At Financial Social Media, we see it happen all the time. A new advisor comes in, deciding to jump on the social media bandwagon, all excited about creating an online presence. We set up sparkly new social media accounts and build a website to match their brand, everything goes live, and everyone is happy! The client decides they want to manage their social media within their firm, and does a great job creating new content and posting for a while, but then eventually lose interest or can’t find the time.
Now they have resorted to the bare minimum… Maybe they post on their blog once every few months. Maybe they update their Facebook page when they get around to it. Maybe not even that much. But oddly enough, many continue to promote their social presence on their website, at events or on print mailers, even when there’s nothing but virtual tumbleweeds there. The end result? A social media ghost town.
In all the excitement of setting up a Facebook page or Twitter account for your business, it’s easy to forget the commitment that comes afterward. Although these accounts are free to set up, it takes an investment in time and probably some money (now that paid advertising is so important) to do it well. Firms lose interest because they run out of time, get distracted by other priorities, or expect unrealistic results in a short time frame. And we get it! You have a full work load advising and supporting your current clients, without having to worry about social media marketing on top of that. But remember, the result of ghost town social pages is a negative online experience, which is worse than no social media experience at all.
As I tell people all the time, setting up at LinkedIn profile but not connecting or engaging with anyone is like going to a conference and speaking to no one. You can’t expect to see results or create a positive social media presence if you don’t put in the effort.
So, what can you do to avoid becoming a ghost town without spending all your time on social media?
1. Only Create as Many Profiles as You Can Actively Manage
If your company can’t be on all the major social networks, find out where your target audience spends most of their time, and focus your energy there. Again, it is better to be fully engaged and alive on just LinkedIn and Twitter than to be on 6 different social platforms with little to nothing on each.
2. Share Currated Content
So you don’t have time to write a custom blog each week and customize 5 Facebook posts, 10 tweets and 5 LinkedIn updates? Sharing high quality content from other valuable, trusted sources can be just as effective. (Keep in mind that you do want some custom content – both for SEO and credibility purposes!)
3. Share Personalized Company Updates / Existing Content
As mentioned above, to bring credibility and likability to your online brand, you will need to create some custom content. There are many ways to do this that are less time consuming. Try sharing office photos or pictures from events. Maybe you blog every few weeks or turn existing presentations into blog articles or videos.
4. Create a Content Calendar
You’ve heard it before and I promise you will hear it again. Just a little organization and planning will save you so much time. Take the time to go through the next month on your calendar and figure out when you are doing special events, when holidays occur, etc. and create a content calendar. Another tip we often give advisors is to make each day of the week a different type of content. That way, when Wednesday comes, you know what to share. (For example, at FSM, we often do #WayToGoWednesdays where we give a shout out to a client or #MotivationMondays where we will share an inspirational quote or video.)
5. Hire Someone To Do It for You
Lastly, if you just can’t find the time to manage your firm’s social media networks on your own, hire someone to do it for you! Financial Social Media knows how to make the most of each platform specifically for your niche and target audience, and we’ll build and manage all your platforms for you!
So remember, no social presence at all is better than ghost towns! Take the time to do a social media clean-up and revive those abandoned social platforms. Social media is an incredibly effective tool to increase brand awareness, reach new prospects and grow your business, but only if the necessary time and effort are put into it. Be patient and you will see results!
& Have a Happy Halloween!
