Step-by-Step Guide to a Winning Financial Advisor Marketing Plan
- Published on November 9, 2023
- Updated on August 30, 2024
Table of Contents
According to a recent study by NAPA (National Association of Plan Advisors), only 28% of financial professionals have a documented financial advisor marketing plan. This alarming statistic indicates a need for more focused marketing efforts in the financial services industry. Without defined objectives and intentional marketing strategies, it’s easy for a financial firm to stagnate.
This ultimate guide will provide actionable steps and insights to create a results-driven financial advisor marketing plan tailored to your unique business goals. You’ll gain clarity on ideal clients, choose effective financial advisor marketing strategies and tactics, and implement a plan to consistently attract more AUM. Let’s dive in!
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Define a Clear Niche: Specializing in a niche, such as serving physicians, can enhance your financial advisory practice by attracting ideal clients with precision, leading to increased AUM and stronger client relationships.
- Craft a Strong Value Proposition: Develop a unique value proposition centered on the specific financial goals and pain points of your target audience to distinguish your services and foster a deeper connection with potential clients.
- Build Client Personas: Create detailed client personas to direct your marketing strategies, ensuring all content, from social media to seminars, resonates with the values and needs of your ideal client.
- Set SMART Marketing Goals: Align your financial advisor marketing efforts with business objectives using the SMART framework to ensure goals are specific, measurable, relevant, and time-bound.
- Conduct a Marketing Audit: Regularly review and adjust your financial advisor marketing strategy, focusing on high-conversion activities and refining or discontinuing those that don’t yield results.
- Embrace Digital Marketing: Use a mix of content marketing, SEO, and social media marketing to establish online credibility and engage with both current clients and prospective clients across popular platforms.
- Leverage SEO: Optimize your digital presence to rank higher on search engines, making you more visible to those seeking financial planning advice, and driving more targeted traffic to your site.
- Use Paid Advertising Wisely: Combine organic SEO efforts with targeted paid ads to reach a broader yet relevant audience, carefully monitoring ROI and refining your approach for maximum efficiency.
- Personalize Your Approach: Personalize your marketing by sharing your journey and insights, which builds trust and positions you as a relatable and knowledgeable financial professional.
- Consistent Email Communication: Implement a strategic email marketing plan to nurture leads and maintain ongoing communication, sharing valuable insights and updates that reinforce your expertise and commitment.
What is a financial marketing plan?
A financial advisor marketing plan is a comprehensive roadmap designed to attract new clients and retain existing ones. It encompasses traditional and digital marketing strategies, social media campaigns, SEO, and content marketing to enhance a financial firm’s online presence and brand recognition.
| Aspect of Marketing Plan | Marketing Tips |
|---|---|
| Define Target Market | Analyze your current client base to identify characteristics of your most profitable and satisfying relationships. Use these insights to build detailed client personas. Assess not just who they are, but also where they spend time online, their information consumption behaviors, and the types of financial challenges they face. |
| Articulate UVP (Unique Value Proposition) | Distill the essence of what you do into a compelling message that communicates your expertise, your approach to financial planning, and the tangible benefits you offer. This should be more than just a slogan; it should be a statement that encapsulates the unique approach you take to address specific financial challenges and goals. |
| Set SMART Marketing Goals | Translate your business objectives into quantifiable goals. If your aim is to grow your AUM, specify by how much and in what time frame. If you're looking to improve client retention, decide on a percentage improvement. Make sure each goal has a corresponding strategy and is tracked regularly. |
| Develop Content Strategy | Craft a content plan that positions you as a thought leader in your field. This could involve writing in-depth articles on complex financial topics, producing a regular podcast featuring expert insights, or curating a weekly newsletter that distills market movements into actionable advice. |
| Implement SEO Best Practices | Conduct thorough keyword research to understand the language your potential clients use when seeking financial advice. Optimize your site structure and content to target these terms, focusing on creating valuable resources that address these queries. Monitor your site’s performance and refine your financial advisor marketing strategy based on user engagement and conversion rates. |
| Engage on Social Media | Create a calendar for your social media activity and plan your content around key financial events, seasonal advice, and regular updates that showcase your firm's personality. Engage with your followers by starting conversations, participating in relevant discussions, and using targeted ads to amplify your reach to potential clients. |
| Execute Email Marketing Campaigns | Segment your email list to deliver personalized and relevant content to different groups within your audience. For instance, you might send retirement planning advice to clients nearing retirement age and saving tips to younger clients. Use automation tools to personalize messages at scale and to deliver them at optimal times. |
| Allocate Budget | Your marketing budget should be a percentage of your revenue that you're willing to reinvest in growing your business. Allocate more funds to the financial advisor marketing strategies with the highest ROI, and don’t forget to account for hidden costs like software subscriptions and staff time. |
| Plan and Host Events/Webinars | Use events and webinars to demonstrate your knowledge and to provide value upfront to potential clients. Tailor the topics to address current financial issues that affect your target audience and promote these events through your email list and social media channels to ensure high attendance and engagement. |
| Track Performance Metrics | Leverage analytics to measure the success of each marketing activity. Use UTM parameters to track website traffic sources and engagement metrics. Regularly review the data and use it to make informed decisions about where to focus your marketing efforts for maximum impact. |
Showcase your brand.
