Bankers and Insurance Agents: Tips for Building a Personal Brand

According to research from eMarketer, in reaction to Covid-19, 20% of U.S. adults said they will visit a bank branch less often. Personal bankers and insurance agents, specifically, tell us that they want to enhance the way they communicate with clients, now that they can’t spend the time face-to-face, in person.

Financial services organisations have already begun to accelerate their efforts to create more engaging digital content – going beyond digital advertising and into the social media space.

With this in mind, Tag’s director of social media, Andrea Flanders, and director of transcreation, Lynnie Strother Palancar, developed a checklist for bankers and insurance agents who are looking to improve their personal brand and customer reach on social media.

1) Use a tone of voice that aligns with the expectations of your audience

For financial services, tone of voice is becoming more conversational and approachable.

Andrea notes: “When establishing your voice for social media, it is important to maintain a consistent and professional tone while showing a human side. Be sure to inject personality, be approachable and keep things conversational.”

Another important consideration is language. How are you adapting your message to reach different languages and cultures?

Lynnie explains: “In this period of less face-to-face communication, it’s crucial that banking and insurance agents work to understand each individual target market and that written communication speaks to the values and communication styles of the specific group. Now more than ever, it can’t be a one-size-fits all approach. If you’re going to communicate on social media in languages outside of English, be sure to check translations with a professional. So often, non-English speaking targets can feel as if they are an afterthought if content is not transcreated or is partially/poorly translated.”

2) Create a content strategy

Content is king; engagement is queen. Social media users need quick, engaging, bite-sized nuggets to catch attention. Consider how your content and messaging is offering utility for your clients to build trust and credibility. Try sharing infographics and short-form videos, creating polls to get a pulse of how your clients are thinking or feeling about a particular topic, linking to informative articles or hosting a live Q&A. And remember to make sure your content is optimised to meet the best practices of each channel.

3) Lead with storytelling

Content that tells a story, personal or professional, is taking charge in the retail and CPG sectors and even in life sciences. The financial world is next. Focus on your personal, professional story or spotlight on a client willing to share their experience (of course with their permission and staying within compliance guidelines).

Andrea comments: “Think about your objectives, and create your story around that. If building awareness and establishing trust is your primary goal, then consider sharing a 30-second video that showcases your subject matter expertise through quick tips and insights, and be sure to include a call-to-action so the viewer knows where to go to learn more or get in touch. Videos are an essential format for digital storytelling, and a great way to put a face to a name and show the more human side of your personal brand.”

4) Set a posting cadence

Decide what your posting cadence will be and try to stick to it. Posting frequency (whether it be daily, bi-weekly, weekly – whatever works for you) will help establish a consistent pattern of communication and thought-leadership to reach and engage your audience. Post on days and at times when your clients and prospective clients are likely to be on that channel.

5) Focus on community engagement

Interacting with your existing and prospective client community is key. Be sure to provide timely responses to any questions, comments or messages that you receive, but also take the time to proactively engage with your community, key opinion leaders and peers to foster engagement and build and maintain rapport.

6) Adjust your approach based on what’s working and what is not

Keep an eye on which of your posts are gaining more traction (views, likes, shares, comments), and which aren’t. Identify what’s working – is it the style of content? The time you posted? The product or messaging? Based on these patterns, tweak your content strategy accordingly.

Andrea comments: “One of the major benefits that our financial services clients see in working with Tag is brand guardianship across all creative production. All of the above is made easier and more effective when personal bankers and insurance agents get to tap into the content guidelines and resources that we create in partnership with our clients, to support how content lives across marketing channels like social media.”