Managing social media for financial advisors can be challenging, but some habits are holding back many from achieving real success. Here are 13 bad habits commonly found among financial advisors who take shortcuts with social media and how to turn them around for better engagement, reach, and client satisfaction.
1. Relying on Cutesy Trends
Social media managers often fall into the trap of using overdone trends like “Motivation Monday” or “Tip Tuesday.” While these can sometimes drive engagement, over-reliance makes your content predictable and uninspiring.
A Better Way: Instead, focus on creating original, valuable content tailored to your audience’s needs. Share real client success stories, financial tips tied to current events, or behind-the-scenes looks at your practice. Authentic content resonates more and establishes trust. According to a study by Sprout Social, 86% of social media users want to follow brands they perceive as authentic and transparent.
2. Like, Repost, Repeat
Simply liking and reposting content from others without adding your own insight can make your social media feed look unoriginal and uninvolved.
A Better Way: When sharing others’ content, add your perspective or commentary. And do a few better than variations of “love this” or “well said.” Don’t spend a lot of time but do put some thought into it to add to the conversation. This gives you an opportunity to showcases your expertise but also keeps your audience engaged with fresh viewpoints. HubSpot notes that adding value to shared content can significantly increase engagement and credibility, but you could have guessed that anyway.
3. Sharing Low-Value Blog Content
Promoting low-value blog content as if it is time well spent can quickly disengage your audience. Posts that are too generic or don’t offer actionable insights won’t keep your readers interested.
A Better Way: Invest time in creating high-quality, insightful blog posts that address common pain points for your clients. Use your social media to highlight key takeaways and drive traffic to your blog by promising and delivering substantial value. Research by the Content Marketing Institute shows that high-quality content is key to building audience trust and driving engagement.
4. Posting & Ghosting
Posting content and then disappearing is a surefire way to miss out on opportunities to make connections and grow your followers. This habit signals to your audience that you’re not interested in two-way communication and can discourage repeat engagement from those who were left hanging.
A Better Way: Be active and responsive. After posting, monitor the comments and messages, and engage with your followers. From an algorithmic lens, the 30-60 minutes post-publish are crucial for having your content shared with a wider audience. According to Hootsuite, 64% of people expect real-time responses from brands on social media. Responding to comments and questions promptly shows that you value their interaction. In time, the algo learns to serve up more of your content. Moreover, those who you do engage with will be more likely to comment or share your future content.
A Note on Comment Threads: Many financial advisors choose the Post & Ghost social media strategy out of fear that if a public-facing conversation goes sideways, it could come back as a Complaint on their Form U-4. It’s important for you to connect with your Compliance authority to understand what is and what is not acceptable under your organization’s policy.
5. Using Stock Images
Once you see her, you see her everywhere. Overusing stock images can make your social media feed look generic and impersonal. Your audience might feel disconnected from your brand if your visuals lack originality.
A Better Way: Instead, use original photos and visuals whenever possible. Share pictures from company events, team activities, or snapshots of your day-to-day operations. Authentic images help build a stronger connection with your audience. A study by Venngage found that original graphics and visuals can increase engagement by up to 40%.
6. Not Promoting Company Activities
Failing to promote company activities such as client events, educational seminars, or community outings misses opportunities to highlight your active role in the community and your commitment to client engagement.
A Better Way: Regularly post updates about your company’s activities. Share event photos, client testimonials, and highlights from educational seminars. This demonstrates your active involvement and can encourage more participation from your audience. According to Eventbrite, promoting events on social media can increase attendance by 20%.
7. Not Tagging Other Users/Companies
Avoiding tagging others in your posts limits your reach and engagement potential. It’s a missed opportunity to connect with and leverage your network.
Instead, tag relevant users, companies, and influencers in your posts. This not only broadens your reach but also fosters a sense of community and encourages reciprocation. For instance, tag a guest speaker from a seminar or a client who provided a testimonial. Sprout Social found that posts with user mentions can increase engagement by up to 56%.
8. Verbatim Post Duplication Across Social Media Profiles
Posting the same content verbatim across all social media profiles can make your brand appear lazy and unengaged. Each platform has a unique audience and content style that attentive financial advisors would do well to recognize.
Social Media Examiner, a long-established authority for social media-aware businesses, highlights that customizing content for each platform can significantly boost engagement and reach. For example, LinkedIn is the “professional” social network, whereas Facebook is much more community/culture oriented. X (formerly Twitter) aims for concise, fact-driven updates is excellent for social listening. By approaching each platform as its own unique audience, your content will resonate much more with each audience.
9. Not Claiming/Creating Social Media Accounts
Failing to claim or create social media accounts on key platforms means missing out on potential client engagement and brand visibility.
A Better Way: Ensure you have a presence on all major social media platforms relevant to your audience. Claim your business name on each platform, even if you don’t plan to be highly active on all of them. This prevents others from impersonating your brand and keeps your options open for future engagement. According to a report by Namechk, securing your brand name across all platforms can help maintain a consistent and professional online presence.
10. Undefined or Bare-Minimum Profile Information
Having incomplete or minimal information on your social media profiles can make your business look unprofessional and untrustworthy.
A Better Way: Fully complete your profile information on all platforms. Include a professional profile picture (often your logo or modification of), cover image, a detailed bio, contact information, and links to your website. This builds credibility and makes it easier for potential clients to learn about and contact you. LinkedIn’s research indicates that complete profiles are 40 times more likely to receive opportunities through the platform.
11. Not Inviting Clients to Connect or Follow Company Pages
Social media gives financial advisors channel to casually highlight their values and culture without and share some useful information from time to time. By not proactively inviting clients to connect with your social media pages (not to mention your personal accounts) you’re not even
A Better Way: Encourage clients to follow your social media pages by including invitations in your email signature, newsletters, and during client meetings. Engaging with your existing clients on social media can help increase your visibility and credibility, as well as foster a sense of community. According to a study by Pew Research Center, personal invitations to connect are highly effective in growing your social media following.
12. Inconsistent Brand Visuals
Inconsistent or poor branding across social media platforms can weaken your brand’s identity and recognition. This is different than merely having variations of our logo.
A Better Way: Ensure your branding is consistent across all social media profiles. This includes using the same logo, color scheme, and slogans. As well, make sure you keep company info, such web address & contact info, updated across your accounts. Consistent branding helps build recognition and trust. Research by Marq (formerly Lucidpress) indicates that consistent branding can increase revenue by 20% or more.
13. Inconsistent Brand Voice/Brand Messaging
Inconsistent messaging or brand voice can confuse your audience and dilute your brand’s message.
A Better Way: Develop a clear brand voice and ensure all content aligns with it. This includes using consistent language, tone, and style across all platforms. Cohesive messaging helps establish a strong, recognizable brand identity. According to a survey from Sprout Social, a strong and consistent brand voice can lead to higher customer loyalty and trust.
Wrapping Up
Breaking these bad habits and adopting more thoughtful practices can significantly grow a financial advisor’s presence and effectiveness on social media. By sharing original content, engaging authentically, and expanding your network, you’ll build a more compelling and valuable social media strategy and separate your brand from the rest of the noise.
