much too fast can be overwhelming. Rome wasn’t built in a day.
Your efforts will be most effective if you take your time, observing and learning along the way. This will allow you to grow in confidence before tackling a new platform. I recommend starting with LinkedIn, where networking is the game, then move on to Facebook to build some relationships. A caveat here is that if you know your ideal client is on Facebook, Twitter, etc. more than any other platform then go to that platform and crush it. You can always add another platform later once you are rocking it on one.
Engagement is key. Don’t post your content and then disappear. If people are commenting on your content, then engage with them, thank them, ask them additional questions. Make it a conversation.
Never stop learning from others. What effective financial advisor marketing strategies have you seen lately? What was interesting about their website? What type of updates generated the most interest and engagement? These are the questions you need to be asking yourself to find the most effective solution for yourself.
Set goals for your social efforts – lay out a plan for achieving them and track your progress. Set up automated reminders on your calendar to stay on track with your social ambitions. Be consistent in your messaging and what you post. Once you have set up a pattern for posting you are happy with, stick to it. This forms part of your social identity.
Lead generation for financial advisors is all about driving traffic into your marketing funnel. For example, you post on LinkedIn, you build an audience that gets to know you, you post about an eBook they can have for free on your website, you send them there. Measure your efforts by using Google Analytics to track referrals from social media to your site. When you find out what’s driving traffic to your site, do a heck of a lot more of it!
Social media for financial advisors is an art & science. It is not something that magically starts driving in clients overnight, forget that myth. If you build a robust digital footprint, which includes social media, and are actively engaged with amazing organic content good things will start to happen. When you start to see what works then, and only then, should you venture into the world of paid advertising (boosting posts, etc.) to throw gas on a fire you have already started.
What is your favorite social media platform and why?
Thanks for taking some time to read this, I really appreciate it!
Best Regards,
Derek Notman
