Why Only Sharing Insights as an SJP Adviser Won’t Get You Clients

As an SJP adviser, it can be tempting to rely on SJP insights alone when posting on social media. These insights are ready-made, professionally produced, and easy to share - so why not use them every time? While these informative snippets are certainly useful, they won’t necessarily spark the engagement and trust needed to convert followers into clients. That’s where a balanced, well-thought-out content strategy comes in. In this article, we’ll explore the pitfalls of relying solely on SJP insights, the importance of diverse content, and how to build a stronger, more engaging social media presence that resonates with potential clients.

Below are the sections we’ll cover:‍

• The Appeal of Sharing Only Insights
• Why Insights Alone Don’t Convert to Clients
• The Power of Personal Touch
• Crafting a Balanced Content Strategy
• Methods to Engage and Educate Your Audience
• How to Measure Success and Evolve

The Appeal of Sharing Only Insights

Many SJP advisers turn to official SJP insights because they’re convenient and polished. You know the information is compliant, on-brand, and relevant to your target audience. By simply copying a snippet, adding a link and clicking “share,” advisers can feel confident they’re providing value.

It’s understandable to think, “If SJP has done the research and prepared these articles, I might as well use them.” and whilst there’s nothing wrong with sharing them, convenience can sometimes overshadow the importance of personalisation and authenticity. Social media users, especially potential clients, rarely connect with content that feels generic. Moreover, if it appears you’ve put little effort into your social media presence, people may question your dedication to servicing your clients as well.

Why Insights Alone Don’t Convert to Clients

Social media marketing works best when it fosters trust and relationship-building. As valuable as official insights may be, sharing them in isolation lacks the personal aspect that distinguishes you from every other adviser. Consider the following reasons why sticking to SJP insights alone might be holding you back:

1. Lack of Distinction: If a potential client sees multiple SJP advisers in their network all posting the same insight, they won’t see a unique reason to choose you over someone else.
2. Missing Personal Connection: Clients want to see a bit of your personality and expertise shining through. A social media feed filled with shared links and no commentary can come across as impersonal.
3. Limited Client Engagement: Official insights can be heavy on data and jargon. Without your personal explanation or viewpoint, followers may not engage, comment, or share
4. No Opportunity to Demonstrate Thought Leadership: Relying on someone else’s content means missing a chance to highlight your own expertise and knowledge.

By mixing your own perspective with the professional content provided by SJP, you’ll add more depth to your posts and make them stand out from competitors.

The Power of Personal Touch

In an industry where trust is paramount, your voice can make a huge difference. Personal touches - such as a brief commentary on market trends, a personal anecdote, or even a short story illustrating the value of financial planning - help people feel connected to you as a person, not just a source of facts and figures

• Share Personal Experiences: While maintaining compliance, you can still share relatable experiences that highlight your personal journey, showcase your passion for helping clients, or demonstrate how you’ve navigated real-life financial scenarios.
• Use Authentic Language: Don’t be afraid to speak in a down-to-earth, human way. Avoid overly formal or corporate-sounding language. If you need a benchmark, picture yourself explaining financial concepts to a friend over a coffee.
• Showcase Your Interests: Being an SJP adviser may be your profession, but showcasing your personal interests - whether that’s golf, a charity initiative, or community work - can help clients see your human side, strengthening that crucial connection.

Crafting a Balanced Content Strategy

While SJP insights are valuable, it’s equally important to incorporate content that reflects your personality, expertise, and approach. Here’s how you can build a more robust strategy:

1. Use a Content Calendar: Plan your posts in advance to ensure a consistent mix of different types of content. Include time-sensitive SJP insights, evergreen topics like basic financial education, and fun engagement posts that encourage discussion.
2. Create Original Posts: Perhaps it’s something from your day-to-day discussions with clients, or you’ve attended a seminar recently. Take these experiences and turn them into a concise, engaging post.
3. Incorporate Visuals: Using images or short videos can break up the monotony of text-based updates. A short video explaining a common financial misunderstanding can do wonders for engagement.
4. Experiment with Formats: Try short how-to guides, infographics, or even polls and quizzes. Each format resonates differently with different audience segments.
5. Maintain Brand Voice: Your content should still align with the professionalism expected of an SJP adviser, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be approachable. Define your brand’s tone and ensure all posts feel cohesive.

Utilising a social media management tool like halio that has industry-tailored content, post ideas and schedules can help to simplify the process.

Methods to Engage and Educate Your Audience

To convert followers into clients, you need engagement. Here are some strategies:

• Ask Questions: Prompt comments by asking followers to share their views on a topic, such as attitudes toward long-term investing or their favourite resources for financial news.
• Feature Success Stories: Testimonials or brief case studies can build trust. Make sure you follow compliance guidelines and have client permission when sharing any specifics.
• Host Live Sessions: Consider hosting a Facebook Live or a LinkedIn Live Q&A to address burning financial questions. The real-time interaction can foster connection and credibility.
• Community Involvement: Get involved in local events, charities, or business forums. Share short posts or photos from these events, showing that you’re active in the community.
• Collaborate with Experts: Team up with other professionals - like accountants or mortgage brokers - to offer joint insights. This cross-promotion can help you tap into fresh audiences.

According to research from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations, content that offers educational value and personal insight tends to perform better on social media than purely promotional material. This means that mixing SJP insights with your own unique content could significantly boost engagement.

How to Measure Success and Evolve

No content strategy is perfect from the outset. By tracking your metrics on the respective platforms, you can refine your approach and better understand what resonates with your audience:

1. Engagement Rate: Check likes, comments, shares, and click-through rates on each post. Patterns in high- or low-performing content offer valuable clues on how to improve.
2. Follower Growth: Monitor your follower counts over time. A steady increase suggests you’re consistently appealing to potential clients, but abrupt drops can signal a misstep.
3. Lead Generation: Ultimately, your goal is to turn followers into actual clients. Track the number of enquiries or leads that come via social media. Are you noticing a pattern after sharing certain types of content?
4. User Feedback: Whether it’s through direct messages or comments, listen closely to what your audience is saying. If they keep asking the same questions, consider creating content that addresses those specific topics.
5. Content Variety: Conduct a regular review of the types of content you’ve posted in the past month. If you see that your posts skew heavily towards SJP insights or purely promotional pieces, mix it up!

While SJP insights can be a crucial component of your social media toolkit, relying on them exclusively won’t necessarily attract and convert potential clients. By adding a personal touch, diversifying your content, and engaging directly with your audience, you can build a stronger online presence - one that resonates with prospective clients, fosters trust, and ultimately leads to real, measurable growth for your SJP practice.

For more tips and tricks to up your social media strategy, why not read our blog "Social Media Tips for SJP Advisers".