Build Your Brand: Social Media Marketing for Financial Advisors
- CEO at Volterra, Speaker, Social Media Marketing Instructor at University of Toronto, Top LinkedIn Voice, Podcast Host and Author
- Published on November 12, 2023
- Updated on August 30, 2024
Table of Contents
Have you ever felt overwhelmed trying to keep up with all the social media platforms out there as a financial advisor? You’re not alone. Even for seasoned financial advisors, developing a winning social media strategy can prove challenging. But ignoring nearly 350 million social media users in the US and Canada altogether means missing out on its huge potential for increasing visibility, better connecting with both existing and prospective clients, and growing your financial advisory business.
Those advisors that are taking the time to define their target audience, understand where they should share relevant content and how to nurture leads through digital channels, have proven better equipped to engage clients and drive a higher return on marketing investment.
In this comprehensive social media marketing guide for financial advisors we’ll show how to leverage social media to achieve real results, not just vanity metrics. You’ll learn how to create content that genuinely resonates with your target audience and highlights your expertise. We’ll cover choosing the right social media platforms, optimizing profiles, engaging followers, tracking analytics, and more. Whether you’re new to social media or looking to improve your existing social media marketing efforts, this guide will help you effectively position your financial advisory business, connect with high-quality prospects, and grow your bottom line. Let’s dive in!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Target Audience Identification and Engagement: Identify your target audience among various groups like young professionals, retirees, or business owners. Tailor your social media marketing efforts to address their financial literacy, pain points, and aspirations, thus improving your connection with prospective clients.
- Strategic Selection of Social Media Platforms: Choose the right social media platforms that best suit your target audience. For instance, LinkedIn for professional networking, Facebook for broader audience engagement, and Instagram for connecting with a younger demographic. Focus on leveraging social media to enhance your personal brand recognition and support your sales process.
- Optimization of Social Media Profiles and Social Media Pages: Craft your social media profiles and social media pages to reflect your expertise and value proposition as a financial advisor. Ensure your social media marketing efforts include relevant content and keywords for better visibility and brand awareness.
- Development and Sharing of Educational and Engaging Content: Create a diverse content marketing strategy that involves educational content, client success stories, and personal stories. This approach not only feeds financial literacy but also reinforces your position as a thought leader in the financial services industry.
- Building Relationships Through Social Media Channels: Actively engage with your social media followers to foster community involvement and build trust. Respond to comments, share personal experiences, and offer valuable insights to maintain ongoing dialogue and strengthen your personal brand awareness.
- Focus on Benefits in Social Media Posts for Better Engagement: In your social media posts, emphasize how your financial services and expertise can address specific pain points and enhance investment performance for potential clients. Use clear, relatable language to explain the benefits of working with you.
- Compliance with Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) and Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) Regulations: Adhere to the regulations set by financial industry regulatory authorities when sharing educational content or financial advice on a social media platform. Monitor compliance regulations to ensure your social media marketing efforts are within legal boundaries.
- Use of Analytics to Refine Social Media Strategy: Employ analytics tools to monitor website traffic, engagement, and lead generation from your social media efforts. Analyze this data to continuously optimize your social media strategy and improve the effectiveness of your financial advisory business’s online presence.
- Consistency and Exploration of New Social Media Trends: Maintain a consistent content plan and explore new social media platforms and trends, such as Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts, to expand your reach. This approach can attract new clients and increase brand awareness among a wider audience.
- Encourage Interactive Engagement for Client Involvement: Use your social media platforms to encourage active engagement. Ask questions, run polls, and create interactive content to stimulate conversation and enhance community involvement, thereby increasing engagement and potentially attracting more clients.
Can financial advisors use social media for marketing?
Yes, financial advisors can use social media for marketing. However, they must comply with marketing regulations from SEC and FINRA. When marketing on social media, financial advisors should focus on sharing valuable content, maintaining transparency to boost engagement and build trust with clients and prospects.
Social Media Calendar Template for Financial Advisors
| Day | Theme | Post Type | Content Description | Goal |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Motivation Monday | Inspirational Quote | Share an inspirational quote related to financial success or personal growth. | Start the week with positivity, boost engagement. |
| Tuesday | Tip Tuesday | Financial Tip | Offer a practical financial tip or advice, like budgeting strategies or investment basics. | Educate followers, provide valuable insights. |
| Wednesday | Wealth Wednesday | Blog Post/Article Share | Share a link to a recent blog post or an interesting financial news article. | Establish thought leadership, inform about industry trends. |
| Thursday | Throwback Thursday | Personal / Client Success Story | Share a personal story or highlight a client success story (with permission). | Build trust, showcase experience and success. |
| Friday | Financial FAQ Friday | Q & A | Answer a common financial question from clients or followers. | Engage with audience, address their concerns and questions. |
| Saturday | Weekend Wisdom | Infographic | Share an infographic with financial facts, stats, or quick tips. | Provide educational content in a visually appealing format. |
| Sunday | Sunday Reflection | Personal Reflection / Insight | Post a reflective message about financial health, life balance, or setting goals. | Connect personally, inspire followers for the week ahead. |
Showcase your brand.
Create company profiles with custom banners and info-packages tailored to different industries.
Show your contact info easily accessible by your prospects and clients.
Add custom CTAs to drive prospects or clients to your calendar, sign up form, etc.
Collect feedback from prospects and clients. Feedback and reactions are not publicly visible.
Share any existing PDF presentations and documents.
