Updated on: November 3, 2023

To market your financial planning services to the right people, you need to reach them where they are–and where they are is social media. The amount of time people spend on social media platforms is only increasing. Research shows that the typical working age Internet user spends nearly two and a half hours per day using social media platforms.¹

Whether you are just getting started or are looking to enhance your current social media marketing strategy, the following four steps will help you develop an effective and engaging social media marketing program.

1. Determine Where Your Target Audience Gathers

If you’re just getting started, your first step is to determine which social media platforms you are going to post on. Instead of taking a one-size-fits-all approach, you will want to focus your efforts on the social media platforms where your target audience can typically be found. That way you can ensure you are showing your message to the right people.

Though you’ll find users of all ages across all social media platforms, some platforms are more popular with some generations than others. Here are a few statistics to consider when you are deciding which social media platforms to use:

• Facebook is the favored social media platform of Gen X and Baby Boomers.² If you are targeting pre-retirees and retirees, Facebook is where you will likely find them.
• 60% of LinkedIn’s users are between 25 and 34 years old. In contrast, only 2.9% of users are older than 55.³ The main audience on this platform is young adults and working professionals.
• Twitter has users of all ages. Though the most common age group is those between 25 and 34 years old, 20.7% of users are 35 to 49 years old and 17.1% of users are 50+ years old.⁴
• The majority of Instagram users are Millennials or Gen Z.⁵ However, Instagram is also starting to gain more traction with Baby Boomers.

Your target audience’s demographics affect not only which social media platforms they use, but the concerns they have and the type of content they are looking for. Learn more about what the different generations want from your marketing to ensure that you can create the most impactful social media content.

2. Build a Consistent and Engaging Schedule of Posts

Once you have determined which social media channels your target audience can be found on and what type of information they are looking for, it’s time to plan your social media calendar.

As you build your calendar, remember that consistency is key. If you have twelve high-quality posts for one month, spread them out so that you post three times a week instead of posting them all at the beginning of the month. By spacing out your posts, you are ensuring that your firm is being brought to your followers’ minds throughout the month.

In addition to being consistent, you want your schedule to be engaging and relevant for your intended audience. Creating a calendar that includes a variety of types of content will help keep your audience interested and looking for more.

Consider following a general formula like the 70-20-10 rule to devise the mix of content types you post:

70%: Content That Informs and Builds Your Brand

Brand-building content should be informative, engaging, and relevant for your audience. It could include blog articles, infographics, how-tos, quick tips, statistics, explainers of financial jargon, videos, and other educational posts that build your reputation as an expert in your field. This category can also include content that helps you connect with your audience on a human level. Employee features, photos from events you are attending, and holiday greetings are a few examples of content you could post.

20%: Content Shared from Other Sources

Sharing content from other sources is another way to position yourself as an expert who is up to date within your industry. By sharing relevant industry news and market updates, you are showing your audience that you are aware of the latest trends. If you have a referral network with professionals in adjacent industries, you could consider sharing the content they post if you think your audience may be interested in it.

10%: Self-promotional Content

Most people aren’t scrolling through their social media feeds to be sold, so content that directly promotes your services should make up no more than 10% of your content mix. Instead of trying to do a hard sell on social media, show your audience the benefits of what you have to offer. Sharing customer testimonials is a good way to promote your business without it feeling like a hard sell to your audience.

It is also important to tailor your content to the different channels you are posting on. Here are a few things to keep in mind about the most popular social media channels:

• LinkedIn: Keep your content focused on professional topics. Articles related the financial services industry, company news or announcements, and thought leadership pieces typically perform well on this channel.
• Facebook: Incorporate images into your posts to drive more engagement and views. If you are sharing a blog post or some type of offer, keep your post content brief and provide a link for your followers to read more.
• Twitter: Tweets are limited to 280 characters, so keep it brief. While it may seem tough to condense your message, a well-crafted tweet can drive traffic to your website or blog post. Be sure to leverage hashtags to expand the audience that can see your tweet.
• Instagram: Compelling visuals are key on Instagram. Client testimonials, introductions to your team, and behind-the-scenes photos are all ways you can humanize your firm on Instagram. Instagram is also an ideal platform for repurposing your long-form written content. You can take a statistic, quote, or infographic from a blog article and repost it to Instagram.

