Social Media

Article: Asset Management and Social Media: A Guide to Social Marketing

Asset management firms have worked hard in recent years to develop and refine their social media strategies. In the process, they have vastly increased their social outreach to investors and financial advisors. Although most asset management firms have a social media presence on multiple networks, the strength of their efforts varies greatly. Asset Management and Social Media: A Guide to Social Marketing focuses on how fund firms can optimize their social media presence on the most popular social networks: LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+. The guide describes the most valuable features and attributes on each social network to fund firms and highlights best in class strategies from leading asset management firms. The guide also provides recommendations for building out and improving your firm's social media properties. The guide contains: Key features and attributes on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google+ that are most valuable to your asset management firm's social media strategy. Examples of social media best practices from industry leading firms. Recommendations to optimize your firm's social media presence and overall social strategy. Please use the link or the button below to download Asset Management and Social Media: A Guide to Social Marketing:

Article: Social Media Trends: Brokerages are Active on Twitter [Infographic]

With the majority of the brokerage firms in our e-Monitor coverage group (17 of 19) now on Twitter, we decided to take a closer look at how these firms are using their Twitter accounts. We found that many of the brokerages we examined are active on Twitter, tweeting and retweeting valuable information to users. However, there is still room for improvement, especially in the areas of response rates and account verification. The infographic below highlights key Twitter usage and behavioral trends among the 17 leading brokerages we examined (click for full screen image):

Article: Finance and Social Gaming: American Express Bolsters Social Presence by Friending Zynga

This article first appeared in the ABA Banking Journal. American Express recently teamed up with social game developer Zynga and introduced the Zynga Serve Rewards Program. By combining Serve Digital Wallet (the American Express digital payment platform) with Zynga accounts, the Zynga Serve Rewards program allows gamers to receive in-game rewards when they use the new Zynga Serve co-branded pre-paid card. This is not the first time American Express has partnered with Zynga. AmEx cardholders have been able to redeem their points for e-game cards or virtual goods within the American Express Membership Rewards site for some time.

Article: May Trends & Highlights - Financial Firms Discuss Facebook, Unveil New Apps and Revamp Websites

Corporate Insight's monthly Trends & Highlights analyze key online releases, updates and themes across the financial services industry. For past Trends & Highlights, please check the T&H Archive.  May Trends & Highlights Summary Financial firms shifted their attention to the initial public offering of Facebook this month, with 5 firms offering some form of messaging about the company’s IPO. Mobile apps remained a popular topic amongst firms in May, with 10 firms releasing new or significantly upgraded apps. Additionally, firms released a number of revamped sites and/or sections over the course of the month.

Article: Chase-LivingSocial Partnerships Benefit Small Businesses

Chase and LivingSocial have joined forces to raise awareness on the importance of small businesses to local communities, and to help small businesses succeed. To accomplish this goal, LivingSocial, known for offering members valuable deals from local merchants, and Chase, a provider of small businesses services and support, have come together to launch the “Mission: Small Business” program and LivingSocial Rewards Visa Card, two separate initiatives.

Article: Consulting Insights Spring Issue Now Available

The Spring Issue of Consulting Insights is now available. In this issue, we revisit the mobile tablet space. A year ago, we discussed the industry's first iPad apps. Today, these early adopters are starting to embrace Android tablets. We also share insights from our interview with State Farm's social media team, conducted as part of our Social Media Leaders report research.   The Spring issue also looks at several brokerage topics. We examine the evolution of planning tools in the brokerage industry using benchmarking data from our Brokerage Website Audit and also discuss the latest developments in brokerage investor education.  

Article: Corporate Insight to Present at Upcoming BDI Conference

On Thursday, May 17th, Business Development Institute (BDI) will be holding their Social & Mobile Financial Communications Conference at The Graduate Center of The City University of New York in midtown Manhattan. The conference will feature a series of case studies and roundtables focusing on social media and mobile’s role in the financial services industry.  

