4 Social Media Practices Startups Should Implement in 2019 (For free!)

Updated: February 21, 2023

Wondering how to use social media for startups? Then read alone for our top 4 most actionable tips below

In 2019, many companies are aware that they should make use of social media to better market themselves. That said, most startups struggle to do this effectively, primarily because they don’t have the talent - or money - to hire professional marketers.

That isn’t to suggest that people don’t try—or succeed—all the time. They simply need to know where to start, and what practices to implement to get themselves started.

A big part of identifying the strategies that will work for you in the following year is to combine the knowledge we already have about social media marketing in the financial technology field with the predicted trends for the following year.

Not sure how to do it? Then read alone for our top 4 most actionable tips below. Best part? None of these tactics require any capital to do try them out and see what sticks.

1. Promote Statistics Through Infographics

One of the most powerful ways to attract and engage your target audience on social media is to use infographics, visual representations of data that portrays your skills in a positive light.

You want your customers to be persuaded to get on board with your financial technology services as soon as possible, so providing information via stats in this method works exceptionally well.

There are a few things you should consider when implementing this method, however.

If you are a financial technology marketer that works with other clients, you want to make sure that your information can be easily dissected by those who do not possess the same knowledge that you do. This will enable people to gain knowledge from your social media posts before they get frustrated and decide to continue scrolling.

If you are a financial technology marketer that works with other businesses in similar sectors, where you know your target audience possesses a similar knowledge, you can use more technical statistics and language that will impress potential businesses.

This has been a highly successful tactic when used in previous years by financial technology marketers, and we’ve seen the best results when individuals make sure that their infographics are designed well, with a theme that can clearly be linked to their brand.

TIP: Creating a brand is one of the best ways to stand out, even if you’re working on a freelance or individual basis. If you don’t have a brand, or specific brand colours, make that one of the first things you do in 2019.

Think you’re an expert? Prove it!

Despite what people might suggest about social media declining our socialization levels in modern society, you aren’t going to anywhere without putting yourself out there.

Even if you view these people as competitors, getting on board to discuss ideas, research, new developments, and yes, help them to solve problems, is a crucial part of marketing yourself and getting your name out there as a financial technology marketer.

Not only will this allow you to gain traction in your field when you appear on other people’s newsfeeds through other financial marketers, but it also offers a great opportunity to network.

Who knows what might come out of an informed conversation with another financial marketer? They may appreciate your skills enough to recommend you on when they are too busy to take up new clients, or if they think you might be a better fit for them.

3. Prove Your Company Values

Company values are a big part of marketing yourself as a financial technology marketer, especially since the millennials took over and became one of the biggest financial technology consumers.

A recent study found that company values make little difference to a millennials decision to engage unless these company values are seen in practice.

As a financial technology marketer, your company values could consist of giving so much of your profits to a charity that resonates with your target audience. Alternatively, you might focus on social values, such as employee flexibility or, if you work alone, you may offer your services for free every so often to help someone who is struggling.

Regardless of your intentions, potential consumers need to see this in action to know that they can trust your brand, and social media is the perfect place to prove this.

Post pictures of you donating so much of your profits to charity (you don’t have to reveal the amount if you don’t desire to), or a testimonial of someone vouching for your helpful services that were provided for free.

Whatever you do, make sure there is proof that your actions are more than a marketing ploy.

Who knows? Your act of generosity could even end up as the next viral story, or shared around your local financial technology community!

4. Work with Influencers

If you are a financial technology marketer, you’d be wrong to assume that working with influencers was a waste of your time.

This is because influencers open financial marketers up to generations that may have previously shut them down. When you realize that 71% of millennials would rather go to the dentist than listen to financial institutions trying to help them, you know you need to use diverse methods to get their attention.

Using social media and the other practices that we have suggested above will definitely bring some traction to your social media, and the services that you offer, but they won’t work alone if you want to draw in younger audiences.

One big reason for this is that younger generations have more distrust for financial institutions than ever, and are paying less and less attention to what their parents have done in the past.

Interestingly, these generations also trust mainstream celebrities less than they did before, so the best way to grow your social media as a financial technology marketer is to go for influencers.

These people work at advertising your social media—and services—as they are viewed as peers by those that they influence, giving them a unique level of trust that you will probably not have with your target audience yet.

So, if your target audience of your financial marketing services are millennials—or younger—then investing in influencers is a must. Even in older generations, using influencers in relevant fields can be crucial in gaining traction on social media in the beginning stages.