Is Your Social Media Strategy Successful or Nonexistent?

In the world of Financial Services social media is often still viewed with skepticism. Although there’s a lot more leeway now than even a few years ago, we work with a lot of financial advisor professionals that still stay clear of social media because of compliance. And on one hand, we understand, it’s a bit of a pain, but on the other hand social media isn’t going away.

The reasons to have social media are not just to find prospects, it can be a great tool to connect and build relationships with your current clients. And a benefit that many don’t discuss is that it can boost your rankings in search engine optimization. This can lead those searching for your products and services to find you easier and before they find your competitor.

So how do you get started with your social media? First, it is important to realize that it’s marketing and it needs a strategy. Second, make sure your strategy includes collaborating with your compliance department to honor the standards they require. Here are a few elements you should consider before jumping into social media.

How do your ideal prospects/clients use social media now?

• Which platforms do they use? Those should be the platforms that you should be using. Don’t make assumptions, ask your clients or do a quick google search for social media demographics. The answers might surprise you.
   
• When do they use it the most? Which days of the week? What times are they active? These are the times you want to post. Don’t forget your posts can be scheduled so you don’t have to be active at those hours, you just need to schedule your posts for that time.

How do you want your brand to come across? Your messages on social media should match the rest of your branding. It will cause a disconnect if your social media is out of line of your brand and even your culture. If your office is fun and down to earth then your social media should be the same. It’s all about building your brand.

Remember, it’s not about you. All marketing should be done from your prospect’s/client’s point of view. It doesn’t matter if you use social media. It doesn’t matter what messages you want to see. The biggest mistake that small businesses make when it comes to marketing is to look at it from their own point of view and not from their prospect’s. Every message you post should be looked at from your prospect’s point of view. What’s going to get their attention? What do they care about? That’s what you want to post.

Your posts don’t need to only be about your business or sales. Social media is supposed to be social. Mix up your messages. This prevents people from disconnecting from your account because it’s just about sales. Instead, get creative. Use other content such as local organizations, local news or even reposting your client’s businesses. You have a lot of options.

This is just a start on elements you need to consider for a social media strategy, but remember, it’s just marketing. Feel free to ask your Optimal Outcome business coach for more tips and a worksheet for creating your social media strategy.