Create company profiles with custom banners and info-packages tailored to different industries.
Show your contact info easily accessible by your prospects and clients.
Add custom CTAs to drive prospects or clients to your calendar, sign up form, etc.
Collect feedback from prospects and clients. Feedback and reactions are not publicly visible.
Share any existing PDF presentations and documents.
Simplify Complex Topics with Video PDFs
Boost client engagement with personalized video explanations of key financial documents. Access engagement analytics. Learn more.
Regulatory Compliance in Financial Advisor Marketing
- Familiarize with government regulations on financial advisor prospecting.
- The SEC replaced the Cash Solicitation Rule with a broader Marketing Rule in 2020.
- Compliance with the new Marketing Rule required by November 4, 2022.
- Under the Marketing Rule, third-party solicitors are now termed “promoters”.
- Compensation for referrals or endorsements classifies activities as advertisements.
- Client endorsements are regulated under the Marketing Rule and considered advertisements.
- Marketing Rule mandates advertising compliance: eligibility verification, written agreements, disclosures, and advisor oversight.
- Four conditions for promoter solicitations: compensation disclosure, signed agreement, compensation prohibition for ineligibility, and oversight procedures.
- State regulations may impose additional requirements on solicitor activities.
- Advisers Act Section 206 outlines anti-fraud rules for advertising and client fund custody.
- Non-solicitation agreements limit financial advisors from contacting clients post-firm departure.
- Employment contracts govern client information handling and solicitation during firm transitions.
- Financial professionals must continuously update their knowledge of federal and state solicitation regulations.
Benefits of Implementing a Financial Advisor Marketing Plan
Staying compliant with regulations is crucial – but let’s switch gears to focus on the exciting growth a sound marketing plan ignites. Beyond keeping you out of regulatory trouble, a documented financial advisor marketing strategy delivers tangible business results. A strategic marketing plan is invaluable beyond just keeping your efforts compliant.
Here are 5 tangible benefits well-executed marketing plans unlock:
- Laser Focus – With so many options, a plan identifies the tactics scientifically proven to reach your niche so you avoid wasting time and money.
- Efficiency – Documented systems, workflows, and content frameworks increase productivity 10x instead of reinventing the wheel each campaign.
- Data-Driven Optimization – Rigorous metric tracking and segmentation reveals optimization opportunities over time to continually improve marketing ROI.
- Accountability – Detailed responsibilities matrices ensure imperatives don’t slip through the cracks, while management dashboards maintain visibility.
- Growth – Financial advisors with successful marketing plans see substantial increases in website traffic, lead conversion rates, referrals, and revenue as their marketing strategies compound results.
Step 1. Define Your Target Audience.
As a financial advisor, clearly defining your ideal client niche is one of the most important things you can do for to grow your business.
Identify your niche
After nearly a decade in this industry, I’ve learned first-hand how niche focus can transform results. Early on, I was in the mindset that my services could help anyone, so I aimed to attract a wide range of prospective clients. The problem? In trying to appeal to everyone, my messaging was too generic to really resonate.
It wasn’t until I narrowed my focus and got crystal clear on my ideal client that things really took off. For me, this meant targeting physicians and surgeons in the local area. Once I tailored my marketing, outreach and services specifically for that niche, I started attracting more of my ideal clients with less effort.
So how do you go about identifying this ideal client avatar for your practice? Here are a few key steps:
- Look at your current book of business – Which clients do you enjoy working with the most? What common traits and needs do they share?
- Review past cold leads and warm leads – Even if they didn’t convert, look for any patterns among those who responded best to your outreach.
- Consider your expertise and services – In what areas can you provide the most value? Your niche should align closely with your strengths.
- Define demographics – Industry, occupation, income level, location and age range are all important. The more specific, the better.
- Get clear on psychographics – What values, interests, hobbies and pain points does your ideal client have? Understanding psychographics allows you to craft truly personalized messaging.
Defining your niche is an evolving process, so don’t try to get it exactly right from the start. As you gain more clarity from the steps above, you can hone in on the precise attributes of your best-fit client. With this avatar and clearly defined niche in mind, all your marketing and prospecting efforts will become much more effective. So take the time upfront to understand who you serve best – it will pay dividends for years to come.
Understand your prospective clients goals and motivations and develop unique value proposition
Once you’ve defined your ideal client niche, the next step is gaining a deep understanding of their pain points and goals. This crucial knowledge will allow you to craft messaging and solutions tailored specifically to them.
Start by putting yourself in their shoes. If your target client niche is physicians, for example, what keeps them up at night? They have hectic schedules, chaotic work environments, high liability risks, and no shortage of stress. Many also have substantial student loan debt from medical school.
