If you want to reel in more social media followers, don’t cast a wider net; drop your line in a smaller pond.
While it may seem counterintuitive at first, Samantha Allen, Vice President of Digital Marketing for Carson Group, says many financial advisors try to hook “anybody with money” rather than concentrating on luring in folks who resemble “their best clients, the ones they work with the best, and whose needs match their interests and reasons for being in the profession.”
Samantha and I chatted in FiComm’s Marketing Masterclass on how financial advisors can tweak their messaging and sharpen their focus to land a bigger and more relevant social media audience.
This connection with your ideal client becomes the backbone of your social media strategy, fueling your business’ growth and success.
Why Social Matters to Your Overall Presence
Potential clients follow a predictable path in deciding who to call for professional financial advice. The buyer’s journey inevitably involves looking you or your firm up online. Social media often sits right at the heart of this process. It's prime real estate in the digital world.
In today's digital era, clients are sponges. They’re eager to absorb every drop of information about you before they entrust you with their confidence. Networking and keeping your website up-to-date is not enough to make them take a leap of faith. If expanding your audience is your top priority, you need to meet your future clients where they spend their time – watching YouTube videos, checking emails, reading blogs, and tuning into podcasts and webinars.
Samantha reminded us that our social footprint lives at the confluence of owned and earned media.
“You own the content that is put out there, but you earn all those engagements,” she explained. “Social is a place where you can have a two-way conversation with your target audience. It’s the only place, marketing-wise, where it’s not just your brand talking at them, but talking with them.”
Of course, social media isn’t a magic potion that – poof! – turns followers into leads. It's just one tool in your workbench! The road to enviable ROI and metrics is filled with twists, turns, and potholes. A single channel won’t get you where you want to go. Look at the entire purchasing journey. Remember, business development is more of a marathon than a sprint. So, lace up your running shoes and follow these tips to the finish line!
Eyes on the Prize
Whether you're taking your first steps into social media or hitting the audience-growth wall, here are some innovative strategies you can use to put your content under a narrower but much brighter spotlight. These techniques push the boundaries of traditional thinking and leave an impression on your target audience:
- LinkedIn Newsletter – A powerful tool for both company and SME pages, LinkedIn's format prompts the platform to invite all your contacts to subscribe. Plus, it distributes your newsletter, notifies followers, and features it in the newsfeeds of anyone interacting with it. These tools make it easy to expand your brand's reach and establish you and your company as leaders in financial planning. Samantha’s tip: Make your newsletter interactive by asking readers to respond to a question, take a survey, or play a game. This sparks deeper engagement from potential clients and can help you brainstorm content for next month’s letter.
- Micro Communities – The social media world quickly snuffed out marketers trying to hack their algorithms. Now, if you want to get your message in front of more people, you need to create memorable user experiences. “You want your content to show up in front of the people who care about it and are most likely to engage,” Samantha explained. Building a community highlights the social aspect of social media so you can “connect with people you don’t know in real life – at least not yet – so you need to build a network around your topic of expertise.”
- Client Engagement – Leverage the power of your existing audience to attract the audience you desire. You already provide top-notch service to your existing clients, so why not use those positive vibes to broaden your social media network? Social platforms offer a natural space for clients to recommend you to their friends, trade links, and chat about your services. Encourage your clients to share stories about how you've helped them plan for retirement, fund college tuition, or launch their dream business.
Yes, new techniques are exciting, but don’t overlook the tried-and-true methods that have stood the test of time. These timeless strategies are invaluable assets in your toolkit for growing your social media audience.
Tagging other organizations and influencers signals algorithms that your content is valuable to the people who follow those accounts. Samantha is also a big believer in the power of live events. Whether it's streaming events, Q&A sessions, or sharing weekly tips, these interactive formats engage and empower viewers to apply your insight to their specific situations. Finally, there’s paid media. A cost-effective way to test these waters is by boosting your top-performing content. Invest a few dollars a day and see how it elevates your brand’s reach!
Like these tips and want more? Register for our free Masterclass here. Next time we’ll be talking about “How to Create an Initial Marketing Offer That Converts Leads.”
And then if you have specific questions about your social, website, or other digital marketing efforts, drop us a line at Dear FiComm. We’ll answer via video. You can catch previous episodes here. It's like your own mini consultation, and it's FREE!