Simplify Complex Topics with Video PDFs
Boost client engagement with personalized video explanations of key financial documents. Access engagement analytics. Learn more.
Debunking Myths About Social Media Marketing for Financial Advisors
First, we need to talk about all the nonsense that many financial advisors have been fed regarding social media marketing. I’ve heard every lame excuse in the book for why you “can’t” or “shouldn’t” leverage social media platforms like LinkedIn, X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and others to grow your financial advisory business.
It’s all a bunch of myths and misconceptions perpetuated by financial advisors who are too lazy, too stubborn or too unfamiliar to figure out the social media game. While you’ve been sitting on the sidelines, the savvy advisors and financial firms who do “get it” have been cleaning up – generating tons of leads, building massive audiences, and staying crazy relevant.
No more excuses. It’s time to call BS on the biggest social media marketing myths holding financial advisors back. The game has changed and you can’t afford to ignore this powerful tool any longer.
- “I don’t need social media marketing, I get enough clients from referrals.” Look, I understand – word-of-mouth referrals are great. But you’re missing out on so many more prospects by not leveraging social media. Building a strong social media presence can drive major lead generation and brand awareness to attract new clients.
- “Social media is just for kids posting duck lips selfies.” Sure, there’s a decent amount of that “fascinating content” out there. But social media platforms are powerful tools that most financial advisors aren’t taking full advantage of. An astounding number of your potential clients are active daily on platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram. Even TikTok! Ignoring it means you’re leaving a ton of money on the table.
- “I don’t have time to learn all the different social media platforms.” Pick one or two that are a good fit for your target audience instead of spreading yourself too thin. Having an awesome presence on a single social media platform is way better than being mediocre across several.
- “Creating and managing all that social media content seems like a nightmare.” Creating consistent, valuable content is definitely a grind, no denying that. But you can re-purpose and recycle a lot of your existing marketing materials and resources. Things like blog posts, emails, videos, case studies, etc. can all be repurposed as social media content. Get creative! Or collaborate with social media marketing agencies specializing in the finance niche, like Volterra.
- “Social media marketing is just for brand awareness, not actually generating leads.” Tell that to all the savvy financial advisors leveraging social media for lead gen! Sharing educational content, promoting valuable offers, running ads for lead magnets – all great ways to capture new prospects when done right.
- “Putting my face and personality out there seems unprofessional.” Professionalism is cool and all, but people want to see the human side of you and your financial advisory business. Sharing some personal stories and real life experiences helps build way deeper connections and trust with your audience.
- “My compliance team would never allow social media marketing efforts.”
Maybe your particular compliance team just needs to understand more about what you are trying to do. But the financial industry regulatory authorities absolutely do allow social media marketing when done properly. Don’t assume, have an actual discussion with your team. - “My competitors aren’t doing much on social media, so I don’t need to either.” This is the kind of lazy logic that keeps most financial advisors stuck in mediocrity. If your competitors are behind on social media, take advantage! Get out in front and start dominating those social channels before they do.
- “Social media doesn’t work for the financial services industry.” Sure, financial services has its challenges for social media marketing. But the data shows most financial advisors are either not even trying or doing an awful job at it. The ones figuring it out are seeing massive benefits in terms of lead gen, brand building, referrals and more. Don’t fall for this myth.
INSIGHTS FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS
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The Benefits of Social Media Marketing for Financial Advisors
Social media marketing presents immense opportunities for financial advisors to expand their reach, build meaningful relationships, and grow their businesses. While it requires an investment of time, creativity, and strategic focus, the potential benefits make social media marketing well worth the effort.
One of the biggest advantages of leveraging social platforms is increased visibility. On just Facebook and LinkedIn alone, there are over 4 billion regular active users. Tapping into even a fraction of this massive audience can dramatically amplify awareness for your advisory business. You can organically reach more of your ideal potential clients online through social networks than you ever could through traditional in-person networking and seminars.
Social media also enables highlighting your expertise and thought leadership. As discussed in this guide, social media platforms like LinkedIn and X (formerly Twitter) allow you to share valuable insights, market commentary, educational content, and success stories that spotlight your capabilities as a trusted advisor. This content directly showcases your knowledge.
Furthermore, social selling media facilitates deeper engagement and relationship building. The two-way communication enabled by social selling platforms like Facebook and Instagram fosters more meaningful connections with both existing clients and new prospects. You can generate leads and nurture them through ongoing social dialogue.
And the data and metrics available through social media platforms provide transparency into your marketing performance. You can continually refine content and engagement strategies based on measurable outcomes like lead conversions.
Define Your Goals and Ideal Customer Profile
Defining your ideal customer profile and social media goals are key steps for financial advisors looking to succeed with social media marketing.
Our marketing agency works with many financial advisors and one of the biggest mistakes they make is trying to appeal to too broad of an audience online. Most financial advisors start seeing real results only after narrowing down their focus. Here’s how many of our clients in the financial industry set goals and define their ideal customer profile:
- They get very specific on their niche. For example, they focus on developing content and choosing social media platforms tailored to young professionals, retirees, business owners, families, or other niches they specialize in.
- Consider your ideal customer demographics like age, income level, education, interests, values, and pain points you can help solve. Leverage personas and market research to appeal to their specific needs.
- Identify the types of financial services and products you are best positioned to add value on so you can create relevant social media content around them. For instance, taxes, investments, retirement planning, insurance, or estate planning.
