“Social media marketing is just about posting.”
If I hear that one more time, I might scream. Kidding. Mostly.
For fintech brands, social media is not a content calendar exercise. It is a growth channel. It is where perception is built, mindsets are shaped, trust is earned, and behaviour is influenced.
Brands that don’t maximise social media are not just missing visibility; they are leaving real money on the table.
At the start of 2025, my work at Moniepoint MFB was clear. The brand was transitioning from “Powering Dreams” to a new positioning: “Made For Your Progress.” After months of research, audience listening, and A/B testing, one insight stood out clearly: every Nigerian wants progress, but progress looks different at every stage of life.
People don’t see financial growth as a destination; they see it as a journey. What a student needs today is different from what a market woman needs. What a small business owner prioritises is different from what a high-net-worth individual values. So “Made For Your Progress” wasn’t just a tagline. It was a promise. A promise that no matter where you are on your journey, Moniepoint will meet you there and grow with you.
From students under 25 enjoying free transfers, to market women needing reliable business banking, to HNI individuals prioritising security and trust, we were intentionally positioning Moniepoint as a bank for everyone.
This shift demanded more than refreshed visuals or updated copy. It required a rethink of how social media could drive real business outcomes. It meant revamping brand content, leaning into deeper storytelling, and treating social media as a growth lever rather than a communication afterthought.
From day one, the question for me was never “How will this trend?” It was “How will this drive conversation, and how will it ultimately drive acquisition?”
That question shaped every decision, especially influencer marketing. This was never going to be influencer marketing for visibility alone. Every decision had to justify value. Earned Media Value relative to cost mattered deeply. Popularity wasn’t the goal. Believability was.
Two things guided influencer selection. First, the people the target audience could genuinely see themselves in. Second, people with communities they could influence, not just reach. That’s why my influencer choices were deliberate. Neo, who was once a Bolt driver and bukka owner during his university days. Teniola, who worked behind the scenes before earning her place in front of the camera. Mike, who chased acting from his UNILAG days and only got his first cinema movie role in 2018, then kept building steadily from there. And of course, Victor Osimhen a global brand ambassador whose journey from Olusosun to the world stage embodies progress better than any script ever could.
These were not overnight success stories. They were real progress stories. Stories that allowed the Bolt driver struggling today to look at Neo and think, “There’s more ahead.” Stories that allowed a grassroots footballer to see Osimhen and know their story is still under construction.
That emotional relatability was what the “Made For Your Progress” campaign needed to feel authentic. And that authenticity was the foundation for everything that followed.
Beyond relatability, I was equally intentional about community. Clout was never the goal. Influence was.
Some of the most effective influencers we worked with didn’t have the biggest numbers, but they had highly engaged, trusting communities. This wasn’t just about awareness. It was about trust, and trust is what moves people to act.
Trust doesn’t come from one-off posts. That’s why retaining the same influencers throughout the year was not accidental; it was strategic. In an era where influencers promote one brand today and its competitor tomorrow, consistency became a signal. Using the same voices repeatedly sent a quiet but powerful message to their audiences: “I trust this brand, and I’m here for the long haul.”
After influencer selection, the next critical decision was how the message would be delivered. Today’s consumers are far more intelligent and perceptive. They can spot promotional content within seconds, and once they do, attention is lost.
I didn’t want content where two seconds in, you already know what’s being sold. My approach was simple: storytelling first, branding second. Every influencer story was treated like a short film, not an advert. The narrative always came before the product.
Yes, there were brand cues. Intentional use of brand colours. On-brand styling. Subtle visual consistency. But the story always led. I believe deeply in storytelling that earns attention rather than demands it. When the story resonates, the brand earns trust organically.
The results exceeded expectations. On a weekly basis, engagement, awareness, and brand sentiment metrics consistently hit at least 1.5 times the set targets, with some weeks as much as 5x. Conversations increased. Sentiment improved. Trust deepened.
Once again, social media proved that it is not just a communication channel. It is a growth engine.
This is a reminder of what happens when social media is treated as a strategy, not decoration. Posting is easy. Building perception, trust, and growth is the real work. And that is where social media truly earns its seat at the table.
