Social Content Opportunities for the Financial Services Audience on Instagram in Q2 2023

Purpose of This Research

• ‍Identify white space content opportunities‍
• ‍Identify replicable production elements (formats, editing techniques, etc) that contribute to those content opportunities‍
• ‍Identify content themes that are not performing well and may be avoided

‍In order to drive the most effective possible Instagram content strategy possible to resonate with the Financial Services audience.

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The 1-Minute Gist

Instagram users watch loan, mortgage and credit reward content.

Offer proof of product benefits or accessibility through tangible scenarios:

•  “Here’s how you should finance this car” 
•  “Here’s the mortgage term you should take if you make $x salary”
•  “Here’s how I actually use my credit card and the rewards that come with it.”  

Educate your audience on the FI with a recurring creator voice & visuals.

Use data visualization and text in combination with a strong brand voice to:

• Share the state of Canada’s financial position (ie. housing prices over time)
• Explain financial concepts (ie. tax write-offs)
• Identify how to maintain or build a good credit score (ie. credit utilization rule)
• Offer saving tips (ie. asking locals how they save)

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Excellent Instagram content themes in the Financial Services space.

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Good Instagram content themes in the Financial Services space.

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Okay Instagram content themes in the Financial Services space.

*YA = Young Adults

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Poor Instagram content themes in the Financial Services space.

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Best Way to Finance...

Break down financial concepts using real life examples.

These videos breakdown how much people need to be making to afford different cars using the 20-4-10 rule.

Production Elements From Top Performing Posts

• ‍No introductions are used. The creator jumps straight into the content (ie. “How much should you be making to drive a Toyota RAV4?”).
• Use a loan calculator or tool in videos to show viewers available resources you provide.
• ‍Make sure all content has captions that match voice-overs and audio.
• Create a series displaying how much people can save or invest by using your banking offerings as examples. For example, “how much you can grow by allocating 10% of x salary with our Springboard savings account”.

Examples

Views 2M | Eng. 30K

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Views 227K | Eng. 5.9K

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Views 397K | Eng. 46K ‍

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Analyzing Celebrity Finances

Use celebrities to explain financial strategies.

Creator “Mrs. Dow Jones” researches celebrity investments and financial decisions as a way to provide actionable insights for viewers. It acts as proof to demonstrate how wealthy people manage money.

Production Elements From Top Performing Posts

• ‍Introductions are 10 seconds and ask a question, “Why did Beyonce and Jay Z buy an $88M home with a mortgage?”.
• Personify the brand, always re-introduce yourself to new viewers. “I’m Mrs. Dow Jones, your fav. personal finance expert”.
• Use the green screen feature and text on screen to give proof and reiterate your points.‍
• Get niche. Think about your audience’s interests and target key influencers in that field to talk about their financial strategies that would surprise viewers.

Examples

Views 1M | Eng. 40K 

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Views 352K | Eng. 18.7K

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Views 487K | Eng. 25K

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Mortgage Strategies

Offer tangible examples of mortgage options.

Creators script conversational examples showing different ways people approach their mortgages. It often includes examples of two different mortgage terms over time or a banker trying to push another term strategy.

Production Elements From Top Performing Posts

• ‍No introductions are used. Instead, start with someone diving into their mortgage term. 
• Build a conversation on term and lending options with trigger questions like: “Why don’t you do it this way?”‍
• ‍Don’t add additional audio. Make quick, distraction-free points.
• Run viewers through mortgage rate options based on potential down payments and monthly payments people are willing to make. Create a series: “If you make $x a year, consider this mortgage strategy”.

Examples

Views 891K | Eng. 9K

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Views 318K | Eng. 6K

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Views 289K | Eng. 9K ‍

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Influencers & Credit Rewards

Use influencers to communicate real benefits.

Scotiabank and Revolut partner with creators to take viewers through their spending. These organic videos allow the creator to communicate in their own way while linking their spends to rewards from their credit cards.

Production Elements From Top Performing Posts

• ‍Keep introductions under 10 seconds. 
• Have creators experiment with “What I Spend in a Day” videos. Share how many points are received through a day of purchases.
• ‍Offer promotions. This creator mentions a £20 back offer when signing up.
• Banks aren’t in the business of communicating real-life applications, such as “what I spent in a day”. Work with people who are, then whitelist that content for your accounts.

