Instagram is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world, ranking at number four. Since it started in 2010, it has amassed over one billion users, making it an incredible platform for connecting with others. And an estimated 71% of businesses use Instagram, so it’s no longer just for showing off pictures, but financial advisors and other professionals can use this platform for engagement. Today, we are going to share with you eight types of content that can get more shares on Instagram.
8 Types of Content To Get More Shares On Instagram
So, what constitutes a “good” engagement rate? Most social media marketing experts agree that strong engagement falls around 1% to 5%. We know that you have a lot on your plate when it comes to running a business and creating a strong social strategy. So, it might seem like a lot to even add just one more thing to your plate. But, the payoff is worth it when you start to connect with and grow your audience on this increasingly popular platform. So, what type of content should you use?
1. Advice or “How To” Guides
When you post a picture on Instagram, it is going to stay there unless you delete it. If you post a story, it only lasts for 24 hours. So, this can be a more “off-the-cuff” and casual way to get information out to your audience. It was mentioned in November’s webinar about boosting your marketing for 2022 that it is more beneficial to focus on stories and reels rather than posts. So, sharing tips and advice in a more casual way is a simple way to connect with your audience.
However, keep in mind that you can also share these in the form of posts. If you do post a particular tip, then tease it on your story, so that when someone sees that, they can be taken to the post.
Some ideas for this are to include a “Tip of the Day or Week.” Maybe you are an advisor who has been experimenting with marketing tactics and you have found something that really works, you can offer this tip up on your story or reel. It shows that you care about not only your firm’s success but the success of others. If you are looking to connect more with your audience, try sharing a quick video or something offering a financial tidbit that could help your current clients or prospects. Whatever it may be, try to consistently post useful content and this will boost engagement and promote sharing.
2. Blog Posts
If you want to link others back to your website, then share blog posts from your website. Choose a statistic or a quote that is relevant to the post and that others will find useful and put that as your image. And if you want to create an image that really “pops,” make sure you are using the awesome and FREE tool, Canva. You can create images that are already sized for Instagram and choose from thousands of colors, images, fonts, etc.
Below the image, provide some relevance to the post so that others will know what it is about and make sure it’s enticing so that they will click to find out more. It’s a great way to drive traffic to your website while also sharing helpful pointers that visitors will want to engage with. And this platform is a great way to reach women and millennials, so if that is your target audience, then create content that will really cater to them and watch your engagement soar.
3. Testimonials Offering Social Proof
With the updated SEC Ad Rule, advisors can now use testimonials and Google Reviews in their marketing, which is a great way to incorporate social proof. When people are uncertain about something, then they often look to see what other people are doing. The more often a response is seen, the more “correct” that action is perceived, so with testimonials when visitors see clients speaking highly of a certain advisor, they will think highly of the company before even working with them. So, sharing a testimonial from a client (with their approval) is a great post or story. And if the advisor is on Instagram, make sure you tag them so that they can share it, getting even more eyes on your post.
4. Fill In The Blank Posts
A great way to boost engagement is to do a fill-in-the-blank post like the one seen below from HubSpot. This encourages followers to interact with your content, and if your audience engages early with your content, then there’s a better chance that your post will appear in more people’s feeds. And that means even more engagement on your post.
5. Carousel Posts
With carousel posts, Instagram users are able to post multiple pictures and Hootsuite’s social team found that their carousel posts get 3.1 times more engagement on average than regular posts. So, think about a post where you can do multiple pictures and use that. Maybe you want to show “a day in the life” at your business or showcase certain employees and go behind the scenes. If you use a certain product or maybe a particular service at your company then tag them in the post so that they can see it and share it on their own story or page.
6. Webinar Replays
Webinar replays are a great way to drive engagement. At Twenty Over Ten, we do monthly webinars where Chief Evangelist, Samantha Russell shares useful, actionable marketing tips for advisors to use. Transcribe the webinar and then share the recording and slide deck on the website so that anyone can access this, as it’s a great way to encourage others to sign up for the next one when they see how useful it is, while also driving traffic to your website. Choose a short part of the webinar and share that on your story or if there was a strong image or infographic, you can share that in a post. You can switch it up with each webinar or do both! It’s a great way to connect with others while sharing useful information for free. And you partner with somebody else or another business, make sure you are tagging them, as well, as this makes it much easier for them to share your content, as well.
7. Behind the Scenes/A Day In the Life Posts
As we mentioned above, people want to see the “human” side of your firm, so sharing “behind the scenes” posts or “A Day in the Life” posts is a great way to do this. You want someone to take care of your money and you plan your financial future, but you also want someone that you can really connect with. As you can see in the image below, Financial Strategies Group, shared a 5K that their team did, “Run for Giving 5K.” They have joined together outside of the office to give back and that’s a great way to boost team morale, positivity and show the “real” side of work.
8. User Generated Content
Simply put, user-generated content is any form of content, such as images, podcasts, videos, text or audio that have been posted by online users. If a firm reshares or posts third-party content on their story, something that someone else created, that is a great way to engage with others and potentially grow your follower base. It’s exciting when somebody takes notice of what you have created, so that will create the type of friendly engagement that you need to generate with your audience!
Show them that you care about what others have to say, find other work important and are willing to reach out and engage. If your team members are this attentive on social media, then that shows how much they will get to know you and your family once you are a client
Wrapping It Up
So, are you ready to boost your engagement on Instagram? It’s growing in popularity but still fairly new in the financial services industry, so if you can start using this platform and doing it really well, it’s a great way to start fresh and pave the way for how to create content that connects.
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About the author
Blair Kelly
Blair is a social media strategist for FMG Suite and Twenty Over Ten and has a passion for uncovering what drives online traffic and the highest engagement. She follows more animals on Instagram than humans and her greatest achievement is her daughter, Grey.
