Finance brands that are loved on Instagram – Guest Editorial
Charlotte Day of Contentworks looks at how global financial institutions position their marketing and imagery via Instagram
By Charlotte Day, Contentworks
Finance brands have a reputation for being all ironed shirts and straight ties. But things are changing. These days, brands within this heavily governed industry are becoming easier to relate to with digitalisation helping to humanise finance and put the consumer first.
Finance brands are looking for ways to be more relatable to their consumers’ lives and this is where Instagram comes in. The platform’s visual nature is ideal for brand building and consumer interaction, with Instagram Stories bringing many brands to life.
Contentworks, a leading marketing agency for the financial services sector, is an avid Instagram fan. The team provides social media and content management to leading banks, FX companies and fintechs. Contentworks has compiled a list of 10 finance brands you should check out on Instagram.
1: Mastercard
Being straight-laced and corporate 100% of the time doesn’t always pay. In fact, Mastercard uses fun experiences to drive interest, using the social nature of Instagram to indulge people’s need for entertainment. Mastercard has enjoyed a 4% growth in follower numbers over the 2 months leading to mid-April 2019.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Create enjoyable experiences around your audience’s passions and interests.
2: Capital One
One of the best ways to create authenticity and a campaign people want to follow is by promoting user-generated content. Capital One did this via their #DefineYourDream initiative which allowed consumers to showcase their awesome achievements in life. Not only this but Capital One could also show their commitment to supporting each individual journey in an effort which came across genuine and meaningful.
The brand commented how: “Facebook and Instagram allow us to connect in a more personal way with consumers. It allows us to tell an in-depth story that can go a bit deeper than a 30-second TV commercial.”
Want to rock Instagram too?
Excite and inspire your audience by getting them involved. Being interactive with consumers makes them feel wanted and a necessary part of your journey. Discover the Socially Sorted solution.
3: Morgan Stanley
For Morgan Stanley, Instagram is used to present the brand’s culture, events, and impact on society. This investment bank is all about creating a positive image. Morgan Stanley has an impressive 124k followers with their #MorganStanleyMinute initiative enabling the brand to convey upbeat and informative messages in an easily digestible way.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Show your audience the people behind your brand. Bring your values to life by showing your offices, events and other social activities.
4: Square
Visual appeal is what makes Instagram awesome. Square, an online payment system, is showing that attractive imagery is what makes Instagram great.
Top-notch videos are also important. Most of the videos on Square’s feed get nearly 10x more engagement than other posts. And, Square’s following has increased by over 5% in the month leading to the end of April 2019.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Share some quality photos and videos on your feed and spice them up with intriguing captions.
5: UBS
UBS is a financial services company that is capturing the attention of many with its distinct ‘startup’ feel. The brand is deeply rooted in being transparent to its customers and marketing itself with people that its followers relate to. Posts contain useful hints and tips encouraging users to come back for more information.
UBS has over 43k followers and enjoys an average engagement of over 0.7% per post. This is pretty good when you consider that average engagement on Instagram across all industries is 1.73% and finance is not the easiest industry to garner interaction.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Be transparent with your audience. Additionally, link your brand to people that your audience identifies with on a personal level.
6: American Express
American Express (Amex) is considered a leader in Instagram marketing and for good reason. It has succeeded in selling a luxury lifestyle to its customers and focusing on its services and products – without being overly salesy.
The brand’s Instagram page is packed with enticing imagery showcasing what card members can enjoy without jumping up and down for attention in a way that certain demographics hate. Particularly millennials.
Amex has 346k followers and gets an average of over 1,400 likes per post. This financial corporation’s #AmexAmbassador campaign was also one of the most successful Instagram efforts of 2018 helping the brand to rack up over 3.7 million engagements. The campaign was again designed to focus on the lifestyle and not the product and features some of the world’s most powerful influencers including fashion guru Chiara Ferragni.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Put your customers’ needs before your services and products. Once you build brand loyalty, the sales will start rolling in.
7: Atom
Just two years after launching officially, Atom – the UK’s first mobile-based bank – has achieved phenomenal growth with a small marketing budget that relied extensively on Instagram and Facebook. Their open and honest approach to building trust and developing exceptional customer service helps them to stand out among other corporate giants who take a more money-making business approach that can come across as cold and evasive.
Atom gets an average engagement of 3% on its posts. If this is not impressive for such a small finance brand with just over 2,300 followers, then what is? The company’s collaboration with rap artist Will.i.am also helped propel them into the spotlight.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Create personal relationships with your audience to get interaction and sales. Forming professional collaborations with celebrities can also help boost engagement.
8: Wells Fargo
A mix of content makes for an enjoyable Instagram feed and Wells Fargo has nailed this concept. The bank has a good mix of images and videos which cover a variety of topics. But what really stands out is their sense of community spirit and corporate responsibility. This is something consumers look out for these days as they feel more connected to brands that give back.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Mix up your content and keep it fresh. Also, let your profile and content reflect your focus and goals.
9: US Bank
US Bank is using its positive PR to build a strong Instagram audience. It documents its #CommunityPossible project which brings together over 153,000 volunteers across America.
Presently, US Bank has over 11k followers and a remarkable engagement range of 2% to over 20% on most of its posts.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Show your audience how you give back to the community to give your brand that much-needed personal touch.
10: TD Bank
TD Bank has dubbed itself the bank that is #UnexpectedlyHuman. The firm is tapping into what people want in a bank – convenience, loyalty and the human feel.
TD uses Instagram to soften its corporate nature and boost engagement on a down-to-earth level. Campaigns such as #TheReadyCommitment highlight important issues such as the struggling bee community with TD Bank communicating their support for urban farming.
Want to rock Instagram too?
Give back to your customers frequently and actively promote the future your audience wants.
Being relatable on social media doesn’t mean ditching regulations so be sure to choose a marketing agency that understands them. Our aim is to remain a leading content marketing agency that improves the presence of brands on social media.
The subject matter and the content of this article are solely the views of the author. FinanceFeeds does not bear any legal responsibility for the content of this article and they do not reflect the viewpoint of FinanceFeeds or its editorial staff.