- Set S.M.A.R.T. goals tied to business outcomes like increasing the number of website visitors, generating leads, reducing cost per lead, and scheduling client consultations through social media platforms. This will allow you to track ROI and optimize social media efforts.
Taking this targeted, metrics-driven approach has been a game changer. Defining both your ideal customer profile and goals creates a social media marketing foundation to drive real results vs vanity metrics. Test different strategies and find what resonates most with your clearly defined audience.
Choose the Right Social Media Platforms
Once you’ve defined your ideal customer profile and identified goals, the next critical step in sales process is selecting the right social media platforms to focus on.
When we first started, we wasted time trying to maintain social media accounts on every popular social platform. But spreading social media marketing efforts too thin rarely works. Based on my experience, I recommend financial advisors start by picking just one or two social media platforms where your niche is highly active.
For example, if your target audience is retirees, emphasize building your presence on Facebook. For connecting with young professionals, focus more on Instagram and LinkedIn. Really take time to research where your potential clients spend their time online.
Here are some additional tips on choosing a social media platform:
- LinkedIn is essential for financial advisors to share advisory content, build connections, and generate leads. Make sure to optimize your social media profile and post consistently.
- Twitter is great for increasing brand recognition and real-time engagement. Use relevant hashtags and tweet financial tips regularly.
- Facebook can help humanize your personal brand and develop deeper, more personal relationships. Share behind-the-scenes looks at your work.
- YouTube presents big opportunities for video content that educates and builds trust with prospective clients.
Rather than chasing clout on every social media platform, identify the one or two that are most strategic for your goals and targeted audience. This tailored approach allows you to maximize impact with limited time.
Optimize Your Social Media Profile and Social Media Pages
Optimizing your social media presence should be a priority for financial advisors. I’ve learned this first-hand through trial and error managing my own social media profiles. When I first started out, I didn’t realize how much small profile tweaks could impact results. Be sure to use a professional headshot. Use keywords to make your bio buyer-centric. Have a provocative headline that explains what you do, who you do it for, and how you provide value.
Here are a few social media profile tips I now recommend based on my experience:
- Choose a high quality headshot that looks professional yet also friendly and approachable. This will be the first impression prospective clients have of you.
- Take time crafting your bio. Explain clearly who you are, your niche specialty, credentials, and what value you bring to the table for clients.
- Include keywords like your location and credentials so you appear in relevant searches. LinkedIn lets you optimize your profile for discoverability.
- Show some personality! Potential clients want to get a sense of who you are before connecting. Share hobbies or interests.
- Ensure your social media profiles link to your website and booking details so people can easily learn more and reach out.
Think of your social media profile like a digital first impression. An optimized social media presence establishes credibility and gives potential clients a reason to connect specifically with you over other financial advisors. It pays dividends in the long run.
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Understand Your Target Audience and Ideal Customer Persona
You’ve optimized your social media profile to cast the right first impression. Now it’s time to gain an intimate understanding of who you aim to connect with – your target audience. Many financial advisors mistakenly view social media as a bullhorn for broadcasting generic messages to the masses. But the social media game is about niche, not noise.
Start by gathering demographics like age range, income levels, education, geographic location and family size of your ideal clients.
But demographics only reveal surface level information. You need to dig deeper into the psychographics:
- What financial goals, fears and aspirations motivate them?
- What educational gaps or pain points can you help address?
- How do they prefer to receive financial guidance and communication?
- What content style and tone best resonates with them?
Tools like surveys, interviews and social listening provide insights into psychographics. But avoid making assumptions. Let your audience’s actual needs and preferences guide your approach.
With this detailed knowledge of your target audience, you can craft tailored social content marketing that genuinely speaks to them. The most effective marketing solves real problems for real people.
Remember, even within a niche audience, personalities, perspectives and priorities vary. Continually refine your understanding of your crowd through ongoing two-way dialogue on social media platforms.
Develop a Social Media Strategy
Armed with intimate insight into your ideal prospective clients, you’re now ready to develop an effective social media strategy. This requires moving beyond improvised posting to deliberate planning and consistency.
Create a social media content plan and calendar to stay consistent
First, audit your existing content. Analyze engagement levels and feedback to identify what resonates most with your target audience. Look for knowledge gaps, tone or topics that need addressed.
Next, map out a monthly content plan to organize your ideas and goals. Outline social media posts tailored to your audience’s needs and pain points. Mix educational articles, video tips, polls and more.
Include relevant industry events, awareness days, or holidays to connect your expertise to what’s timely. But avoid overt self-promotion. Focus on value.
With your calendar set, maintain consistency. Scheduling tools like Hootsuite allow batching content to prevent gaps between social media posts.
Stick to your content plan but also remain agile. Continuously test new content formats and analyze performance. Double down on what works and swiftly eliminate what doesn’t.
Effective social media marketing combines planning with informed trial and error. And don’t forget the 80/20 rules – only 20% of effort produces 80% of results. Identify and repeat what succeeds.
Learn about your competitors, clients and prospects to create valuable content
With a social media content calendar set, you’re ready to create value-driven social media posts. But first, let’s discuss how research can strengthen your social media strategy.
A common mistake financial advisors make is creating content in a bubble without considering competitors or clients. This leads to “me too” content that blends into the noise.
That’s why I regularly analyze competitors’ social media presence and content. This provides useful intel on gaps where I can differentiate and add unique value.
For example, if you noticed a competitor neglecting short-form video content, you can start weekly videos providing quick tips which can rapidly expand your reach.
