With 253 million Americans — nearly 75% of the US population — active on social media, it’s critical that community banks maintain a robust social media presence. It’s also critical that they adhere to platform guidelines.
LinkedIn is a pivotal platform for community banks in their efforts to reach business-owner customers and individuals relevant to their ideal customer persona. The platform does, however, have stringent rules against automation tools that perform tasks such as bulk messaging, unsolicited connection requests, and automated engagements. Violating these guidelines can lead to account restrictions or bans. The networking platform just recently, in fact, sent out notifications to users who, according to Authoredup, may be in violation of the platform’s user guidelines:
“We noticed activity from your account that indicates you MIGHT be using an automation tool. This can SOMETIMES be caused by browser extensions or third-party applications that run in the background. Please review any tools you may be using to access LinkedIn.”
To navigate these challenges and instead focus on finding a balance between authentic audience connections and automating tasks, community banks can leverage tools like Bank Marketing Center's Social+ social media management platform. No matter the platform — LinkedIn, Facebook, Pinterest, or Instagram — Social+ brings all your conversations to a single, user-friendly dashboard, making it easy for you to engage in online conversations without violating any guidelines.
Understanding LinkedIn's Automation Policies
LinkedIn explicitly prohibits the use of third-party software or browser extensions that automate activities on its platform. This includes tools that scrape data, send bulk messages, or perform actions that replicate human behavior without user intervention. Such practices not only violate LinkedIn's terms but also risk the authenticity and integrity of user interactions. As stated by LinkedIn, "We don't allow the use of third-party software or browser extensions that scrape, modify the appearance of, or automate activity on LinkedIn's website."
The Role of Social+ in Compliant Social Media Management
Bank Marketing Center's Social+ is designed to assist community banks in managing their social media presence effectively, while staying within the boundaries set by each social media platform. Unlike unauthorized automation tools that can potentially run afoul of LinkedIn’s guidelines, Social+ facilitates compliance and authentic engagement. Here's how Social+ can bolster a community bank's social media marketing strategy:
- Content Creation and Scheduling
Social+ offers a robust content creation suite, enabling banks to craft compelling and compliant messages tailored to their audience. The platform's AI-driven content creation tool assists in generating posts that resonate with the target demographic, ensuring relevance and engagement. By scheduling posts in advance, banks can maintain a consistent presence across all platforms without resorting to prohibited automation practices.
- Engagement Monitoring
Understanding public sentiment and addressing customer feedback promptly is crucial for maintaining a positive brand image. Social+ provides monitoring features that alert marketing teams to mentions and interactions related to the bank on LinkedIn. This proactive approach allows for timely responses, fostering genuine engagement without relying on automated reactions or comments, which are against LinkedIn's policies.
- Analytics and Reporting
To refine social media strategies, it's essential to analyze the performance of posts and campaigns. Social+ delivers in-depth analytics, offering insights into metrics such as post reach, engagement rates, and audience demographics. These data-driven insights empower banks to make informed decisions, optimize content, and enhance their LinkedIn presence responsibly.
- Compliance Assurance
Financial institutions operate in a heavily regulated environment, making compliance a top priority. Social+ is tailored to ensure that all social media activities, no matter the platform, adhere to platform guidelines with a customizable, automated approval routing feature that facilitates the review process. This built-in content review feature helps prevent inadvertent policy violations, safeguarding a community bank's reputation and helping avoid potential penalties.
Stay Compliant on Social Media
Navigating social platform guidelines requires a strategic approach that prioritizes content compliance and authentic engagement. It also requires steering clear of automation solutions that mimic human behavior, send bulk messages, and “auto-react” to posts.
Bank Marketing Center's Social+ media management tool makes it easy, equipping community bank marketers with the necessary resources to enhance their online presence responsibly. By focusing on compliant content creation, and proactive KPI monitoring, along with data gathering and analysis, community banks can effectively leverage their platforms — LinkedIn included — to connect with their audience and strengthen their brand without risking termination of use, violations, or penalties.
Bank Marketing Center
We’re Bank Marketing Center, the leading, subscription-based provider of automated marketing services to community banks. Our goal is to help bank marketers with topical, compelling communication with customers that builds trust, relationships, and revenue. And we do this through automating critical bank marketing functions, such as content creation, social media management and digital asset management, as well as regulatory and brand compliance.
We also want to share what we know – and learn along the way – with all our community banking friends. Whether it’s the latest on AI technology, suggestions on how to attract and retain top talent, or the importance of data protection, we’re here to make bank marketing the best that it can be.
Want to learn more about what we can do for your community bank and your marketing efforts? You can start by visiting bankmarketingcenter.com. Then, feel free to contact me directly by phone at 678-528-6688 or via email at nreynolds@bankmarketingcenter.com. As always, I welcome your thoughts.