To discover your prospective clients pain points, review any available research and surveys about their demographics. You can also derive insights directly from your prospective clients by asking good discovery questions early on and really listening to their responses.
Unpacking their financial plans and goals is equally important. Physicians likely aim to pay off debt, generate wealth, prepare for retirement, plan their estate, and protect their assets. But each prospect will have a unique hierarchy of financial priorities.
That’s why part of your process should include having potential clients complete a goals-based planning exercise. This will uncover which goals they care about most, along with their timelines. With this level of clarity, you can provide recommendations tailored to what matters most to each individual.
Truly understanding your customers takes curiosity, patience and empathy. But the payoff is huge. When you can effectively communicate that you get their pain points and goals, you build immediate trust and credibility. This paves the way for many more productive conversations to come.
Create client personas to define your target market
Now that you’ve identified your niche and gained insight into their pain points and goals, it’s time to synthesize this intel into an ideal client persona. This fictional, generalized representation of your perfect prospect will serve as an avatar to guide your marketing and outreach.
While based on research and real data, the persona should be vividly brought to life. Give your ideal client a name, photo, demographic details, backstory, goals, pain points and motivations. The more comprehensive, the better.
For example, based on my physician niche, I crafted a persona named Sarah. She’s 36, lives in Seattle, and just finished her residency in family medicine. Sarah has $250K in student loans but also just inherited $500K. She hopes to pay off debt, start a retirement fund, and plan for buying a home in two years. But with 70 hour work weeks, she is too busy and stressed to even know where to start.
With this vivid picture of your ideal client, you can ensure all your marketing content, offers and messaging directly speaks to their unique situation. When potential clients connect with how well you seem to already “get” them, they’ll be eager to work with you.
Keep evolving your personas over time as you gather more data. Different niches or subsets of a niche may warrant developing a few personas. The more tailored they are, the better. Just be sure to make them specific enough to be useful, but still broad enough to appeal to a wider segment.
With clear ideal client personas guiding your efforts, you’ll be equipped to cut through the noise and attract the type of prospects that become your fantastic ideal clients. So take the time to paint a detailed picture of exactly who you’re trying to reach.
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Step 2. Identify Your Marketing Plan Goals.
The next component of your financial advisor marketing plan is defining your goals. Your financial advisor marketing ideas and objectives should always align with and support your broader business strategy and goals.
Start by taking a step back to think about what you want to accomplish in the coming year. Do you want to increase assets under management, grow your client base, or generate more referrals? Get very clear on the specifics. For example, you may set a goal to acquire 15 new clients managing over $2 million in investable assets in the next 12 months.
When setting goals, make sure they follow the SMART framework:
- Specific – Clearly define what you want to achieve. Ambiguous goals will be difficult to work towards.
- Measurable – Choose quantifiable goals you can track progress on. Use numbers and timeframes.
- Achievable – Stretch goals are good, but ensure goals are still realistic given your bandwidth and resources.
- Relevant – Goals should ultimately support core business objectives like revenue, growth and retention.
- Time-bound – Every goal needs a deadline to create accountability and urgency.
In addition to broad goals, drill down into key performance indicators you’ll measure, like website traffic, lead conversion rate, sales cycle length and referral rate. Identifying the right marketing KPIs will allow you to connect activity to results and pinpoint what’s working.
With clear business objectives, specific measurable goals, and defined success metrics in place, you’ll have the framework to build an effective marketing machine. Refer back to your goals often to ensure you remain on track throughout your marketing plan execution.
Step 3. Audit Your Overall Marketing Strategy.
A key part of auditing your financial advisor marketing strategy is taking stock of what’s currently working well and what’s falling short. Objectively assessing your strengths and weaknesses will provide direction on where to double down on momentum vs. switch gears.
Start by looking at top conversion paths. Which channels, marketing activities, or campaigns are driving the most new clients and retained assets to financial firm? If your quarterly seminars generate significant high-quality leads, keep hosting those. If your niche podcast appearances convert listeners into clients, seek more guest spots.
At the same time, pay close attention to any underperforming initiatives. Are you putting major time into blogging or social media without much return? Does a flashy direct mail piece fail to resonate? Identify what’s not moving the needle so you can cut back focus there.
Drill and dive deeper into the data to find hidden gems. You may discover your best referral sources are casual networking groups, not centers of influence you assumed. Or realize your Instagram presence outperforms Facebook for connecting with younger investors. Let data-backed insights lead the way.
Of course, give new initiatives time to gain traction before calling them ineffective. Have reasonable expectations for ramp up periods. But also know when to pull the plug on truly lackluster programs that eat up bandwidth.
Be sure to step back and critically examine your overall client avatar, messaging and positioning as well. Get feedback from existing clients, prospective clients and colleagues. Objectivity is key.
By celebrating the successes while also acknowledging the shortfalls, you gain a balanced view. Build on strengths and fill gaps as you evolve and grow your business’ marketing mix. This assessment steers your business’ overall financial advisor marketing strategy toward the right opportunities.