Client research is equally important. Schedule regular calls or surveys to get feedback on their needs and preferred content format. Addressing client requests in your content is a win-win.
And don’t forget prospect research through tools like Google Trends, SimilarWeb and track social mentions using social selling tools like Hootsuite or Sprout Social. Discover their interests, pain points and influencers. Then craft social media content that speaks to them.
Incorporating ongoing research into your social media strategy ensures your messaging evolves beyond assumptions. Let your ideal audience’s actual needs dictate your content. This laser focus is the key to genuine social media engagement and growth.
Adhere to the marketing rules and compliance regulations for financial advisors
When sharing financial content on your social media accounts, it’s critical for financial advisors like yourself to keep SEC marketing compliance top of mind. But what does this mean practically?
Basically, there are specific marketing rules around how much financial advisors can promote their services versus providing general education. The SEC doesn’t want advisors aggressively selling online.
For example, you need to be careful about making performance promises for specific investment products without proper documentation. And you also need to include required risk disclosures if discussing certain investing strategies.
The Marketing Rules for financial advisors can feel restrictive at first. But compliance helps build trust. So focus your social media content on asking questions, sharing broad knowledge, and guiding your target audience through valuable education.
My best advice is to regularly monitor compliance regulations and review SEC guidelines with your firm’s compliance team. Stay up to date on any changes in your state or province. And find creative ways to provide value on social media platforms within the SEC regulations. This content-first approach drives results!
Types of Social Media Content Financial Firms Can Share
Source: Broadridge Financial Solutions
Content is king – especially on social media. But most financial advisors we’ve talked to say that consistently creating quality content is their top marketing challenge. Without fresh, engaging social media posts, your social media marketing efforts will will struggle to gain traction.
So how can you develop content that inspires your target audience to follow, share and convert? In this section I’ll provide actionable social media marketing tips to help you create compelling social media content that builds meaningful connections and grows your financial advisory business.
Educational content to establish thought leadership as a financial advisor
Previously, we discussed the importance of creating social media content tailored to your niche. And one of the most effective ways to engage and add value is through educational content tailored to your niche. As financial advisors, you’re knowledge workers. So directly leveraging our expertise through educational social media content is a win-win.
For example, some top-performing educational content I’ve seen performed best for our financial advisor clients includes:
- An explainer video breaking down annuities
- A checklist of must-have estate planning documents
- A primer article on health savings accounts (HSAs)
- A comparison graphic on 401(k)s vs. IRAs
Tapping into your specialized knowledge allows you to share educational content that teaches your targeted audience something new. Position yourself as an informative resource versus a salesman.
Here are some tips for developing strong educational content as a financial advisor:
- Focus on topics that address common client questions
- Break down complex concepts using stats, steps and visuals
- Offer specific takeaways and action items to apply learnings
- Promote engagement with quizzes or asking followers to share experiences
Education builds authority and trust. As you consistently provide educational value via social media channels, you become viewed as an authoritative expert worth connecting with.
When creating educational content, think about formats that increase engagement. For instance, video-narrated PDFs can make complex financial topics more digestible and engaging.
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Client success stories and case studies to build trust
In addition to educational content, another powerful type of social media post to boost engagement and trust are client success stories. As the saying goes, “facts tell but stories sell.” Putting a human face on the value you deliver makes a bigger impact than general claims about your financial services and value proposition.
For example, rather than generally boasting you can help clients retire early, share a specific example like:
“By restructuring their investment mix and maximizing 401k contributions, I helped the Metzen family retire 3 years sooner than planned. They were able to travel the world like they had dreamed of.”
Make sure to get written permission from clients before sharing any identifying details. Mask specifics like name and photo if preferred.
Some social media marketing tips for sharing client success stories:
- Focus on a single compelling client transformation
- Weave in specifics like how long it took
- Conclude by highlighting the end result for the client
- Include a photo/video testimonial from the client if possible
- Ask followers if they have similar goals they’d like help achieving
Compelling and authentic client success stories humanize your financial services and build credibility. They offer social proof of your capabilities.
Industry news and industry trends to provide valuable insights
Regularly commenting on financial industry news and industry trends on social media platforms is an impactful social media marketing strategy for financial services firms. But it’s about more than just sharing headlines – you need to add your human perspective.
For example, when the Federal Reserve raised interest rates last year, many of our financial advisor clients created videos breaking down key points and implications:
- How this could affect consumer debt and mortgage rates
- Shifting investing strategies as rates rise
- The impact on retirement planning and drawing income
These financial firms made sure to provide actionable takeaways for their target audience and cited credible data from the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and Bloomberg surveys. This helped strengthen analysis with facts.
Here are some tips for financial firms covering financial services industry news and industry trends:
- Focus on how events directly impact your target audience and niche
- Offer balanced, apolitical perspectives
- Ask followers how the news affects them to spark engagement
- Make connections between events and your area of expertise
Adding your insights to timely happenings shows prospective clients your knowledge. But make sure to avoid regulatory issues by not overly promoting your financial services. Your goal is simply to guide and inform your prospective clients.
Personal stories to highlight the human side
In addition to educational content, client success stories, and industry-focused content, sharing personal stories and behind-the-scenes glimpses into your work is a great way to boost engagement and humanize your personal brand.
Financial advisors spend days buried in data, research, compliance policies and technical details. Their work can seem dry and robotic from the outside. That’s why bringing your personality to life through personal stories is so important on social media platforms.
