Social Media Does Work for Financial Advisors — Just Not the Way You Think
Let’s address the elephant in the room: “Social media doesn’t work for financial advisors.”
You’ve heard it. You might’ve said it. And honestly? If we’re talking about how most advisors use social, it’s not wrong.
But the problem isn’t the platform — it’s the playbook.
In a recent webinar, I sat down with Thomas Kopelman of AllStreet Wealth, who built a $1M+ firm in under three years — with social media as the backbone of his marketing. No paid ads. No “engagement hacks.” No pre-written fluff.
Just consistently helpful, hyper-relevant content that speaks to the exact client he’s built his business around.
This article is a quick breakdown of that conversation. You can watch the full thing here, but if you’re still skeptical about social as a growth driver? Start here.
1. “Social Doesn’t Work” Usually Means “You’re Doing It Wrong”
The reason most advisor marketing falls flat on social is because it's not marketing — it's box-checking.
If your feed is just links to economic updates or recycled firm blog posts with a title like “Planning for Retirement: What You Should Know”, don’t be surprised when it gets no traction. That’s not content. That’s filler.
Tom went the opposite route. He showed up daily with original, short-form posts that were:
Easy to understand
Directly tied to financial decisions his ideal clients were facing
Written in his actual voice (not compliance copy-paste language)
No graphics. No gimmicks. Just clarity and consistency. That’s why it worked.
2. Prioritize Familiar Over Flashy
Here’s a key insight from the conversation: when prospects book a call with Tom, they already feel like they know him.
They’ve been following him for weeks or months. They’ve seen how he thinks. They’ve probably nodded along to a dozen posts that mirrored something they’ve wondered or worried about.
So, when they finally reach out, it’s not a discovery call. It’s more like a continuation.
This is what social is supposed to do. Not just generate attention. Build familiarity. Build resonance. Build comfort. And none of that happens if you're posting once a month hoping for a miracle.
3. Most Advisors Are Talking to Themselves
The biggest mistake we see? Advisors create content about what they care about, not what their audience is actually thinking about.
Tom’s average client makes over $1M/year. They're smart, busy, and overwhelmed. So his content doesn’t try to impress them — it simplifies for them.
He talks about:
Why executive comp plans are confusing
When RSUs should be sold
Why tax strategies often get ignored (and what it costs them)
How to evaluate if your current advisor is doing their job
They’re conversations his audience is already having — or should be.
4. You Don’t Need to “Go Viral” — You Need to Show Up
Tom didn’t blow up because of one thread that went viral. He grew because he showed up every day with something valuable to say. Consistency builds credibility.
And honestly? You don’t need thousands of followers. You need the right people paying attention.
One solid post that hits home for a business owner with a $5M portfolio is worth more than 10,000 impressions from strangers who’ll never hire you.
5. Social Isn’t a Sales Pitch — It’s the First Meeting
If you’re approaching social like a megaphone to announce your greatness, it’s going to fall flat. But if you approach it like a digital version of your best client conversations? That’s when it starts working.
When your ideal client reads your post and thinks, “Finally, someone gets it,” — that’s the win.
And that’s what Tom’s built.
The Bottom Line
Social media does work for financial advisors — just not with the same lazy playbook everyone else is running.
Be clear more than you care to be clever. Try to be useful more than you try to go viral.
If you’re still thinking social doesn’t move the needle for firms like yours, I’d encourage you to watch the full interview.
You’ll walk away rethinking what’s possible.
