PROFESSIONAL AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT
IS SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING ALL IT ’ S HYPED UP TO BE ?
There ’ s no denying that more and more of our everyday lives are played out online , whether we ’ re retweeting the final score , sharing the latest viral video or keeping connected with family and friends who are far away . In the UK alone , there are said to be 53 million active social media users as of January 2021 *, which means your clients , their beneficiaries and your prospects are already engaging on one or more platforms . And , chances are , that when they ’ re on social media , they will often be engaging with brands and businesses that they like . So , should financial advice be any different ? During the early 2000s we saw a new phenomenon arising in the form of social media with platforms like Facebook , LinkedIn and Twitter blazing the way forwards . Many businesses across all industries were keen to adopt these new marketing channels and harness their power , and some saw success , boasting about picking up hundreds of inbound direct leads a week . Such stories seem almost like the stuff of myth , or rather legend , now and some new users still come to social media marketing with this idea and , when it doesn ’ t pan out that way , they ’ re disheartened and their social feeds go dark and are forgotten about . As with all things in marketing , things have moved on since then . For example , there are many more social media platforms to choose from now , each geared towards specific audiences , most capable of targeting specific users for a cost and some have already disappeared as quickly as they came about . But the biggest shifts are moved by consumer attitudes and how highly engrained social media has become into some people ’ s everyday lives , meaning they only want to engage with genuine content that piques their interest because there is so much more to choose from now . Even older generations we thought wouldn ’ t take the leap , are crossing over after seeing first-hand the benefits of being instantly connected to their communities and family . And , with so much information available on an infinite scroll , you only have a fraction of a second to make an impact or your audience has moved on . So , is it still possible to generate leads from social media ? Well , yes and no is the answer to this question . Yes , it is possible , but no , it might not be in the way that you think . Did you know that 42 %** of users between the ages of 35 and 44 use social media to research brands , products or services ? Which means that although you may not get an immediate engagement from your following at the time of posting that doesn ’ t mean that your posts are going unnoticed . Your social media channels are another shop window into your business and the service people can expect from you . It takes an average of seven interactions with a brand before a consumer converts and either makes direct contact or purchases a product . So , the more information you have available online , via your website , social media or newsletters , the more likely you are to convert these prospects from your digital channels . If you ’ re ready to help that process along , here are some quick tips to boost the performance of your social media channels :
1 . Look your best Make sure your profile photo and cover photos are high quality and relevant so that people know who you are when they land on your page . To make it as easy as possible , complete any bios and add a link back to your website to keep everything connected .
2 . Consistency is key You don ’ t have to post every hour , but you do need to supply a steady stream of content to your channels . This might be every couple of days or every week . Whatever works for you and your resources . If you have multiple channels , think about using something like Hootsuite , which is a free scheduling tool .
3 . Video is the most popular form of content Did you know , YouTube is the biggest social media platform of all ? To boost your engagement , why not try adding a couple of videos to your feed . Let people see what you ’ re getting up to on a day-today basis . How are you helping your clients today ? Are you helping them reach a specific goal or reviewing their progress ? If you have a smartphone , you can easily shoot content and upload it . If you want to go a step further , there are lots of free video editing tools out there that let you add logos , titles and calls to action .
4 . Images perform better If you ’ re not quite ready to commit yourself to film , why not add an image to your post ? It could boost your engagement by over 30 % on some platforms . If you are adding photos to posts , make sure they ’ re high quality and you have permission to use them if they ’ re not your own .
5 . Social media is about connecting Most people use these platforms to connect with others , so don ’ t be afraid – it ’ s called social media after all . Like other people ’ s posts , comment and share ; maybe add your thoughts to what you ’ re seeing out there to help your audience understand the implications and showcase your expertise . If you want to take it a step further , find out what social media platforms reward their users for . For example , Instagram views saving a post as its top form of engagement but for Twitter , it ’ s retweeting .
Why not let us do the hard work for you ? If you ’ re ready to start using more digital channels for engagement but you just don ’ t have the time , then let us do the hard work for you . With MyMarketing , you can set up a beautiful and compliant website , automatically add relevant news articles to your site , as well as social media channels .
Find more information on MyMarketing under ‘ Your Business ’, speak to the Adviser Services team on 01484 443470 or email adviserservices-tech @ simplybiz . co . uk
14 | the adviser