Article: Why Would a Financial Services Firm Want to Use Pinterest?

By Richard MacManus "PINTEREST: Can financial services firms use this new platform effectively?" That was the subject line of an email in my inbox this morning. It came from Corporate Insight, a financial services consulting firm. The email went on to note that "Pinterest values imagery over text and incorporates many social aspects of Twitter and Facebook to connect users and spread content." While admitting that "no financial services firm uses Pinterest today," nevertheless Corporate Insight thinks that financial institutions should have a presence on Pinterest. Click here to read the full article...

Article: Digital Frontiers Week Recap

We want to thank everyone that visited the Corporate Insight Blog last week during our second annual Digital Frontiers Week. The following is a rundown of the pieces we released last week focusing on social media, mobile finance and other emerging technologies impacting the financial services industry: Free 18-Page Guide - Getting Started with Pinterest: Strategies for Financial Services Firms Augmented Reality - Three Uses for Financial Services Pinterest: 3 Ideas for Financial Services Firms Ameriprise Uses LinkedIn to Enhance Advisor Searches Citi's Innovation Loop Delivers Social Feedback Insurance Company Mascots Thriving on Facebook

Article: Getting Started with Pinterest: Strategies for Financial Services Firms - Free Guide

Corporate Insight’s new guide - Getting Started with Pinterest: Strategies for Financial Services Firms - will help you in creating and launching a successful financial services Pinterest presence. The guide features: Seven unique Pinterest strategies specifically for financial services firms Three case studies analyzing robust Pinterest presences offered by AARP, GE and Lowe's Five recommendations for maximizing the potential of your financial services Pinterest presence Please download the full 18-page Getting Started with Pinterest: Strategies for Financial Services Firms guide free of charge.

Article: Insurance Company Mascots Thriving on Facebook

While most Property & Casualty Insurance Monitor firms have embraced social media only three firms - Allstate, GEICO and Progressive - have developed effective corporate mascot profiles on Facebook. Progressive has been particularly successful on Facebook. Four years ago, the firm launched its first Facebook page dedicated to “Flo”, their bubbly cashier mascot. Progressive’s approach has enabled the profile to generate the greatest amount of Facebook fans among corporate mascots covered by P&C Insurance Monitor, with over three million “likes”. Progressive Progressive actually offers two mascot Facebook pages - Flo, the Progressive Girl and the rugged Progressive Messenger. The Flo profile is updated frequently with photos, videos and discussions and has a light-hearted theme featuring humorous posts and access to games and apps which are used to illicit likes. In addition, the new “timeline” format allowed Progressive to add key events such as “Flo’s first slam dunk” that help build the mascot’s character. Likewise, the Progressive Messenger profile offers posts that offer biographical information such as The Messenger’s birth and first mustache.

Article: Pinterest - 3 Ideas for Financial Services Firms

This is an excerpt from our new 18-page Pinterest guide – Getting Started with Pinterest: Strategies for Financial Services Firms. Download the full guide free of charge. By now, you have likely heard of Pinterest, the social media network that values imagery over text and is the fastest growing website of all-time. In addition to Pinterest’s intuitive image sharing platform, the network also incorporates many social aspects of Twitter and Facebook to connect users and spread content. Despite the network’s popularity and rapid growth, the financial services industry has not yet embraced Pinterest. As of this writing, none of the firms covered by Corporate Insight offer a significant Pinterest presence. We think this won’t last, and that firms should be reaching out to the network’s growing audience. Here are three ways financial services firms can utilize Pinterest to increase digital word-of-mouth and expand their social media reach:

Article: Amerprise Uses LinkedIn to Enhance Advisor Searches

Last November, Ameriprise Financial incorporated LinkedIn’s professional network to its Find an Advisor search tool on the public site. In addition to being able to search for advisors by geographic location or by an advisor’s name, prospective clients may now login to their personal LinkedIn profiles and determine whether they share pre-existing connections with Ameriprise advisors. If so, Ameriprise provides contact information for the connected advisor. While many firms offer advisor search tools, Ameriprise is the only E-Monitor firm to offer LinkedIn integration.