For example, a peek at the big presentation you have coming up, a photo from your company’s holiday party, musings on your morning commute or daily workout regimen. These types of social media posts may seem trivial. But they allow your targeted audience to connect with the real human behind the advisor.
Some social media marketing tips for personal storytelling:
- Share struggles clients may relate to like staying disciplined to a budget
- Be authentic and passionate – use your real voice
- Respond to all comments to continue the conversation
- Ask followers questions to spark engagement
- Avoid anything politically divisive or controversial
Personal stories make you relatable, approachable, and rooted in the same realities as your audience. Used strategically, they can help form genuine connections.
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Social Media Marketing Tips for Financial Advisors
Now that we’ve covered impactful types of social media content, let’s explore some best social media marketing tips and practices for content creation. One of the most important is highlighting benefits your audience cares about rather than promoting generic features.
1. Highlight benefits of your financial services, not features to connect with your targeted audience.
It’s easy to fall into the trap of bragging about financial services offered like: “Work with us for access to over 500 funds and our award-winning trading platform!” But this focuses on self-serving features rather than tangible customer value. Prospective clients tune statements like this out.
Instead, focus your content on addressing real needs and desires. For example:
“Avoid running out of retirement savings by letting us help you determine the right withdraw rate, set up guaranteed income streams, and protect your assets.”
Here are some tips for creating benefit-focused social media content:
- Identify common pain points and needs for your niche
- Speak to how you understand and can help ease these struggles
- Boast about client outcomes like peace of mind rather than your features
- Use relatable language like “you” instead of touting “we” or “our firm”
- Ask followers to engage around what matters most to them
Communicating in a resonant, benefit-oriented way is essential to cutting through the noise on social media. Craft social media content focused on serving first.
2. Use your own voice, not obscure industry jargon.
When creating social media content, it’s also critical to communicate in your own natural voice instead of relying on financial industry jargon.
It’s easy to fall into the bad habit of showcasing technical knowledge by peppering social media posts with words like alpha, annuities, basis points, sharpe ratio and more. But this confuses and alienates the average person. It reeks of elitism rather than building understanding.
That’s why expressing insights simply and conversationally is so important. For example:
Instead of: “Correlations between equities and fixed-income assets can impact returns through systematic risk.”
Say: “Mixing stocks and bonds in your portfolio can help reduce risk and stabilize investment performance, over time.”
Use these tips to simplify your social media messaging:
- Explain financial concepts in simple terms anyone could grasp
- Use analogies and examples to illustrate points
- Avoid excessive stats and data dumps – highlight key takeaways
- Write like you’re talking to a friend versus trying to impress
- Use tools like Grammarly to check readability level
The last thing you want is potential clients avoiding engagement because they feel talked down to. Meet your target audience where they are at through accessible writing.
3. Leverage social media to share valuable insights to position yourself as a trusted financial advisor.
In addition to using plain language, focusing your social media content on truly valuable insights versus filler builds trust and authority.
It’s tempting to post content just for the sake of keeping your feed updated. But generic social media posts quickly become white noise to your audience. Instead, hold yourself to a higher bar of creating valuable content that sparks an “aha moment” for your niche. Provide non-obvious perspectives and strategic guidance followers can really use.
For example, instead of a bland post like “Saving early for retirement is important.” Share a specific principle like:
“Most people underestimate retirement costs. Aim to replace at least 75% of your current annual income to maintain standard of living.”
Some social media marketing tips for creating and sharing valuable information:
- Identify knowledge gaps through client conversations
- Research studies for fresh statistics and insights
- Discuss overlooked considerations in financial planning
- Boil down complex issues into easily digestible advice
- Ask followers to share their biggest questions
Adding tangible value earns attention amid the clutter. Consistently provide valuable content worth your target audience’s time.
4. Create bite-sized social media content.
In addition to sharing valuable insights, formatting your social media content for easy consumption is key for engagement.
Let’s face it – most potential clients aren’t eager to read lengthy blog posts or whitepapers, no matter how insightful. Attention spans are short on social media platforms. That’s why boiling down posts into bite-sized nuggets of value is so important. Format content for skimmability.
Here are some tactics on how to create bite-sized social media content:
- Social media posts under 30 words get 70% more readership
- Social media posts with numbered lists attract 30% more engagement
- Short videos under 60 seconds are more likely to be watched until the end
- Infographics simplify complex topics into an aesthetically engaging graphic
- Quizzes and polls keep followers interactive in a fun way
The key is distilling your knowledge into its most concise and compelling essence. Remove any fluff or filler. Help time-crunched followers easily grasp your insights through bite-sized, scannable social content. Less is often more when it comes to social media engagement.
Growing Social Media Followers
Have you noticed engagement on your social posts topping out after the first handful of likes? You’re not alone. Many financial advisors struggle to break through the “engagement ceiling” despite quality content. The problem often lies in passive posting versus active relationship-building. Without a social media strategy for actively growing and interacting with followers, even the greatest content falls flat.
Build relationships with clients and prospects
Building meaningful relationships on social media channels is key for financial advisors looking to get more social media followers. But it requires viewing engagement as more than transactions.
In the beginning, it is going to feel like you are just posting content for posting sake. Stick with it. It is going to take time before your content feels less promotional and becomes more valuable to your audience. While building thought leadership should be one of your main objectives, your content should be helpful and informative rather than self-promotional. Focus on giving the best answers to your audience’s questions.