If you are just getting started, you can build a simple social media calendar in a spreadsheet. Include basic details such as the channel, post date and time, copy, visual, and call-to-action (CTA) link for each of your planned posts. Planning your social media posts in advance will ensure that you always have a consistent schedule of content and helps prevent the errors that can happen when get behind and are rushing to post.

3. Interact with Your Audience

Social media marketing isn’t just about brand building – it’s about relationship building. By interacting with your followers, you can start building a relationship that will turn your social media followers into prospects and clients. Monitor your social media feeds and engage with your followers when they engage with your posts. If someone asks a question on one of your posts or on your profile, be sure to respond to them in a timely manner.

Social media has also become a forum for consumers to voice their complaints. It is almost inevitable that a negative comment will find its way onto your social media page, but you can take this difficult situation as an opportunity to turn a negative experience into something positive. Learn how to navigate negativity with our three tips for handling negative comments on social media.

4. Track Your Results

As with any other marketing tactic, you should evaluate the performance of your social media marketing to see what’s working and what’s not. Every social media platform has an analytics and insights tool that you can use to track your progress. The key social media metrics you should consider tracking include:

• Engagement: The number of engagements your content received. “Engagements” include reactions, comments, and shares.
• Click-through rate: The rate at which users click a link in your post to access additional content, such as a blog post or your website. You can manually calculate your click-through rate by taking the number of people who clicked and dividing it by the number of people who saw it.
• Reach: The number of unique users who viewed your content.
• Impressions: The total number of times your content was displayed. This number may be higher than the reach of the post because the same user may look at your post more than once.
• Profile visits: The number of users who have opened your social media profile.
• Followers: The total number of users who have followed your social media page.

Which metrics you track depend on your social media marketing goals. If your goal is to increase brand awareness, then you might want to track your followers, reach, and impressions. If your goal is to increase traffic to your website or blog, look at your engagement metrics and click-through rate, as well as lead generation. No matter what your social media marketing goals are, measuring these key metrics will help you understand how effective your activities are in achieving them.

Start Socializing

Social media marketing for financial advisors has numerous benefits. You can reach new audiences, strengthen your relationships, and establish your firm as a trusted expert in your field.

By targeting the right people on the right platforms with a consistent, engaging schedule of posts, you can be well on your way to reaching your business goals.

Looking for more ways to enhance your digital marketing strategy? Check out our blog post A Primer on SEO and SEM for Financial Professionals to learn how you can use SEO and SEM to raise your online profile.

Sources:

1. “Digital 2022: Global Overview Report.” DataReportal n.d. https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2022-global-overview-report.

2. “The State of Social Media in 2023.” Hubspot n.d. https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/state-of-social-media.

3. “Distribution of LinkedIn users worldwide as of January 2023, by age group.” Statista, February 22, 2023. https://www.statista.com/statistics/273505/global-linkedin-age-group/.

4. “Distribution of Twitter users worldwide as of April 2021, by age group.” Statista, March 29, 2022. https://www.statista.com/statistics/283119/age-distribution-of-global-twitter-users/.

5. “2022 Digital Trends Report.” Hootsuite n.d. https://www.hootsuite.com/resources/digital-trends

DISCLAIMER: The eMoney Advisor Blog is meant as an educational and informative resource for financial professionals and individuals alike. It is not meant to be, and should not be taken as financial, legal, tax or other professional advice. Those seeking professional advice may do so by consulting with a professional advisor. eMoney Advisor will not be liable for any actions you may take based on the content of this blog.

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