Does anything good actually happen in January?
It’s cold, it’s dark, there’s no fancy cheese left. Payday feels like a cruel and distant mirage, 20% of your friends spend the whole month studiously avoiding the rioja hidden at the back of the kitchen cupboard, and it’s no longer socially acceptable to have chocolate for breakfast. It’s just 31 days of being bloated, bored, and bereft of Baileys.
So, plenty of time to do something that will raise your online presence, position you as an expert in your field and, quite possibly, generate direct leads for your financial advice/planning firm, wouldn’t you say?
New year, new LinkedIn strategy
If you’re going to stand out from the crowd on social media, you need three key things:
- Patience
- Consistency
- Value-adding content.
When I speak to financial advisers and planners struggling to harness the power of LinkedIn, it’s usually that last point they struggle with the most. But no excuses from here on in, I’m afraid.
In need of a few ideas? How about a whole year’s worth?
Well, continue reading to discover exactly that.
January
1st: It’s New Year’s Day! Share five financial resolutions targeted to your ideal clients.
2nd: Write an introduction (or reintroduction) about you and your firm.
3rd: Shout about good news, such as a passed exam, 5-star reviews, or client wins.
4th: Summarise a blog from your website (with the link in the comments, please).
5th: Post about personal interests to build a stronger relationship with potential clients.
6th: Answer common questions that your clients or prospects quiz you on.
7th: Demystify relevant financial jargon or concepts in simple terms.
8th: Share real-life examples of the benefits of financial planning.
9th: Record and upload client videos (remember, showing always beats telling).
10th: Talk your network through the origin story of your firm.
11th: Encourage engagement by posting thoughtful polls relevant to your ideal clients.
12th: And, when you do run a poll, make sure you share the results once it closes.
13th: Don’t overlook the basics – explain what financial planning actually is!
14th: Then, explain what good financial planning should look like.
15th: Celebrating a business anniversary? Try a “X things I’ve learned in X years” style post.
16th: Use a celebrity case study to articulate a message – Google “Arethra Franklin will”.
17th: Create a scorecard or guide and discuss its benefits with your network.
18th: Attending an event? Take lots of photos, and share them while you’re there.
19th: Outline different investment strategies including their pros and cons.
20th: Host a LinkedIn Live session (you could do a Q&A with an expert guest, if you like).
21st: Share a book recommendation that would be of interest to your ideal clients.
22nd: Actually, any kind of recommendation – a podcast, YouTube video, article.
23rd: Talk about a charity that your business supports and, more importantly, why.
24th: Use anonymous case studies to show the cost of financial procrastination.
25th: Offer a behind-the-scenes glimpse into your daily work routine. With photos, please!
26th: A birthday or happy occasion within the team? With their permission, shout about it!
27th: Talk about your journey – how did you get to where you are today?
28th: And, having said that, what are your plans for the future?
29th: Discuss stock market trends and the (non-guaranteed) power of data.
30th: Share follow-ups on client stories – how are they doing since then?
31st: Review popular apps used for DIY financial planning (impartially!)
February
1st: Educate your network on the financial challenges at each stage of life.
2nd: It’s Groundhog Day, so explain how to cast off commonly-held poor financial habits.
3rd: Outline what a client’s journey with you looks like – from initial call to annual review.
4th: Post a Google or VouchedFor review. There’s nothing to be bashful about! Be proud!
5th: Distribute a monthly newsletter? Consider reproducing it as a LinkedIn newsletter.
6th: Entered an award? Talk about it. Yes, before you know if you’ve been shortlisted.
7th: Then, if you are named as a finalist, that’s another lovely post for you to put out there.
8th: And, whether you win or lose, express your pride to have reached that point.
9th: Hiring? You can post it as a free or promoted job and then share it as a post.
10th: Don’t be afraid of short and sweet. Look at this post from Phil if you don’t believe me.
11th: Discuss the most common financial mistakes your clients make.
12th: Explain how your network can educate their children about personal finance.
13th: Lovely, Shrove Tuesday. Encourage your team to send you photos of their best toss.