People do not blatantly or overtly state their needs for financial advice but they do share life events such as new jobs, promotions, graduations, buying a house, getting married, or having a baby. These are all life events that have implications for someone’s financial future. Look for those digital breadcrumbs that people are leaving and use them as an opportunity to engage them and provide assistance.
Leverage your connections for referrals. Check who has viewed your profile and who you gained as new followers. Engage with them. They could be new prospects or sources of referrals.
Here’s how you can build meaningful relationships with clients:
- Respond promptly to DMs, comments, and reviews
- Share educational content tailored specifically to each client
- Run lead magnet offers like free consultations for connected followers
- Thank clients when they share your content with their networks
Approaching social media from a relationship-first mindset, instead of broadcast-first, can increase the number of your social media followers. But more importantly, it builds loyalty and satisfaction.
Gaining insights into which content your audience finds most valuable can be key to building stronger relationships. Analytics from shared documents can provide these insights.
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Provide consistent value to your clients and prospects to stay top of mind
Building meaningful relationships is essential for getting new followers as a financial advisor. But you must also focus on consistently providing value to stay top of mind.
Posting sporadically won’t cut it anymore. Followers expect a steady stream of helpful insights directly in their feeds. That’s why maintaining a thoughtful social media content calendar is so important. Make sure you are sharing posts at least 3-5 times per week.
But it’s not just about frequency. You need to provide value and start conversations versus overtly promoting yourself.
Some examples of valuable content include:
- An explainer video on setting up a donor-advised charitable fund
- A checklist for what documents clients need for tax preparation
- Curated articles on how rising interest rates may impact retirement withdrawals
- Polls and quizzes on preferred financial priorities
Consistency shows followers you are invested in delivering ongoing value, not just hawking products. It builds mindshare and loyalty over time. Make social engagement a daily habit, not a sporadic chore. Valuable content delivered consistently earns attention.
Try new social media platforms and content formats
Providing consistent value is essential for growing your social media presence as a financial advisor. But you also need to continually test new social platforms and formats to stay fresh.
It’s easy to stick with what you know. But prospective clients tastes evolve. A social media strategy that worked 2 years ago may falter today. That’s why regularly experimenting with new social media platforms and content styles is so important:
- Try Instagram Reels if you’ve only focused on Facebook previously
- Dabble in X Spaces (formerly Twitter Spaces) if you’ve never explored audio formats
- Consider a TikTok account to attract younger demographics
- Mix in more interactive polls, quizzes and AMAs
- Leverage video to showcase your personality if you’ve only blogged
Stay on top of social media platform innovations and lean into trends like short-form video. Meet your audience where attention is shifting. Just make sure to analyze performance data frequently. Double down on what resonates while swiftly eliminating ineffective tactics.
Experimentation prevents your content from becoming stale. Keep innovating while remaining consistent on proven social platforms.
Be consistent with social media posts
We’ve covered trying new social media platforms and content formats. But the foundation of getting new followers as a financial advisor is consistency. You need to post valuable insights regularly.
It’s easy to let your posting slip through the cracks when you get busy. But sporadic engagement is detrimental to expanding your reach. Potential clients want a steady stream of helpful knowledge directly in their feeds. They will tune out if you disappear for weeks at a time.
That’s why maintaining a thoughtful social media content calendar is so critical. Make sure you are sharing social media posts at least 3-5 times per week.
Schedule time on your calendar for social media just like you would for other priorities. Treat it as the marketing necessity it is.
Here are some tips for staying consistent on social media:
- Create content in batches when possible so you always have a backlog
- Use scheduling tools like Hootsuite to pre-program posts in advance
- Set reminders on your calendar to create content if needed
- Enlist your team’s help with writing and posting
With consistency, you maximize mindshare over time. Followers come to rely on your ongoing insights. Make social media marketing a daily habit.
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Encouraging Ongoing Dialogue to Boost Engagement
Getting social media followers is important. But engagement is the true metric that matters. Responding to every comment and question is critical for nurturing leads.
Respond to comments and questions to nurture prospective clients
It’s easy to just post content and move on. But social media is a two-way conversation. Are you listening?
Make sure to check notifications and respond to comments daily. This shows followers you are invested in dialogue.
Address each comment individually. Personalized responses stand out versus generic “thanks for engaging!” platitudes.
Ask followers questions to continue the conversation. Replying prompts more responses and livens up your feed.
Also respond promptly to DMs. This presents a major lead opportunity. Nurture potential clients through ongoing dialogue in their inboxes.
Finally, thank anyone who shares your content. This positive reinforcement encourages more amplification.
Social media is about meaningful community involvement, not one-sided broadcasting. Prioritize response time just like you would email or calls.
Ask questions to spark discussion with prospective clients and increase reach
Responding to comments is fundamental. But as a financial advisor, you should also proactively ask engaging questions to spark discussion and increase reach. Posting content without any prompts for engagement leads to a silent feed. Don’t leave it up to followers to initiate conversation.
That’s why regularly mixing polls, quizzes and questions into your content is so effective.
For example, ask:
- What’s your top financial priority right now?
- How do you feel about risk in your investments?
- What financial literacy topics would you like to learn about?
- This sparks dialogue versus just talking at your audience.
Other tips to boost engagement:
- Tie questions to your content to prompt on-topic responses
- Make questions thought-provoking but not controversial
- Ask for advice instead of just giving advice
- Poll followers for opinions on current events
- Request suggestions for future content topics
Questions drive engagement, shares, and amplification. They also provide valuable insights into your audience’s interests to inform future content.