How to Choose the Right Financial Advisor Marketing Strategy?
Source: Broadridge Financial Solutions
With a solid understanding of your current marketing landscape, you can start mapping out various financial advisor marketing ideas and strategies to move your business forward.
While the options for financial advisory practice are vast, most financial advisor marketing plans incorporate a mix of digital marketing, traditional marketing, referrals, and other tactics. Based on your goals and budget, you can determine the ideal channels to focus on.
Digital marketing should play a central role in any contemporary financial advisor strategy. Tactics like content creation, SEO, social media campaigns, and paid ads allow you to cost-effectively reach and nurture prospective clients online. Build an online presence that establishes your expertise and credibility among other financial advisors.
In the fast-paced digital world, it’s important for financial advisors to truly understand our clients’ needs. This is where simple tools can be helpful. For example, using DeckLinks when sharing PDF documents can give you a clearer picture of what our clients find useful. Document analytics allow financial advisors to follow up in a way that’s genuinely helpful to them. It’s about building stronger, more informed relationships, not just increasing engagement numbers. Duane Dufault found that by focusing on what clients really care about, they naturally saw better engagement. It’s a reminder that at the heart of our work is the need to listen and respond empathetically to our clients.
Don’t neglect traditional marketing completely, as tactics like direct mail, seminars, and print advertising still resonate with some demographics. Blend old school and new school by digitizing tactics like lead nurturing and tracking ROI.
Referral marketing remains extremely effective strategy for many financial professionals. Identify centers of influence and empower current clients to spread the word. Foster genuine, long-term relationships and deliver exceptional service that inspires referrals.
Beyond that, explore unique options like becoming a published author to boost and grow your business brand recognition and visibility, sponsoring community events to connect locally, or pursuing earned media opportunities. Get creative!
There are infinite possibilities when selecting marketing strategies and channels. Optimizing your mix is an ongoing process of testing and refinement. Maintain flexibility to double down on what works and cut what doesn’t. With the right financial advisor marketing strategies, you’ll keep your pipeline full and achieve your biggest business goals.
Digital Marketing Strategy
Did you know that over 93% of online experiences begin with a search engine? With more prospective clients than ever turning to Google and Bing, implementing a smart digital marketing strategy is no longer optional for financial advisors.
Attract your ideal clients with social media marketing and content marketing
One effective digital marketing strategy for financial advisors and wealth managers is content marketing. Regularly developing and distributing valuable, relevant and quality content allows you to attract and engage more potential clients in your niche, while positioning yourself as an authoritative expert in financial industry.
Consistent blogging on your own website should form the core of your content marketing efforts. Commit to publishing helpful articles on a regular basis that provide useful financial insights, tips, and actionable advice tailored to your target clientele.
Sharing your content on social media like LinkedIn, Facebook, or X (former Twitter) is a great way to connect with potential clients. Plus, adding a personal touch to your PDFs, like market reports or financial plans, can make a big difference. With DeckLinks, you can add video narration to your PDF documents, making complex info easier to understand. It’s a simple way to make your content more engaging and helpful.
INSIGHTS FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Personalize Illustrations, Track Engagement
Discover how top advisors use video PDFs to engage clients.
David Lee
Desjardins
Reh Bhanji
Desjardins
Learn more about video PDFs for financial advisors and insurance agents.
Promoting your content across popular social media platforms allows you to reach more prospective clients in your target market or client demographic. Strategically share your blog posts, videos, whitepapers and other content across multiple platforms to generate interest among potential new clients.
Repurposing your content into various formats like ebooks, slides, infographics, checklists and podcast episodes can help expand your reach. Offer this exclusive material as gated downloads in exchange for contact information.
Your content should aim to answer common questions and concerns real clients have shared with you over the years. Provide information in a friendly, approachable way – avoid overly promotional language. Seek to be the most helpful financial planner and professional resource your target audience could hope to find.
Ultimately, content marketing is about consistently adding value for potential clients at every stage, from building awareness with entertaining social media posts to guiding potential clients through the sales process with email nurturing content.
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Leverage SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to optimize your website for your target audience
In addition to content marketing, financial advisors should leverage search engine optimization (SEO) as a core digital marketing strategy. With more prospective clients than ever using Google to find local financial professionals, getting your website to rank highly in key searches is critical.
Did you know that according to Ahrefs, a whopping 90.63% of all pages on the Internet get zero traffic from Google, and 5.29% of those pages get ten or fewer visits per month. That’s why it’s so incredibly important not just to post quality content but also properly SEO optimize it for the search engines. Remember search engines use algorithms to crawl and index content so you want to make it easier for the algorithms to do their job.
Start by doing keyword research to identify high-value search queries your ideal clients are using to find services like yours. Target keywords like “financial advisor [your city]” and “retirement planning [your zip code]”.
Optimize your website pages and content to strategically incorporate these keywords. Prioritize them in titles, headers, meta descriptions, image names, and naturally throughout your text.
