Advisors who want to nail their social media strategy need to bridge their online presence and in-person services with content that embodies their values.
Anh Tran, managing partner at SageMint Wealth, shares that her practice went through a rebrand in 2020, which led to a lot of time spent working with a marketing team. This December, SageMint received trademark approval for its name, tagline and logo, which all helps to focus their social media strategy, Tran shared.
“There are a lot of advisors that are 110% into social media, and then there are those who are just dipping their toe in the water,” Tran said. “I’m probably right in the middle, where I’d like to do more.”
To get started, Tran shares that advisors need to ask themselves if they have a real social media presence and if they’ve branded their business.
Her firm’s tag line is: “Live well. Do good.” And nailing down their messaging, “was a big investment,” she said. “Coming up with a name and message that resonates with clients is important to us. Our clients are now saying to us, ‘we are living well and doing good.’”
She adds: “Our branding is consistent, with the colors and messaging across all social media platforms,” The firm’s main social media platforms are Linkedin, Facebook and Instagram.
Tran recommends that wealth practices share their accolades and accomplishments on social media, but also focus their posts on attracting people with similar values to the company.
Some of her most successful content has been about her personal life and goals, which also reflected the firm’s brand, she added.
“I think a lot of people are curious about my personal life and that’s where I get the most traction and where they comment the most,” Trans said. “I would say the ones I get the most engagement with tend to be posts about my family and what we’re up to. Also, I started strength training, including weight lifting, about two years ago. I hit a 300-pound dead lift goal recently, and I got so much engagement on LinkedIn because of that. I’ve been tying it back to our ‘health is wealth’ messaging.”
Content That Reflects Your Brand, Values
Tran shared that one of her firm’s values is promoting financial health that improves many aspects of clients’ lives.
“We don’t want clients to just make as much money as possible, then they retire. We want them to live well, and that means different things to different people… Some people want to be able to give back to their community or their kids,” she shared.
“When I posted about my health goals, I posted about how this ties back to finances: staying consistent, showing up, not taking any sidetrack routes where you sell out of the market because you’re scared. You show up consistently, and you stick to the plan,” just like you would with any fitness routine, Tran said.
A Plan for Growth Aligned to Your Audience
Tran is now considering the next steps for SageMint’s social media strategy, which may involve more content creation focused on video.
“I have someone, a marketing consultant, I work with now, but I think video content would be our next step. (That would mean) creating more educational videos,” she said, but they are determining whether short-form videos would be a match for her target audience.
“That (Instagram) reels demographic may not be the client base that we’re looking for, as it appeals to a younger generation. We’re trying to figure out what the next avenue is for us in the new year,” Tran said.
Some 41% of advisors said they have had a social media lead convert to a new client, according to a 2023 survey by Broadridge Financial Solutions. Among advisors who gained a lead that eventually became a client via socials, 67% said they posted on LinkedIn, while 54% said they posted to Facebook with success.
Tran, who is 45, noted that she’s found a lot of online traction with clients in her age range. “I think our messaging resonates with women who are 40 to 65,” she said, noting that around 75% of her clients are women.
As for SageMint’s branding, she shares “it’s not just about money. It’s an overall approach: financially secure, physically strong and mentally resilient.”
“One thing I’ve seen work well is being consistent in your tone and messaging…Everything we do sticks to that. So it’s important to have a clear voice,” Tran said.
“Clients, they remember (your messaging because) they are living it and being it. That’s one way to make yourself memorable — have something that is easy to remember and connect with,” Tran added.
Regarding her firm’s ‘health is wealth’ messaging, Tran said she’s been “blown away by my clients and their feedback on this topic.”
“I don’t think financial planning in general addresses that as much, because it’s often all about your investments and performance. But what good is that advice if your clients are 75 and retired,” but aren’t living well physically or mentally, she pointed out.
Danielle Walker is a freelance journalist with 15 years of business reporting experience. She previously worked at Business Insider and Pensions & Investments, among other business publications. Her work has been published in the Financial Times, Barron’s and Chief Investment Officer. Danielle is currently based in Norfolk, Virginia.
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Advisors who want to nail their social media strategy need to bridge their online presence and in-person services with content that embodies their values.
