Social media has become part of most people’s everyday life whether we like it or not. Everything we do, from connecting with friends to learning about the latest trends, is made easier with it.
And while social media is a great way to market your business, without a doubt it’s challenging to stand out on the platforms. Sometimes we just need some help to kick-start our journey to success.
I’ve compiled a list of five tips to help you get more out of your social media efforts, and gradually begin to stand out from the competition.
1. Make Native Content Your Priority
Advisors can build a successful social media presence by sharing their expertise and personality to get people engaged and build recognition. In many cases, this alone can lead to great success.
But to get the most out of your efforts, you’ll want to also focus on your chosen platform’s algorithm—the rules it uses to decide what posts appear in other users’ feeds. Each platform has its own set of rules, but what we’ve been seeing at FMG is a trend toward native content—material that contains no links to pages outside the platform. Posts that follow this rule tend to perform better (especially when they follow other best practices as well).
Leaving links out altogether is not necessarily good either, however. So what I recommend is simply reducing your use of links that take you off the platform whenever possible. For example, instead of including a link to your blog, discuss your topic within the post instead, and ask a question that gets readers to participate.
2. Don’t Be Afraid To Get Personal
Social media is a place for people to engage with one another—a place to connect and carry on a conversation.
But most people won’t engage with someone in personal ways without some understanding of whom they’re speaking to. This is where the power of the personal post comes in.
Whether you’re sharing a recent team event, photos from a trip or celebrating an achievement, the interests and values you demonstrate to others will make your practice more memorable and attract like-minded individuals. These things can make all the difference to help you stand out from competitors.
But remember, keep it balanced. Don’t just post financial information and don’t just post fun things. Keep it mixed so that you reach people from both ends of the spectrum.
3. Select the Right Images
One of the most important things you can do on social media is choose the right pictures or graphics for you post. You can either find something you like created by someone else or make your own images.
But before you post, consider this: Will your image get users to stop scrolling and engage? Everything you do should be informed by this question. It of course depends on the content of your post.
Consider the attitude of your image, your current brand and the response you want from readers. Then make sure the image is the right size for the channel you’re in. Each platform has ideal dimensions posted on its website, and you have to remember which size is appropriate for which site. A quick Google search should give you current information.
Lastly, if you’ve chosen to create your own images, then you’ll need the right tool. I recommend using Canva’s online tool, not only because it’s free and easy to use, but because it’s also integrated with FMG’s platform, so our current customers can take advantage of it in their own social media planning.
4. Go To Your Audience
You don’t need to overwork yourself and post on every site. It will cost you time when you could have found just one place where you would likely be successful.
So it’s important for you to find out which platform best caters to your personal audience. For some advisors, it will be LinkedIn. For others, it might be Facebook. Spend some time figuring out which one works best for you, then prioritize the channels that get the best results.
Here are some key points for the best way to use major social media platforms:
Facebook:
• This site is great for connecting with those age 50 and over (both retirees and pre-retirees).
• It’s also great for posts that are focused on your local community.
LinkedIn:
• This site helps you connect with working professionals and college graduates age 30 to 65.
• The site also helps you hire talent and network with peers.
• The posts can focus on business owners, entrepreneurs and executives.
Twitter:
• This site is great for helping you connect with peers and journalists.
• It allows you to contribute to trending topics.
• It allows you to network with the media.
YouTube:
• This platform helps you put a face to your brand.
• It allows you to build rapport through familiarity.
• It helps you explain complex topics in depth.
Instagram:
• This site helps you connect with those under 45.
• It helps you network with women.
• Here you can connect with those focused on the wealth-building stages of their lives.
5. Focus On The Conversation
So far, all the tips we’ve covered focus on improving one thing—your engagement with people. That’s the truest form of social media success. And though these tips will help you with that, you’ll want to do a few more things to improve.
First off, you’ll get more readers and feedback if you ask questions at the end of your posts. Even better would be to combine this strategy with what Samantha Russell, digital marketing coach at FMG Suite, calls the “80/20 rule.” For every one post you share, you must comment on five other users’ posts.
Doing so helps these other users, improving the chances they’ll return the favor while improving your own brand awareness. If users like what they see in your comments, they might even feel inclined to check out your page and follow it.
Using all five tips, you’ll be set for social media success. So the next time you’re preparing your monthly marketing calendar or writing a post on the fly, remember to keep these recommendations in mind.
Susan Theder is the chief marketing and experience officer at FMG Suite.