Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.This article is a recap of a presentation I gave at the TD Ameritrade Institutional National Conference on January 31.
One of the most difficult aspects of social media marketing for financial advisors is staying active. The statistics prove this. According to a study by Vertical Response, 43% of small businesses spend six or more hours per week on social media and 61% spend at least one hour writing a blog post. For advisors who already have a hectic schedule, how do you generate relevant content and maintain an active presence? Here are 10 tips to help you get started.
1. Repurpose content
Not all of your social media contacts see your content the first time it’s posted, so it is a good strategy to repurpose or even reuse content you’ve already created. For example, you can:
- Turn old newsletter articles into blogs
- Use blog topics for videos and podcasts
- Turn white papers or ebooks into blogs and vice versa
- Edit webinars into shorter videos
- Edit and republish blogs that are more than two years old
- Promote ebooks, white papers and recorded webinars multiple times
2. Find multiple contributors
Creating original content is time consuming. If you are finding it difficult to set aside time, share content-creation responsibilities with others. Ask staff members, centers-of-influence and referral partners to contribute articles, videos and podcasts. For more substantial pieces, like white papers or ebooks, collaborate with other professionals to write the content. A secondary benefit of this strategy is that your content will then highlight different perspectives and showcase your areas of expertise.
3. Diversify content
Not all content takes the same amount of time to create, nor does it generate the same amount of interest. By diversifying your content, you can save time and appeal to different preferences. Types of content can include, but aren’t limited to, articles, blogs, videos, podcasts, ebooks, white papers, events, photos, images, infographics, press releases and webinars.
4. Create a library
In order to ensure that you are posting on a consistent basis, stockpile content for future use. Create articles and videos around universal topics that can be used anytime. Save interesting information such as articles, videos and infographics you come across so you can share them at a later date.
5. Create filler content
Content comes in a variety of lengths – from a single tweet to a lengthy white paper. When you are short on original ideas for blogs, videos or podcasts, use “sound bite” content as filler for your social media accounts. Consider sharing famous quotes or posting a series of tips (e.g., Top 25 Retirement Tips for Baby Boomers).
6. Share others’ content
Not all content has to be created by your firm. Some of the best content will come from the minds of others. Use Google Alerts to follow industry news and share relevant stories on your social media accounts. Also follow the social media profiles of centers-o-influence, referral partners, custodians, associations and other financial professionals, and share the content with your network.
7. Mark significant events
Events on the calendar can inspire great content. Each month, make note of all significant events and post appropriate content. For example, wish your followers a Happy Halloween in October or post an inspirational quote from Martin Luther King in January. Remind your audience about important deadlines such as quarterly tax due dates. Keep track of nationally recognized days, weeks and months, and post content themed around those dates. For example, in November you could post articles for small-business owners in recognition of National Entrepreneurship Month. Finally, make note of your own company calendar. Announce upcoming events or company anniversaries; you can also post pictures or press releases about these events.
8. Use a copywriter or pre-packaged content
When you can’t create original content, look for other options for generating consistent material. A copywriter can help you write articles to post on your blog or you can subscribe to a content provider who has prewritten articles. While original content written by your own team will usually generate better results, incorporating canned content can help when you just don’t have time to create your own content.
9. Create an editorial calendar
Planning your content in advance ensures regular activity. By creating an editorial calendar each month using Google Calendar, Outlook or a spreadsheet, you can plan for blog topics as well as other content you are going to post across your various social media channels on different days.
10. Schedule content
Scheduling content in advance ensures consistent and frequent participation. By utilizing social media scheduling platforms such as HootSuite, you can translate your editorial calendar into prescheduled content so that you are participating in social media, even when you are in a meeting or out of the office.
Wealth Management Marketing, Inc. is dedicated to providing marketing strategy and support for investment advisory, wealth management and financial planning firms. The firm enables independent advisors the ability to market with the same quality and consistency as their larger competitors by providing the resources of an entire marketing department at a fraction of the cost of a single employee. For more information, visit www.wealthmanagementmarketing.net.
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