Examples

Views 649K | Eng. 15.9K 

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Views 355K | Eng. N/A 

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Views 295K | Eng. 2.4K

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State of Canadian Finance

Educate viewers on Canada’s financial position.

Two main comparisons have been performing online:
1. Canadian costs compared to the rest of the world
2. Canadian costs over time
Research and explain the differences for viewers.

Production Elements From Top Performing Posts

• ‍Keep introductions under 7 seconds.‍
• ‍Explore the use of data visualizations and text to communicate points.
• Use partial voice-overs to talk directly to the audience when the camera is on a speaker but shift to voice-overs when using graphics.‍
• Use rising tensions, like inflation, as examples for comparison over time but also to communicate what you’re doing to support Canadians and how they can adjust their routines to be secure.

Examples

Views 520K | Eng. 6.6K

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Views 456K | Eng. 12.3K

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Views 353K | Eng. 9.6K

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Viral Outliers

Viral Outlier posts exceed the average view and engagement benchmark for their content theme by 3x.

Earning Great Credit Scores

Make bold statements. This video was more successful due to the creator insinuating that people don’t pay their credit card bills correctly.

Views 2M | Eng. 47K

Analyzing Celebrity Finances

Demonstrate how this led to that. In this video, the creator talks about Kim Kardashian’s purchase of a private jet as a tax deduction strategy.

Views 2M | Eng. 60K

Financial Concepts Explained 

Provide an actionable takeaway. This creator uses his video to share a story about banking interest rates. He ends it with a tip about high-yield savings accounts that anyone can quickly look into.

Views 1M | Eng. 13K 

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Influencers & Credit Rewards

Work with influencers who will share details. In this video, the creator starts by offering a fully transparent look at how she saves to plan for trips & vacations.

Views 998K | Eng. 2K 

Online Banking Security

Use out-of-the-box creative references. In a video to spread awareness about cyber security for online banking, N26 used the concept of phishing and created a “fishing” environment to start a conversation.

Views 632K | Eng. 2K 

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Content Theme Definitions

Best Way to Finance...:  Breakdown how much people need to be making to afford different cars (or big ticket items) using a financial rule.

‍Analyzing Celebrity Finances: Give financial guidance through proof by researching celebrity investments and financial decisions.

‍Mortgage Strategies: Build trust by simulating mortgage options. Script conversations showing ways people approach their mortgages. 

Influencers & Credit Rewards: Use influencers to share product benefits through organic videos, allowing the creator to share their experience.

State of Canadian Finance: Educate viewers on Canada’s financial position by comparing Canada in relation to other countries and over time.

Financial Concepts Explained: Use contextual examples like “I wrote off my rent, this is how” to explain financial ideas in everyday terms. 

Earning Great Credit Scores: Provide detailed, specific and actionable examples of factors to keep in mind for building a great credit score.

Contests & Giveaways: Expand social reach by offering contests on upcoming sporting events, and branded merch.

Money Saving Hack: Ask people to share their top tips for saving money to inspire others to consider ways to cut costs.

Saving Strategies for YA: Build confidence in a younger audience through content that addresses saving strategies for youths to students.

Personal Finance News: If something big happens in the financial world, address it. Make a video about the news that can be understood quickly.

Quick Financial Facts: These videos communicate through simple graphics to address a single fact (ie. current interest rate).

Financial Product Comparisons: These videos share the pros and cons of different financial options such as stocks versus bonds. 

The Benefits of Loans & Debt: These videos break down myths on debt by sharing how they can make a positive impact to financial status.

Bank Investment in Social Initiatives: These videos highlight what you’re doing as a company to address more than just banking.

The Significance of a Credit Score: These videos underline why it is important to have a good credit score.

Online Banking Security: These videos create awareness about the dangers of online security and how not to fall into the trap of scammers.

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Instagram Accounts Included in Analysis

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*For videos in this content category. View + Engagement data collected via direct social media platform API.

*Measured by Average Views + Engagements