5 reasons you're better at social media than you think

For people who work in sales, social media is both a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, it greatly increases your reach. On the other, its seemingly endless scope can feel overwhelming. But don't forget one thing: as an intermediary, you are already a communication professional. Every day, you respond to client needs, explain complex financial products and build trust through your expertise.

Good social media management works in exactly the same way.

Hava Misimi shows how much brokers and intermediaries can achieve with a strong social media presence: the financial advisory firm Femance she runs, which mainly serves a female audience, has more than 55,000 followers by its own account, Liechtenstein Life among them. Misimi, an independent broker, has already presented her social media strategy to our partners in an exclusive webinar.

Her key message: "The focus shouldn't primarily be on selling. It's about content that adds value." In other words, social media is a modern form of interaction that extends the face-to-face client conversation with digital tools.

With that in mind, there are at least five good reasons why you have a better grasp of the rules of social media than you may have thought.

1. You build trust through expertise.

In an advisory meeting, what matters is that the other person sees you as reliable and competent. Face to face, you win people over with your expertise and your ability to give dependable answers to difficult questions.

Prepare a social media post with the same care: create high-quality content that is well thought through and well researched. That way, you present yourself as an expert whom people can trust with confidence.

According to Misimi, an appealing information offering should be guided by three questions:

• What is on my target audience's mind?

• What do I know about?

• What do I offer?

Where these overlap, the content should also be packaged in a way that is as engaging and entertaining as possible. Getting there takes a lot of experience. That is why Misimi makes it clear: "Not everything has to be perfect from the start. Trying things out is part of social media."

2. You communicate on an equal footing.

Face to face, you try to tune in to your clients by asking about their personal situation and individual investment goals. The answers you receive and your analysis lead to a needs-based solution.

On social media, communication is initially one-to-many. That makes it all the more important to follow certain patterns that characterise your target audience. The focus is on the typical needs and challenges that potential clients have in common.

The "how" matters at least as much as the "what". Misimi: "What counts is that you communicate the way your target audience does."

Meet users on an equal footing by picking up on their needs and offering concrete help through practical knowledge. By deliberately avoiding jargon, or explaining technical terms, you show that you understand the challenges ordinary people face and are ready to develop real solutions.

3. You make complex things simple.

What are the advantages of a fund-linked policy? How can you make use of tax advantages? And what actually is the difference between a pension insurance and a life insurance policy? For people who have never dealt with these questions, insurance and financial products are confusing topics.

Through your experience in client meetings, you have no doubt developed a feel for how to reach the person in front of you: with clear, concise everyday language and practical examples that bring theoretical explanations to life. These little stories, known as storytelling in the social media context, make your content easy to consume and ensure that users not only understand it but also remember it.

Misimi: "Formats that help people understand a problem work well."

These could be infographics or short videos, for example, which you can now create intuitively with free, AI-assisted tools.

4. You think long-term.

As a broker or intermediary, you ideally accompany your clients for decades and advise them through different stages of life. And as an expert, you know that a fund-linked life insurance policy is an investment in the future that only truly pays off after a certain term.

Social media should be approached with the same long-term view as a fund-linked policy. It is not about collecting as many followers as possible in the shortest possible time, but about building a lasting presence that wins over more and more people step by step.

Misimi: "You shouldn't expect to have ten client appointments tomorrow."

But those who post regularly and steadily grow their reach will be rewarded sooner or later. Misimi's team at Femance is a good example. To grow your reach over the long term, don't just publish your own posts. Also take the time to respond to other users' comments and answer questions. This shows that you take your target audience seriously and value their reactions.

5. You are honest and authentic.

It is not only professional reliability that builds trust (see point 1) but also personal integrity. As in every profession, your industry has its black sheep. And of course you know how to set yourself apart: through open and honest communication. Authenticity is the oft-quoted magic word, and it simply means being genuine.

You genuinely want to help your clients and meet their wish for financial security? Good! Because this strong client focus is one of the core values of your profession. If you embrace it and let it show, you will make an impression in every conversation and beyond.

An authentic presence is the basis for making your personality the key to success, on social media too. Entertain with anecdotes from your everyday work as a broker, talk about sticking points in advisory meetings and share what clients say to you personally or about you publicly.

Misimi: "Genuine Google reviews help you build even more trust."

Conclusion: play to your strengths!

By bringing your natural abilities to social media, you gain a powerful tool for winning and retaining clients. Present yourself just as honestly and credibly as you do in person, and win people over with expertise, clear communication and an open ear for your community. Then it is only a matter of time before your investment in social media pays off.

Article published by Prosperity Solutions AG