Produce localized content that includes your city and state names. Blog about topics your niche clients in the area care about. This strengthens your relevance in local search results.
Ensure your site has a modern responsive design and fast load times. Improve technical SEO elements like site architecture, internal linking, and mobile optimization.
Build authoritative backlinks from trusted industry websites, local directories, search engines, and reputable social media sites and outlets. Earned backlinks signal to search engines that your site is trustworthy.
Monitor your keyword rankings monthly and continue optimizing pages based on opportunities you uncover. SEO is an always-evolving process, but the payoff of increased visibility will be well worth the effort.
With a sound SEO strategy tailored to your buyer personas and location, your website will attract more of your ideal clients organically. And those high-intent visitors convert at significantly higher rates.
Attract more clients with paid advertising strategies
While SEO delivers ideal clients through organic search engines, paid advertising allows you to tap into additional demand and accelerate results. Services like Google Ads make it easy for financial advisors to promote their expertise to relevant audiences.
The key is combining paid ads with your organic marketing. SEO and paid search work hand in hand, with SEO generating impressions and clicks for lower-funnel keywords, while paid ads help you rank for higher-funnel, informational queries.
With Google Ads, target your ads to show for keywords your ideal clients search that you don’t yet rank for organically. Craft compelling ad copy tailored to those terms.
Monitor cost per click and conversion rates closely. Continually refine your keywords, ad copy, landing pages, and target demographics to improve results. Only spend up to your Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) target.
With experience, you can achieve greater conversion rates through paid channels vs other lead sources. The combination of paid ads and SEO gives you reach and relevance across both proactive and informational searches.
So don’t just rely on organic marketing alone. With the right paid advertising strategy supporting your SEO efforts, you can scale your visibility and attract even more of your ideal clients.
Let your target audience get to know you on a personal level
Paid ads allow you to reach broad audiences, but prospects connect best with real people, not faceless institutions. That’s why personalizing your online presence is equally essential for financial advisor marketing success.
Start by ensuring your professional headshot looks approachable and friendly, not overly formal or intimidating. More and more clients want to work with financial advisors they can relate to.
Craft your website copy, blogs, and social media posts in a conversational first-person tone. Share insights from your experience to make expertise relatable.
Infuse your content with authentic personality by occasionally highlighting hobbies, causes you support, or light personal anecdotes when appropriate. Be human.
Respond to all comments and messages in a timely, thoughtful manner. Personal engagement builds rapport and trust.
While maintaining privacy, pull back the curtain a bit to showcase your team’s personalities too. Help your target audience visualize that they will be working with real people who care.
In today’s digital era, prospects vet financial advisors extensively online before engaging. Ensure what they find builds confidence in you as a trusted partner, not just a distant professional.
Implement email marketing strategy
Speaking of timely communication – email newsletters represent a powerful yet underutilized financial advisor marketing tool. Consistent nurturing via email generates significant dividends for most top financial professionals everywhere.
Segment your list to deliver targeted quality content to each subscriber based on client type, niche focus, location and more. Personalized emails see higher engagement.
Produce valuable newsletters with useful financial insights, not overt sales pitches. Establish yourself as an authoritative guide.
Keep branding consistent across email marketing campaigns – design, tone, calls to action. This boosts engagement as subscribers come to trust your emails.
Monitor key metrics like open rate and click rate. Continually test content types, formats and subject lines to refine based on data.
Set a regular schedule and stick to it. Reliable delivery trains subscribers to eagerly await your emails. Consistency compounds results.
Email marketing may not be flashy, but email marketing remains highly effective for most financial advisors. Treat your list with care for rewards for years to come.
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Get quoted on popular websites and media outlets
In addition to your own website, aim to get your financial expertise quoted on relevant third-party platforms to establish authority as a financial advisor. Media publicity lends credibility that builds trust with prospective clients.
Start by identifying reputable industry websites, local publications, radio shows, and TV outlets your audience follows. Reach out to reporters and producers with unique angles on timely topics.
Submit ideas for guest articles that provide value for the publication’s readers. Avoid self-promotion. Focus on useful education that shows your experience.
Seek out reporters looking for expert perspectives for news articles related to markets, retirement planning, taxes, and other topics in your wheelhouse. Offer data-backed industry insights.
Over time, you may become a go-to industry commentator media outlets reach out to for quotes and commentary. But focus on quality over quantity of placements.
Getting published and quoted in trusted media establishes authority and thought leadership. But ensure you have the bandwidth first – avoid overextending yourself.
Leverage press mentions on social media and in client communications. But emphasize the value provided vs boasting about press for its own sake.
Become a podcast guest
Podcasts represent an increasingly popular platform financial advisors should leverage for marketing. As an avid podcast listener myself, I know firsthand how interviews can effectively showcase expertise.
I’d recommend financial professionals start by identifying shows their ideal clients may already be tuning into, focusing on aligning with podcasts that match their unique positioning and personality.
Once you’ve identified relevant shows, reach out to hosts with potential discussion topics you could offer valuable insights on that would interest their particular audience.