Share content from others to build relationships
In addition to asking engaging questions, sharing relevant content from others is a great way to build and deepen relationships, and spark dialogue as a financial advisor.
Social media shouldn’t just be a one-way broadcast channel for your own content. Are you spotlighting others?
Take time to identify industry influencers, colleagues, and clients who create content aligned with your audience. Share their posts and retweet their valuable insights.
Don’t just stick to big names. Highlight newer voices and those with lower followings who produce quality material.
A few benefits of sharing others’ social media content:
- It shows your support which builds goodwill and relationships
- It brings fresh perspectives into your feed versus self-promotion
- It gives you content to post when you have a gap
- It drives traffic to fellow creators which earns their gratitude
- It positions you as a curator who boosts the entire community
Make sure to add your valuable insights when sharing others’ content. Don’t just reshare blindly. Add commentary that makes the post more interesting for your audience. Sharing is caring on social media. Amplify voices in your industry and community.
Leverage influencer endorsements for social proof
In addition to sharing others’ social media content, actively getting influencers in your niche to endorse you is extremely powerful for boosting engagement and credibility.
As a financial advisor, you likely look up to certain thought leaders in the industry. Find ways to build relationships with respected voices.
Start by engaging regularly with their content. Comment thoughtful insights, share posts, share personal stories, and mention them in your own content when relevant. Once you build rapport, explore partnership opportunities. Guest post on their blog or interview them for your own content. Collaborate on a co-branded lead magnet.
Eventually, if they are familiar with you and your expertise, discuss a potential testimonial or endorsement. But don’t force it prematurely.
Here are some tips for maximizing influencer partnerships:
- Target micro-influencers in your niche with 5K – 50K followers. They often have the highest engagement and conversion rates.
- Only partner with those who genuinely use and value your services – it should be authentic.
- Compensate them fairly for their time and endorsement. Don’t expect free promotion.
- Prominently display badges, quotes and videos on your website and social media pages showcasing the endorsement.
The halo effect from influencer co-signs is invaluable social proof. But focus on value-aligned relationships versus transactional engagements.
Tracking and Optimizing Social Media Marketing Performance
Source: Broadridge Financial Solutions
We’ve covered proven tactics for growing your social media presence and boosting engagement as a financial advisor. But how do you actually measure the performance of these social media marketing efforts? Identifying the right analytics is key.
Identify key social media metrics
While follower count may seem like the obvious metric, it’s actually fairly meaningless alone. You need to dig deeper.
Some key social media metrics to track include:
- Impressions – Total number of times your content is displayed
- Reach – The total number of unique social media accounts that see your content
- Engagement Rate – Likes, comments, clicks, etc divided by total impressions
- Link Clicks – The number of clicks on links you share
- Mentions – How often your social media account is mentioned by others
- Lead Generation – New leads driven by social media marketing efforts
Platforms like Sprout Social and Hootsuite make tracking these metrics easy with digestible reports. Be sure to monitor metrics over time and compare to industry benchmarks. This allows assessing what’s working.
Having the right analytics empowers data-driven social media optimization. Move beyond vanity metrics to meaningful performance indicators to improve engagement further.
Use analytics to track social media performance and fine-tune marketing efforts
Once you identify the key social media metrics, the next step is actively using analytics to track outcomes and fine-tune your social media marketing efforts. Monitoring dashboards alone doesn’t cut it. You need to take time each week or month to analyze the data for insights.
Here’s how you can use analytics to track and improve social media performance:
- Compare metrics week-over-week and month-over-month to spot trends. Is reach increasing? Did shares decline?
- Break down metrics by social platform, post type, and time/day posted. This reveals what content and strategies work best.
- Look at engagement rates. High impressions but low engagement signal content misses the mark.
- Review traffic sources to see which social posts drive site visits. Double down on these social media platforms.
- Assess competitor benchmarking. How do your metrics stack up? What can you emulate?
- Follow conversion funnels to see where prospective clients fall out. Improve pain points.
- Monitor mentions and sentiment analyzing how others perceive your brand.
Including analytics from various content formats, like PDFs, in your marketing strategy can provide a more complete picture of engagement and help tailor your approach.
Don’t just set analytics and forget them. Regularly assessing and learning from the data is essential to maximizing social media ROI. Refine ineffective approaches and build on what resonates based on quantifiable results. Analytics turn social media into an optimization engine.
Adjust social media strategy based on insights
Analyzing performance metrics is only useful if you actually adjust your social media strategy based on the insights. Reporting should drive continuous optimization. Far too often, financial advisors glance at their analytics without taking action. The data informs what to double down on and what to eliminate.
Here is how you can adjust social media strategies based on insights from reports:
- Noticing video views spiked 150% on Twitter, so you reallocate budget to video creation
- Seeing CTRs are low on posts at 5pm, so you shift to posting at 7:30am when engagement is higher
- Spotting your LinkedIn impressions declined, so you refresh your content format and topics
- Identifying Facebook drives minimal traffic, so you reduce time spent posting content on Facebook versus other social media platforms
- Recognizing retention emails sent via social media convert better, so you promote this offering
Don’t settle for the status quo – let data guide your social media strategy. Analyze weekly and brainstorm 1-2 tests based on report insights. This process of constant optimization is the key to long-term social media success. Turn reporting into an action plan for incremental improvements.
