From 5% to 97% engagement: How strategy transformed one financial services founder's results
The Starting Point
When this financial services founder first came to me, they knew they were missing a trick by not leveraging social media. Their LinkedIn analytics told a familiar story:
Average engagement rate: Below 5%
Highest-performing post: 31% engagement
70% of posts reached above 3% engagement
They knew something wasn't working. Despite having an excellent service, glowing customer reviews, years of expertise, and great word of mouth, their social media wasn't translating into business results.
The Hidden Problem
Here's what I discovered during our audit: they had a goldmine of content and conversion tools, but none of it was being leveraged effectively.
They had:
Lead magnets sitting unused
Valuable conversion content gathering digital dust
A deep fear of appearing "salesy" (sound familiar?)
Amazing expertise, but no clear way to share it strategically
Many financial services founders fall into this exact trap. You create resources, you know your stuff, you have client success stories - but you feel icky about promoting yourself. So everything just... sits there, not generating the clients you need.
The Strategic Solution
We didn't jump straight into tactics. Instead, we started with foundations:
First, we audited everything - their existing content, competitors, and what was actually working (and what wasn't).
Then we built their strategy from the ground up:
Brand foundations that clearly articulated their unique value
Detailed ideal customer profiles
Clear business goals and future direction
Comprehensive competitor analysis to identify where they could win
The key insight? I helped them identify the specific areas where they should play and could win, based on who they wanted to reach and what others in their space were doing.
Most importantly: They had someone on their team (me) every month who could understand the data, evolve the strategy, and deliver consistent results.
The Transformation
Fast forward 12 months, and the numbers tell a completely different story:
August Results:
Average engagement rate: 15% (up from 5%)
Highest engagement rate: 97% (up from 31% and it’s been above this before)
93% of posts above 3% engagement (up from 70%)
But it's not just about engagement rates. The real impact:
Following grew by 500+ quality connections
Tags and mentions increased and are now aligned with their target audience adding even more credibility to what they do
Content consistency without the constant stress of "what should I post?"
The Compound Effect
Here's what most founders miss: strategy creates compound growth.
When you're posting randomly, each piece of content starts from zero. But with a solid foundation, your efforts build on each other. Your audience knows what to expect. Your messaging gets sharper. Your positioning gets clearer.
Those 500+ new followers? They’re potential clients who now know exactly what this founder offers and why they should care.
The Real Lesson
Having a great service and excellent reviews isn't enough if your marketing isn't strategic.
You can have all the expertise in the world, but without clear foundations, the right positioning, and someone who understands how to translate your knowledge into engaging content, you're leaving money on the table.
The truth is: You don't need more content. You need a better strategy.
