Many financial professionals have social networking accounts set up on LinkedIn and some also have accounts on Twitter, Facebook and even Google+. But very few of these professionals are using their online profiles to do the most important thing you can do in your network: add value.
One of the best ways to add value to your social network is by finding and sharing great content.
See also: 6 reasons why your business needs to curate content and 17 practical tips for doing it
In this post, I will identify ten content topics and themes around which you can build a content marketing strategy that will attract people to you because these are topics that people want to know about.
Regardless of the type of business you are in, certain content themes take on an almost universal appeal to other professionals who may be prospects, clients or peers of yours.
The goal of content sharing is to add value to your network. It is instructive to note that the value you add to your network need not be limited to the subject matter expertise that you offer as a professional. In other words, guiding people to information that helps them, regardless of the topic, is rewarded with engagement.
1. Everyone has a personal financial life
It’s virtually a universal trait of anyone you will ever do business with. Most people in your network have a home mortgage, some sort of retirement plan and enjoy learning of ways to make their money go further. Sharing content that speaks to these needs will attract people to your practice.
Here are some sample themes and shareable posts:
- Help people simplify their financial thinking – Three steps to make better financial decisions today
- Help people reduce their living expenses – 4 ways to cut unnecessary living expenses
- Understanding how to invest during retirement – The difference between investing IN retirement and investing FOR retirement
- Don’t rely on using the sale of your home to fund your retirement
2. Financial literacy and education of young people
Everyone has young people in their lives – whether they are children, grandchildren, nieces and nephews, etc. And we all want our children to acquire financial skills and literacy. The best part it of this topic is that “young” is a relative term.
Here are some sample themes and shareable posts:
- Who doesn’t want their kid to learn to be as good an investor as Buffett? – How to teach your kids about money
- Financial tips for various stages of life:
3. Women investors
Long overlooked by financial services firms, women investors are now being targeted as the future of the industry. As women gain economic clout, they are moving into more dominant financial roles. If you want to attract financially astute women to your practice, you need to pay attention to the unique needs and interests of women.
Here are some sample themes in this area:
- Show women investors that you are paying attention to how their needs may differ from the traditional male investor:
- Share content about the challenges women face in the business world:
- Talk about evolving gender roles:
4. Investor psychology
When it comes to investing, we are often our own worst enemies. Blind to our own motivations and psychological needs, we can make decisions that are irrational and have negative impacts on our long-term goals. Helping people understand their own motivations is a powerful way to attract thoughtful investors.
Here are some quality pieces in this area:
- 12 things I’ve learned about the psychology of investing
- 15 biases that make you do dumb things with your money
- Saving investors from themselves
5. Happiness and quality of life
Most investors aren’t doing it for the money. They’re doing it because of what they believe the money and accumulated wealth will buy them – happiness, quality of life, choices. Insights into quality of life and what makes us happy is a fabulous way to attract people in the online world.
Here are some sample themes in this area:
- Life lessons learned by wise people:
- Can money buy happiness?
6. Entertain and amuse
Social media is about being social, engaging and entertaining. Everybody needs to smile now and again, so why not help them? The internet is full of amusing content, but beware: what’s amusing or entertaining is always a matter of taste so you need to be careful not to offend. As always, avoid politics and religion.
My recommendation is to stick to the high road and look for intelligent and entertaining content. Here are some examples I find amusing:
- Real men (with real men’s bodies) posing in underwear ad-style photos – Real men in underwear ads
- Playful mocking of modern art, by comparing it with toddler art (in an interactive quiz) – Can you tell the difference between real art and toddler art?
- Corporate logos redrawn through the lens of truth – Famous brand logos with honest slogans
- Everyone likes to look back on their youth fondly – When 22 celebrities were young
- Out of the box thinking at it’s finest – 38 test answers that are 100% wrong and totally genius at the same time
7. Motivational quotations
I frequently quote Simon Sinek’s famous mantra because it speaks to the power of personal brand in business. People care about what motivates you because this connects them to you in a more intimate way. Sharing individual quotations or collections along a theme can be a great way to engage your audience. But be careful not to overdo it.
Here are some great examples that I’ve had success with:
- 10 quotes all entrepreneurs should memorize
- “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.” ~ Napolean Hill – 100 inspirational quotes
8. Productivity habits and skills
Another universal topic for working professionals is personal productivity. Anyone gainfully employed is constantly struggling to do more with less, to be more efficient, more effective and less stressed. There is a wealth of online resources dedicated to helping people be better at what they do and helping people find the best of this content aligns your brand with productivity and excellence.
Here are some topics I’ve found particularly useful:
- Public speaking – 5 secrets on public speaking from the best TED presenters
- Life hacks – 7 life hacks to maximize your productivity
9. Professional networking
Every business professional needs to network and smart ones focus their time and energy on being as good as they can at it. Helping people to be better networkers is one of the best social networking content strategies out there.
Here are some samples:
- Follow these 6 steps to network like a pro
- 10 secrets that make networking easy, fun and ridiculously effective
10. Health
Everyone wants to be healthier. So, help them by sharing stuff like this:
So, got any GREAT content you want to share with me. Love to hear your ideas.
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