To prepare, draft talking points highlighting advice and perspectives to share, along with relatable stories and anecdotes that help bring the material to life. Finding the right balance between entertaining and educational is key.
When booked for a podcast appearance, ensure high audio quality on your end of the recording. Promote the episode across your networks when it goes live.
To maximize the opportunity, repurpose the audio into shareable social media clips. Also transcribe and adapt key quotes into blog posts, rounding out the value derived from the appearance.
INSIGHTS FROM INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Reh Bhanji (CFP, CLU)
National Best Practice Leader at Desjardins
Traditional Financial Advisor Marketing Strategies
I’ll never forget my first client seminar years ago – only 2 people showed up! It was a bit discouraging at the time, but the experience taught me the power of persistence and continuous optimization with traditional financial advisor marketing strategies.
Networking events to connect with prospective clients
While digital marketing opens up an essential online presence for most financial advisors, nothing replaces the power of in-person connections. Stepping away from the screen to attend industry conferences, Chamber of Commerce mixers, charity galas, and other networking events is still a critical component of any financial advisor marketing strategy in the modern age.
Sure, you could stick to liking and commenting on LinkedIn posts day in and out. But imagine coming across as witty and charming as you are online in a face-to-face interaction. What better way to form deeper relationships?
Events offer a chance to establish yourself as an authority and subject matter expert among peers. Giving a speech about your niche or moderating a panel discussion or virtual event gets you in front of engaged audiences.
Casual networking occasions allow for relaxed conversations that organically lead to discussing business. With a little courage, you can obtain introductions to many potential clients and referral partners in just one evening.
Of course, follow up digitally with all your in-person connections. Add them on your social media platforms, send related content, and look for ways to nurture the relationship.
While technology opens exciting possibilities, human interaction will never lose its importance. Attending targeted industry events generates connections and opportunities that just can’t be matched online.
So put yourself out there! The broader your in-person network, the more word-of-mouth referrals you will gain over time. Blend digital reach with offline conversations for maximum marketing success.
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Print marketing materials like brochures
Events and networking are fantastic for face-to-face relationship building. But what happens when you part ways after making a great connection? This is where print collateral comes in handy.
In today’s paperless world, professionals are bombarded by digital communications from every direction. A well-designed print piece stands out from the noise.
Craft brochures, one-pagers, case studies and flyers with compelling content about your services, ideal clients, and unique value proposition. Implement design best practices – clean layouts, ample white space, clear visual hierarchy.
Printed pieces add credibility at networking events, sales meetings, seminars and other touchpoints when you can provide something tangible. They also make great leave-behinds after an initial in-person meeting.
Of course, integrate your materials with digital efforts by featuring your website, social media handles, email signup, and other contact info prominently. Use QR codes to link print and digital.
While print collateral will never be your only marketing focus in today’s digital age, it still has its place when combined with online marketing efforts. Well-executed print materials make your expertise memorable.
So move those PDFs from your desktop to the printer! Thoughtful print marketing materials add lasting impact during in-person brand interactions.
Seminars and webinars to demonstrate expertise
Printed brochures serve an important purpose for leaving a lasting impression. But how can you initially grab prospective clients attention and demonstrate your financial advisory expertise? Enter seminars and webinars – the modern advisor’s ultimate showcase opportunity.
In today’s attention deficit world, potential clients rarely carve out time purely for educational content…unless it’s valuable enough. An engaging seminar or webinar on financial advising that provides truly useful tips shows you walk the walk when it comes to sound financial guidance.
Webinars expand your reach exponentially compared to in-person events. With compelling subject matter, you can attract potential clients from anywhere interested in what you have to say.
Record your webinars so they continue working for you. Repurpose excerpts into social media content. Turn sections into dedicated blog posts with a link back to the full recording.
In-person seminars allow for deeper relationship building through face-to-face interaction. The right venue projects professionalism and authority. Just be sure to capture contact info to keep the conversation going.
Positioning yourself as an educator through webinars and seminars establishes expertise and trust. Prospects do business with those who provide real value first without direct promotion.
Webinars and seminars position you as a thought leader while generating tangible marketing results. An investment in helping others pays the biggest dividends.
Host client appreciation events
We’ve covered digital tactics to reach broad audiences, but hosting exclusive in-person events for your top clients fosters deeper loyalty and referrals. Though time-intensive, nothing beats face-to-face relationship building.
Client appreciation events demonstrate your gratitude for their business and give them VIP treatment. Go above and beyond to create a memorable experience.
Send personalized invitations to an exclusive dinner at a luxury venue. Cater to your niche’s preferences and make it distinctly high-end. Share your sincere appreciation for their trust.
For lower budget events, perhaps host an intimate wine tasting or private movie screening. The exclusivity and unique experience matters most, not lavishness.
Surprise and delight them with parting gifts like wine from the tasting, entertainment tickets, or donation made in their honor. Make it memorable.
No matter the size, client events are invaluable for forging genuine connections beyond just professional conversations. Nothing replaces quality face time.