14th: Prove a point (such as the benefits of long-term investing) with well-presented data.
15th: Share a personal story that taught you a key financial lesson. Authenticity is key here.
16th: Help your ideal clients understand how much income they might need in retirement.
17th: It’s Random Acts of Kindness Day. What’s the first story that comes to mind? Post it.
18th: Explain the components of effective estate planning (this is a series of posts, really).
19th: If it’s important to your ideal clients, talk about how to green your pension.
20th: It’s National Love Your Pet Day…need I say more?
21st: If you have business owner clients, post employee finance wellness programme ideas.
22nd: Want to collaborate with professional connections? Explain the value you can add.
23rd: Discuss the implications of current interest rates for savers and investors.
24th: Outline the pros and cons of pension consolidation.
25th: Anything new and exciting happening in your business? Let people know about it.
26th: Combine your interests with finance – what can golf teach you about investing?
27th: Take a deep dive into something really specific, such as gifting from surplus income.
28th: Talk about dreaded Inheritance Tax, and ways your clients can mitigate their liability.
29th: Can you think of 10 financial tips that you’d give to your younger self?
March
1st: Employee Appreciation Day is the perfect opportunity for a “meet the team” post.
2nd: You probably want to start talking about the end of the tax year right about now.
3rd: Younger clients? Share some top tips on getting together their first house deposit.
4th: Outline some of the most common investing mistakes and how to avoid them.
5th: Post lifestyle content. How about your top local places to visit in the spring?
6th: Discuss the value of financial protection, and how to find the right cover.
7th: Use cashflow modelling at your firm? Why? Explain the benefits to potential clients.
8th: It’s International Women’s Day. Here’s what we posted on the Yardstick page last year.
9th: Highlight common financial scams and the best strategies to avoid them.
10th: Mother’s Day could be a good time to discuss intergenerational wealth planning.
11th: Educate your audience on the value of diversifying their investment portfolio.
12th: Be upfront about the benefits of working with a financial adviser/ planner.
13th: Explain how someone should choose the most suitable executor for their will.
14th: Annuities are shrouded in misconceptions – break some of them down.
15th: Ah, loss aversion. In general, behavioural psychology gives you a lot of post fodder.
16th: Share practical ways for your network to stay safe when managing their money online.
17th: Talk about the importance of making a Lasting Power of Attorney.
18th: Discuss inaccurate predictions that show why you shouldn’t try to time the market.
19th: It’s never a bad time to talk about making your home more energy-efficient.
20th: On the International Day of Happiness, what has made you smile today?
21st: Worth a reminder about the April 2025 deadline for back-paying National Insurance contributions?
22nd: Later-life care isn’t the cheeriest of topics, but your network will thank you later.
23rd: Divorce is in that category too. What should a divorcing couple consider financially?
24th: Risk profiles. Help ideal clients understand how this affects their investment journey.
25th: Reassure your audience as to why market volatility isn’t something to panic about.
26th: Are we in a bull or bear market at the moment? What’s the difference?
27th: Before an event, post about it once a week for at least four weeks beforehand.
28th: Provide your opinion or commentary on whatever is happening in the news right now.
29th: Simply ask your network what information they’d like to receive from you.
30th: Break a listicle-style blog from your website down into a series of posts.
31st: What business lessons have you learned in Q1? What are your goals for Q2?
Erm, haven’t you forgotten something?
Nope. Three months’ worth of content is a year’s worth in the right hands.
Anyone familiar with Yardstick will know that we preach a simple message: promotion > production. So, come back here at the end of Q1 and:
- Copy, paste, and upload your best-performing posts again
- A lot of the ideas are good for more than one post, such as sharing a review or blog
- I’ll be amazed if you haven’t got a list of your own ideas now that you’re getting good at this
But, if you’re still struggling, our social media team are more than happy to give you a hand.
Email social@theyardstickagency.co.uk or call 0115 8965 300 to find out how we can help you upgrade your LinkedIn strategy in 2024.
