6 Financial Institution Marketing Tricks That Work Every Time

If you are managing the social marketing content at your Financial Institution then you’ll want to read these 6 Financial Institution marketing tricks that work every time. As a content marketing agency for Financial Institutions, we know first hand what tricks work every time.

Offer an Internal Staff Contest to Gain More Followers

Is your Financial Institution relatively new to social media? Maybe you are looking to grow your followers? The first place we typically start with new clients is to have their Financial Institution offer an internal contest to their staff on Facebook (but this can be replicated on any platform, like Instagram).

Simply ask your staff to build up your followers with their family and friends to be entered to win a monetary reward (i.e. $100 Visa Gift Card). For every friend the staff member gets to ‘like’ the FI’s Facebook page, his or her name will go into the pot to win! If 10 friends ‘like’ the FI’s page, then that staff member’s name will be entered 10 times to win!

This type of contest has been proven to be successful for several clients, and it also helps to boost excitement around the social movement among the staff at a FI.

Another fun internal contest we have seen a ton of success in is a staff pet profile. People love their pets and these posts always generate a ton of engagement and reach. Ask your staff to submit a photo of their pets with a short fun fact,  and offer them a small gift for doing so, say a $10 Starbucks card.

Turn Social Media Traffic into Leads - Here's How: The Ultimate Guide to Successful Inbound Marketing for Financial Institutions

Cultivate a ‘Real-Ness’ to Your FI’s Brand on Social Media

Don’t shy away from asking questions of your customers. Let them know there is a human side to your brand. Have you ever asked your customers if the information you’re sharing on social media is helpful to them?

For example, we have a client that shares money tip videos weekly, which received minimal organic engagement.  The videos were being posted with some text explaining what the video was about. So the following week we asked the question in our client's money tip video, “Do you find these videos helpful? A. Yes, B. No”, and surprisingly received quite a few comments back saying “A. Yes”!  

Ultimately, you should try to make sure the content you’re posting has value to your audience, and it should also make them laugh from time to time. One of our favorite types of posts for our clients is asking their followers: “If you could go anywhere, where would you go on Vacation? A. Beach, B. Mountains, C. Desert, D. City.” Some followers will take their comment a step further and even provide the name of their destination, or share even more about a great trip they went on! 

Demonstrate Your Expertise

Most Financial Institution clients we work with have a website, but not all of them have a blog. Having a blog allows Financial Institutions to drive traffic back to their website, as well as providing a platform to offer valuable and educational information to its customers. Types of content to offer may include: Mortgage Checklists, Preparing for College, Saving for Your First Home, Planning for Retirement, etc.

Host a Contest

We don’t know anyone that doesn’t like free money! And FI customers aren’t any different. Another proven marketing trick to boost your engagement on social media is through hosting a contest. Typically we run contests for our clients on Facebook, but it can be done on Instagram as well. ( Just be sure to choose a unique hashtag to track entries.)

Types of Facebook contests include: Testimonials, Pets, Halloween Costumes, Community Service, Get to Know your Member etc. If you are asking for people to submit a photo and/or story, the prize amount matters! Depending on the CUs budget, we typically recommend offering a significant ($100-$150) monetary grand prize, and 2-3 runner up prizes. 

A get to know your member contest or a comment to win contest can generate a lot of engagement! For these we usually ask 3 different questions every day for 3 days and give away $25-$50 each day. You can ask questions like 'Where is your favorite local park?' or ' Where is your favorite local restaurant?' The answers can be used for future content ideas! 

Be sure to check with your FI's compliance department to confirm the official contest rules before launching the contest on social media.

Staff Takeover on Instagram

Another great marketing trick is to have someone on your staff takeover your FI's account for a day, or week, on Instagram. This will likely boost your FI's followers on Instagram and increase overall engagement too. The staff member can showcase his or her “day in the life” as a FI employee. This is an excellent way to connect with your customers and give them a “behind the scenes” look into your Financial Institution.

Mix It Up

Just like with anything, if you continue posting the same types of content day after day, your audience will eventually lose interest. To stay top of mind with your customers with a mix of the following types of content as part of your Financial Institution's marketing strategy:

• Blog posts
• Case studies
• eBooks
• Email newsletters
• How-to guides
• Video and graphics
• Infographics
• Mobile apps
• Podcasts and webinars
• Research reports
• Testimonials

Here are 10 Types of Social Media Content Your FI Should Share Today!

Because each customer is unique, and age ranges vary, the same content might not appeal to everyone. Be sure to change it up regularly and stick with what works best.

Contact us today for help with your Financial Institution's content marketing strategy!