Referral Marketing Strategies
Last week I grabbed coffee with a financial advisor. He complained about stagnant business growth, relying on the same old clients. I asked him how many of those clients he’s proactively asked for referrals recently. His silence said it all. Like this financial advisor, you may be leaving easy money on the table without a strategic referral plan. The good news is small shifts can yield big results. If you want to scale your business dramatically, look no further than your current client network.
Nurture relationships with centers of influence
After over a decade in sales and marketing, I’ve learned firsthand that nurturing relationships with centers of influence is one of the most effective financial advisor marketing strategies. More than any seminar or direct mail piece, nothing generates high-quality, ready-to-convert referrals like developing partnerships with other well-respected local professionals.
I recommend financial advisors take time upfront to map out potential COIs in their community. Think attorneys specializing in estate planning, CPAs with high net worth clients, philanthropic business leaders, or top-producing real estate brokers. Your ideal clients likely already have trusting relationships with these individuals.
The goal should be initiating authentic relationships, not aggressive sales pitches. Congratulate a business owner or potential COI on recent accomplishments or share a relevant article to start meaningful dialogs. Offer value to prospective customer by making thoughtful introductions and sending referral business their way.
Over time, as you demonstrate integrity and establish yourself as a reliable resource, trusted advisors will begin recommending your financial planning and wealth management services to their contacts. Nothing generates referrals like your existing clients credibility and confidence in you.
Remember – approach COIs as long-term, give-first partnerships, not transactional opportunities. The payoff of increased high-quality referrals will be well worth it.
Wow current clients to get referrals
Speaking of centers of influence…your own clients can become powerful referral engines too. But it takes consistently exceeding expectations to spark genuine word-of-mouth marketing. Give 110% to every client and watch your business grow exponentially.
After an initial honeymoon period, it’s easy for new clients to begin taking your services for granted. Combat complacency by surprising and delighting them at every turn.
Send a handwritten thank you note when they refer someone. Invite top clients to an exclusive dinner or event. Proactively suggest strategies to help them capitalize on new opportunities. Offer introductions to specialists for complex needs.
Provide exceptional service during major life events like retirement, inheritance, or the loss of a loved one. Guiding clients through pivotal moments forges lifelong loyalty.
Set goals around client satisfaction metrics and survey clients regularly to spot issues early. Empower your team to resolve problems with urgency.
With today’s social media influence, one delighted client can drive massive referral volume through recommendations. So wow them at every step, and your marketing efforts will compound exponentially.
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Have a defined referral system
Delighting clients is crucial for driving referrals. But you can’t rely on word-of-mouth alone. Developing a defined referral system turbocharges the volume of recommendations coming your way.
Start by formally asking each client for referrals during reviews. Don’t just wait for them to volunteer names. Provide easy ways for existing clients to connect you with more potential clients and acquaintances that could benefit from your services.
Equip clients with customized referral cards that explain your value prop and credentials. Make introductions frictionless by including quick response codes and unique referral codes on all materials.
Offer compelling incentives for referrals like gift cards, discounts, or early access to new offerings. But avoid anything that could appear like a bribe or conflict of interest.
Keep referral top of mind with regular reminders via email campaigns, handwritten notes, and phone calls. Reiterate how much you appreciate connections.
Creating a structured referral system can significantly increase recommendations. By using DeckLinks to share informative video PDFs with your existing clients, which include easy referral Call-to-Action buttons, the process becomes more straightforward. It’s an effective way to make the referral process easier and more engaging for your clients.
With a structured referral process, you generate significantly more clients compared to an ad hoc approach. And referred leads convert at much higher rates. It’s a winning marketing strategy.
Join 'Find a Financial Advisor' Websites
We’ve explored both online and offline tactics to attract ideal clients through owned channels. Now let’s discuss an opportunity to get found in new channels – join reputable find-an-advisor directories.
Platforms like WiserAdvisor, Paladin Registry, and SmartAsset operate large directories where prospective clients search for qualified financial advisors and financial planners in their area.
These sites see significant monthly traffic from people evaluating multiple local financial professionals prior to selecting one. Simply having your profile listed amplifies visibility.
But beyond a profile, most directories give you options to enhance and differentiate your listing with additional info, client reviews, content links, and other assets. Invest in a robust profile.
Curating thoughtful listings on multiple platforms with a value proposition, niche focuses, content, and social proof helps you stand out from the advisor crowd.
Join only reputable, well-trafficked directories trusted by prospects. Avoid shady directories that offer nothing beyond a basic listing. Prioritize quality over quantity.
RELATED POST
Written by Lidia Vijga
Top 10 Low Cost Features to Implement on a Financial Advisor Website
We’ve covered how to generate more client referrals in detail. Now let’s pivot to optimizing your website, the 24/7 digital engine driving referrals and prospects your way.
While major website overhauls require significant investment, many high-impact features can be implemented affordably to elevate your site today.
