Now that you have created your networks, connected online with your current contacts, and learned best practices for advisors on Facebook, Twitter & LinkedIn as a financial firm, it is time to discuss the content that goes on these social platforms. You’ve all heard the saying, “Content is King,” and in today’s digital age, that saying could not be more true. Clients want to do business with you once they have established some trust and believe that you are an expert within your industry. Producing, providing and sharing content is a great way to reach this point, and also helps keeps you top-of-mind.
There are two main ways to do this:
Create Custom Content.
Blog: You need to create and share your own unique content through your blog. Sharing these blog articles on your social networks will encourage engagement and help drive traffic to your website. If you consistently write quality articles, visitor will keep coming back.
Social Posts: Creating some unique posts for your social platforms will help keep followers engaged and encourage them to share with their networks. This could be anything from personal motivational quotes to statistics you have found through your practice, to photos/videos of your office or employees.
Whitepapers / Added-Value Pieces: Custom whitepapers or give-aways are an incredible way to drive more visitors to your website and even generate leads. Once you have a quality whitepaper (educational ebook, free webinar, or any kind of value-add really), you can receive email addresses and phone numbers in exchange for this marketing piece via your website.
Curate Content.
You may be wondering, how does curating other people’s content really help me build a trusting audience? But if you really think about it, there is so much information available to everyone every day, that it would be impossible to find and digest all of it. If you take the work away from your followers, and you find the quality content for them, they will continue to look for your posts and begin to view you as an industry expert. Find a variety of quality sources within your specific niche and then source this information on a regular basis. Currated content can include other blogs, social posts, webinars and local events, online videos, etc.
How To Create / Share Desirable Content
Remember, posting random content a few times a week is not enough. It must be content your audience WANTS or NEEDS to consume.
Because there is so much clutter and noise online, you are going to need to provide high-quality, relevant content to get your audience’s attention and keep them coming back for more. What you share determines the audience you attract. Sharing your own unique content can drive visitors to your blog and website. (Also, if what you share is share-worthy, your followers will expand your reach by sharing with their connections.)
When deciding what type of content you are going to produce and share, always remember the 4 E’s to great content…
- Educate: Try to think about what issues your target audience struggles with, and then address these concerns and problems that they are facing with your content. For example, write a blog that aligns with both these areas of concern and your services. Because Twitter is the “real-time” social network, a great way to provide educational content is to share breaking news for your local area or industry.
- Empower: Traditional marketing media like magazine articles, billboards and TV commercials pump people with information, but typically fail to empower people to grow and evolve. With content marketing, your business has the opportunity to inspire change through valuable information, insights and resources that your followers need to be truly successful in their financial lives.
- Entertain: Your story and your personality are the main points of differentiation between you and your competitors. Because a lot of your services and performance factors are probably similar to your competitors, this is the crucial way for you to stand above the rest. Use entertaining content and humor to help establish your story and personality, and have fun! Branch out and post fun images, videos, jokes, polls and questions to drive engagement (just make sure it still aligns with your goals, business expertise and company messaging).
- Engage: This is the key element that separates content marketing from traditional marketing. Social media is meant to be a conversation, not one person or brand talking at its followers, so create content that encourages participation. Also, remember that social media channels are an avenue for customer service. We don’t often think of customer service as a type of content, but this is where it comes into play. Be available to answer questions and address concerns when they do arise.
If you think first, share second, and make sure everything you share is providing at least one of the four E’s, if not multiple or all of them, you are going to be on the track to social success!
If you have additional content marketing or digital marketing questions, please reach out to Financial Social Media today at 8008-837-6330, connect with us online and stay tuned for next week’s ‘Back To Basics’ blog!
Amy McIlwain
@amymcilwain
Latest posts by Amy McIlwain (see all)
- Social Media Is Dead: Financial Social Media Evolves - February 11, 2015
- Managing Compliant Messages on LinkedIn - January 29, 2015
- How to Freshen Up Your Website in 2015 - January 1, 2015
Speak Your Mind