There’s absolutely no doubt that social media marketing is the hottest tactic in the advertising world at the moment, but it can also be an actual digital minefield for social media professionals – especially if they work for a brand that is heavily specialized and somewhat traditional in regard to their marketing choices in general.
The sheer amount and range of regulations and rules involved about what can be discussed both publicly and privately makes developing any kind of social content extremely complicated; however, the time and effort involved can pay off in a big way in regard to the overall perception of a brand. Accordingly, here are some key tips that will help social media professionals working in the financial realm achieve their goals.
Avoiding “Regulation Paralysis”
Sometimes, all the rules and compliance issues can be incredibly challenging for creative types – you start focus more on what you can’t say or do versus what you can accomplish with your social media marketing activities.
It sounds trite and a bit overly simplistic, but sometimes you and your content marketing need to get out of your own way and pay attention to the “can-do’s” as opposed to the “cannots”. Remember that your target audience is unlikely to be as well-educated as you are in the financial area, and dealing with the intricacies of personal and professional finances can be intimidating to most consumers – so don’t be afraid to go back to the basics if you are struggling for content marketing ideas.
Focus On The Positives: What You Can Share
While naturally you still need to be concerned with maintaining the brand standards and following all the appropriate regulations in your country (and state or province), some of the best and most valuable content that any financial institution can provide is solid advice. For instance, debunking common financial myths and clearing up any misconceptions or controversies that are currently in the news can be some of the useful content you can create. Additionally, checklists, quizzes, and other organizational and informational tools can be quite valuable.
And as an added bonus, this type of information is likely to be highly shareable on social media. People want to click, read, and share articles they find personally helpful, and that popularity will help bring further awareness to your company and the content you create.
Customer Service On Social Media For Financial Firms
Answering questions and helping clients deal with any issues they may bring on up on social media – which is always a very and searchable public forum – can be one of the most complex aspects of developing and executing a social media marketing program for of type of financial firm, and it requires having the right people in place to do it.
This unique skill set and general mentality is something that hiring managers need to keep in mind when they are searching for social media professionals in general, but it is doubly important for financial brands. Social media managers need to have a blend of creative writing and PR skills as well as a sense of diplomacy – plus understand the brand standards and regulatory requirements inside and out.
Help Your Readers Improve Their State Of Mind
There is a lot of stress involved in dealing with personal or business financial issues – and the most important you can be make an impact for existing customers and/or earn new customers is find ways to improve their financial lives and mentally untangle all of the terms and conditions and other details that go hand in hand with most financial decisions. Give them peace of mind and help them solve problems, and your social media marketing is almost guaranteed to be successful.
Guest author Dave Landry Jr. is a guest author, business journalist, and personal finance adviser whose writing often covers the impact of social media, business communications, technology, and debt management.
You must be logged in to post a comment.