Consider paid social media advertising to amplify reach
Optimizing organic content is important. But also consider investing in paid social media advertising to expand reach as a financial advisor.
Promoted posts, sponsored content, and social advertisements present opportunities to get your social media content and offers in front of larger and wider audience.
For example, you can create highly personalized Facebook advertisements focused on specific demographics and interests within your geographic area. Or promote your latest educational Twitter thread targeting potential clients who are actively researching relevant keywords and topics.
Some best practices for paid social media advertising include:
- Testing different audience segments, placements and objectives to find the best conversion
- Using compelling advertising creative – bold images / video and clear, benefit-focused copy
- Retargeting engaged visitors across social media platforms with advertisements to drive conversions
- Benchmarking cost per lead / acquisition against other channels to assess ROI
Start small to prove out performance before scaling budget. Many financial advisors see dramatically better results than organic alone. Just remember compliance regulations. Consult SEC guidelines regarding proper disclosures on all paid promotions.
Conclusion
When harnessed strategically, social media allows you to expand visibility, highlight expertise, nurture relationships, spark meaningful engagement, and ultimately drive revenue growth for your advisory business.
But realizing this potential requires commitment and savvy execution. Success doesn’t happen through sporadic, intermittent social media marketing efforts. You need a thoughtful social media strategy backed by consistent investment of time and optimization.
Start by auditing your existing social presence. Identify gaps where you can improve – whether it’s refreshing content, building engagement, or leveraging analytics. Then tackle enhancements one step at a time through an organized roadmap.
As you fine-tune your marketing approach, remember that tools like video PDFs can support your efforts to engage with potential clients and track the effectiveness of your content.
While social media marketing may seem daunting initially, the strategies covered throughout this social media guide break it down into approachable steps any financial advisor can implement. And the payoff for staying the course is immense.
So block off time on your calendar, get posting, respond to comments, try new formats, analyze data, and keep refining social media marketing efforts. Social media mastery develops through steady compounding of small daily improvements.
FAQs
How to market yourself as a financial advisor on social media?
To market yourself as a financial advisor on social media, create a solid social media strategy focusing on your target audience. Share valuable content, including educational posts, industry news, and client success stories. Engage with your social media followers to build relationships and trust.
What are the best social media marketing strategies for financial advisors to reach a larger audience?
Key social media marketing strategies for financial advisors include consistently sharing relevant content on social media channels, engaging with followers, and using targeted social media advertising. These marketing strategies can significantly boost engagement and drive website visitors, expanding their reach.
Why is choosing the right social media platform crucial for financial advisors?
Choosing the right social media platform is crucial for financial advisors because it ensures their marketing efforts target where their target audience is most active. This social media marketing approach helps in lead generation and deepens relationships with prospective clients, optimizing their marketing efforts.
How can financial advisors create effective social media posts?
Financial advisors should focus on creating social media posts that include educational content, personal stories, and industry news, aiming to enhance financial literacy and showcase expertise. Using visuals and calls-to-action can also significantly improve engagement on their social media platforms.
What role does government compliance play in social media marketing for financial advisors?
Government compliance plays a critical role in social media marketing for financial advisors. They must adhere to compliance regulations set by the FINRA and SEC, ensuring all social media content is appropriate and ethical, which is key in maintaining trust and credibility in the financial services industry.
How can financial advisors measure the success of their social media marketing efforts?
Financial advisors can measure the success of their social media marketing efforts by monitoring engagement rates, website visitors, lead generation, and client acquisition rates. Analyzing these metrics provides valuable insights into the effectiveness of their social media strategy.
What are the benefits of sharing personal stories on social media for financial advisors?
Sharing personal stories on social media helps financial advisors build a personal brand awareness, connect with their audience, and build trust. It humanizes their professional image, fosters community involvement, and strengthens client-advisor relationships.
Can social media marketing help financial advisors in lead generation?
Yes, social media marketing is a powerful tool for lead generation for financial advisors. By sharing valuable insights and educational content, advisors can attract potential clients, boost brand recognition, and initiate the sales process, turning social media followers into prospective clients.
How often should financial advisors post on social media to maintain engagement?
Financial advisors should post regularly on social media to maintain engagement and keep their brand top of mind with their potential clients and existing clients. A balanced schedule of daily updates and weekly in-depth posts is an excellent way to stay consistent and continuously engage their social media followers.
Disclaimer: The provided information is offered solely for informational purposes and should be interpreted as such. The presenters do not serve the role of providing legal, taxation, or any other professional advice. It is strongly advised that individuals refrain from taking any actions based on the examples or information presented without first conducting a comprehensive assessment of their legal and tax situation with the assistance of qualified professionals.
About the Author
Andrew Jenkins is a Top LinkedIn Voice and the Founder and CEO of Volterra, a marketing agency specializing in customized curriculum and content curation for B2B sales teams, financial advisors, wealth managers, mortgage specialists, and client-facing relationship managers in financial services. Andrew has been teaching social media marketing strategies for enterprises at the University of Toronto for the past ten years. He is also the author of ‘Social Media Marketing for Business: Scaling an Integrated Social Media Strategy Across Your Organization.’ Since 2007, Volterra has assisted companies such as RBC, BMO Nesbitt Burns, CIBC, Valitas Capital Partners, Moore-McLean Insurance Group Ltd., Aviso Wealth, NEI, and Northbridge Insurance in developing and executing their social media and content marketing strategies.
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