Article: Welcome To Digital Frontiers Week!

Welcome to the second annual Digital Frontiers Week on the Corporate Insight Blog. Over the course of the week, we will be posting new thought-provoking research and commentaries on social media, mobile finance and other emerging technologies impacting the financial services industry.  Digital Frontiers Week Release Schedule Monday Augmented Reality - Three Uses for Financial Services Tuesday Ameriprise Uses LinkedIn to Enhance Advisor Searches Citi's Innovation Loop Delivers Social Feedback Wednesday Pinterest: 3 Ideas for Financial Services Firms Thursday Getting Started with Pinterest: Strategies for Financial Services Firms - Free 18-page downloadable guide Insurance Company Mascots Thriving on Facebook

Article: Social Media Leaders Report Now Available - Free Preview

Corporate Insight is proud to announce the release of our third industry-wide study on social media practices across financial services, Social Media Leaders. The report ranks the social media efforts of over 90 financial services firms across banking, brokerage, credit cards, insurance, asset management and annuities. The Social Media Leaders report features: Detailed reviews of all leading firms Industry trends & highlights Best practice recommendations Industry overviews & scorecards To learn more, please download a free 13-page Social Media Leaders Report Preview featuring a series of detailed excerpts and key findings from the report.

Article: Digital Frontiers Week Starts Monday

To celebrate the release of our third industry-wide social media study, Social Media Leaders, starting Monday we will hold our second annual Digital Frontiers Week on the Corporate Insight blog. Throughout the week, we will be releasing new and exciting social media and mobile finance articles and research pieces focusing on emerging technologies and digital trends that impact the financial services industry. Topics we plan to cover include: Pinterest iPad apps   Mobile check deposit Social feedback communities Insurance industry social media LinkedIn for advisors Augmented reality

Article: American Express Join Forces with Twitter

While most financial services firms have devoted considerable time and effort to connecting with their customers via social media, American Express continues to be a step ahead of the competition in this space. Over the past year, AmEx has forged partnerships with Facebook and Foursquare to deliver its broad customer base a variety of new deals and rewards. Now, the firm has joined forces with another social media giant, Twitter.

Article: Social Media Leaders – Key Metrics for Success

This article first appeared in the Winter 2012 issue of Consulting Insights. In early April, Corporate Insight will publish a new syndicated report on the use of social media by financial services companies. This Social Media Leaders report will mark our third such study since we began tracking the topic back in the spring of 2008. The industry has certainly evolved over the last four years. When we published our first report, Social Media: Trends & Tactics in the Financial Services Industry, roughly a quarter of the firms we tracked at the time were actively participating in the social Web. A few pioneers had developed their own proprietary blogs and communities, and some had created profiles on Facebook and still-nascent Twitter. Most firms, however, were unsure of the benefits of social media and frightened of potential compliance ramifications, and thus remained on the sidelines.

Article: CI First Look – Pinterest

It’s amazing the difference a few months can make in the social media world. In May 2011, Pinterest had a modest 418,000 unique viewers. Nine months later Pinterest boasts 11.5 million unique viewers, making it the fastest growing website of all time. This stunning growth has companies big and small asking if they should be on Pinterest and how they can use it to help build their brand. What is Pinterest? Pinterest is an image sharing network at heart, allowing its users to “pin” their favorite photos to personal “pin boards.” This primarily visual approach sets it apart from today’s most popular social networks – Facebook and Twitter.

Article: Citi’s New App Highlights the Kindle Fire

The iPad still dominates the tablet marketplace, but other similar devices are slowly gaining popularity. By some projections, the iPad’s market share is headed below 60% in coming years. As in the smartphone market, Apple’s major rival is Google’s Android operating system, which powers an array of devices including Amazon’s Kindle Fire.