By Craig Foster, Director of Digital Media.
In the past I’ve written about the importance of social media posting, “The Case for Organic Social Media: How Organic Can Support Your Paid Social Marketing Strategy” and how boosting those posts, “Boosted Posts Are the Key to Improving Your Lead Generation Campaigns” can be keys to better performance of your ad campaigns on Facebook and LinkedIn. Today we are going to dive a little deeper by discussing where you should post your content and provide some ideas as to what type of content you should be posting.
How to Leverage Social Media Platforms Thoughtfully
When it comes to where you should be posting, the answers are everywhere; Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, Threads, LinkedIn, YouTube and TikTok are the top ones to focus on, but it’s deeper than just making posts to share. Each of these platforms have something different to offer as part of your overall social media strategy, so it’s also important to make sure you use the platforms for all they can do. Here are some key content sharing capabilities of each platform:
- Facebook is a versatile platform for sharing a mix of personal and professional content. You can post articles, financial tips, and even host live Q&A sessions.
- Use Instagram to share visual content, such as infographics, charts, and images of your office, your events, or your team. You can even leverage Stories to speak to timely updates or segment your content based on topic.
- X/Twitter and Threads are useful for sharing quick updates, links to relevant articles, and engaging in real-time conversations with your target audience and peers.
- LinkedIn is a popular platform for financial professionals. It’s a great place to share industry insights, thought leadership, and connect with other professionals.
- YouTube is a spot to create and share educational videos on financial and retirement topics, post market updates, and investment strategies, all of which can help build brand credibility and a tangible sense of trust in you and your company.
- TikTok is gaining popularity among various demographics. On this platform, you can create short, engaging videos on financial tips, trends, and advice but keep in mind that the audience tends to be a little younger, so you might want to tailor your content to engage a pre-retiree audience with content relevant to them in their stage of financial life.
At the end of the day, the reason you want to tailor your content to the platform and use each one for their unique capabilities is because it can convey the legitimacy of your company to your audience and can help your audience not only access but enjoy the useful content you want to share with them.
The Role of Consistency and Authenticity in Your Social Media Strategy
Consistency and authenticity are key to building a strong social media presence. Tailor your content to your target audience and engage with your followers by responding to comments and messages. Building a strong online presence takes time, so be patient and focus on providing value to your audience by investing in understanding the platforms, the content, and putting yourself in the shoes of someone viewing your content in the context of the other financial content you’re competing with.
Financial advisors should post a variety of content on social media to engage their audience, build their brand, and establish themselves as trusted experts in the field. And the truth is, you don’t achieve that on social media by trying to sell your solutions, instead, it’s crucial to be authentic and not overly salesy in your tone and efforts. Leave the selling to your ads and when you meet with your prospects. Social media is like chatting with someone digitally at a dinner seminar: We have found that when you educate and illuminate important information before selling, you get better engagement rates due to greater trust in you and your business, which in turn draws people to seek out your business.
Now that you understand the role of authenticity and consistency in your social media strategy, it’s time to bring it back to the basics; simply creating content.
Start by Creating Content
Coming up with content to publish through social media is the very first step. Sometimes you may have decision paralysis on what content to make, but remember, you’re not trying to win an Oscar with your videos or a Pulitzer with your blogs and articles. Simply picking a topic and writing or recording yourself talking about a retirement topic that interests you is an excellent place to start!
Just for reference, here are some ideas for the content that you can post on social media:
- Educational Content – Share articles, blog posts, or infographics on financial topics like budgeting, saving, investing, retirement planning, and tax strategies. You can also create videos that explain complex financial concepts in simple terms.
- Market Insights and Financial News – Share your analysis and opinions on current market trends, economic news, investment opportunities, and provide insights on major financial events and how they impact investors.
- Client Success Stories – Highlight the success stories of your clients or testimonials from them (with approval) to showcase your ability to help people achieve their retirement goals.
- Investments Tips – Offer investment tips and strategies, such as asset allocation, diversification, and risk management by explaining the pros and cons of each potential option.
- Retirement Planning – Share advice on retirement planning, including how to calculate retirement savings goals and navigate retirement account strategies.
- Tax Planning – Pass on information on tax-efficient strategies, tax deduction strategies or rules, and tax-advantaged strategy concepts.
- Q&A Sessions – One way to connect with your prospects would be to have a live session to help answer questions and address any concerns about market volatility, personal finance, or investing.
- Company Information – Share company events, information about your staff, events, any awards achieved, new hires, community involvement, and anything that can show the personal side of the company.
The use of social media continues to grow with many Baby Boomers and Gen Xers. Your target audience increasingly turns to social media to access information. You want to make sure that you can connect with them where they are spending their time, and the best way to connect with them is to do so genuinely, thoughtfully, and anywhere amongst the digital platforms they may be.
But that is all easier said than done. So, if social media strategy seems overwhelming to you, let us know and we can help you come up with the right strategy that fits your business.
About the Author: Craig comes to us after 7 years at an agency and working independently in digital marketing, focusing on digital campaign creation and strategy. He did most of his work solving data problems and coming up with data-driven solutions and strategies. Craig grew up in the Boston area and graduated with a BS in Business Administration from Johnson and Wales University. When not working on digital marketing you might find him coaching a CrossFit class or spending time with his daughter.