Here are 10 essential yet low cost website upgrades to instantly enhance website visitors experience and credibility:
- Client testimonials – Showcase raving client endorsements prominently throughout your site. Boosts trust and credibility instantly.
- Live chat – Have a team member available to immediately answer website visitor questions in real-time via chat. Feels personalized.
- Optimized navigation menu – Ensure all pages are easily accessible from the main site navigation. Frictionless site flow keeps visitors engaged.
- Contact form – Allow prospective clients to conveniently request info or schedule calls right from any page. Facilitates lead capture.
- Fresh visuals – Update stock photos with authentic pictures of you, your team, and clients for added personal touch.
- Video content – Affordably produce explainer and testimonial videos to boost engagement.
- Client portal access – Provide a self-service portal for clients to access documents and track progress.
- Mobile responsiveness – Ensure site seamlessly adapts to any mobile device. This is vital for user experience today.
- SEO optimizations – Improve site speed, meta descriptions, headings and other SEO elements to get found more.
- Client portal access – Provide a self-service portal for clients to access documents and track progress.
With these affordable improvements, your website will better attract, engage and convert ideal clients right away. Don’t underestimate quick digital facelifts!
How to Create an Emotional Connection with Your Website Visitors
In a landscape where only a fraction of financial advisors anchor their practice with a robust marketing plan, the connection between your website and a prospective client’s trust is pivotal. Think of your online presence not just as a digital handshake, but as a warm, welcoming foyer into the world of financial advising that you orchestrate.
Imagine your website as a storytelling canvas, where every pixel resonates with the aspirations and anxieties of your target audience. It’s not just about stating that you offer financial planning; it’s about illustrating how these services can unfold into life-changing narratives.
Use your homepage to showcase stories that bring your financial expertise to life – like the physician who can now dream of a retirement filled with family time and hobbies, thanks to your guidance.
Your digital marketing efforts should be a mirror reflecting your authenticity. Share your journey through the financial landscape, the challenges you’ve navigated, the successes you’ve celebrated. Share these stories across social media – humanizing the figures and forecasts that often intimidate the uninitiated.
Remember, the first-time visitor on your site is seeking a sign of genuine care. By sewing in emotional threads that are true to your client-centered ethos, you transform your website from a mere business card to a comforting space where visitors feel seen, heard, and valued.
RELATED POST
Written by DeckLinks Team
How to Build a Financial Advisor Marketing Plan
We’ve covered a lot of ground on various financial advisor marketing strategies and tactics. Now it’s time to pull everything together into a comprehensive financial advisor marketing plan. This strategic blueprint will keep your advisor marketing efforts focused and optimize results.
Source: Broadridge Financial Solutions
Step 1: Outline financial advisor marketing ideas and strategies with action steps.
Start by outlining the marketing strategies you’ll deploy across digital marketing, events, referrals, and other channels. Avoid vague notions like “leverage social media marketing.” Define specifics like “Publish two blogs per month” and “Respond to all comments within 24 hours.”
Drill down into precise action steps for executing each marketing strategy. Delineate who does what and by when. For example: “John to write content for upcoming webinar by Sept 5th. Mary to coordinate registration and promotion by Sept 12th.”
Catalog all resources needed to successfully implement each initiative. Outline costs for items like paid ads, event venues, website changes, and print materials. Identify any gaps in staffing or skills training required.
Building out detailed tactics and requirements brings your marketing vision into clear focus. It evolves conceptual financial advisor marketing ideas into trackable, executable marketing strategies powered by defined resources and assigned owners.
With a well-constructed marketing plan, you’ll hit the ground running. So take the time to map out specific actions, timeframes, costs, and resources. Your blueprint will keep all stakeholders aligned and propel growth.
Step 2: Set your marketing budget.
With your playbook of financial advisor marketing strategies and tactics complete, next establish an overall budget to sufficiently fuel your financial advisor marketing engine. Without adequate financial resources, even the best marketing plan stalls out short of the finish line.
Take time to carefully estimate costs across all your various marketing strategies, activities and initiatives, from digital advertising to events to printed materials. Ensure you have the monetary fuel required for effective execution.
Factor in both hard costs like software, advertising and design services as well as staff time investments. Don’t shortchange human resource needs, which quickly add up.
Build room into your budget to test new initiatives and quickly double down on successes. Avoid spreading efforts too thin with inadequate funding.
Set your budget not based on what you have available, but on what it takes to hit your revenue goals through marketing. Then determine how to secure those funds through loans, investments, or revenue growth.
While it may feel uncomfortable at first, setting an ambitious marketing budget aligned to your goals is imperative. Skimping on resources cripples your ability to execute and realize your full potential.
Step 3: Define who is responsible for each item.
We’ve mapped out financial advisor marketing strategies, actions and budget. But without clear ownership, even the best marketing plans collect dust. Defining responsibilities provides accountability to drive consistent progress.
Start by cataloging all key initiatives outlined in your plan. Then pinpoint the associated tactical steps for successful execution of each one.
Determine who within your team is best equipped for each task based on skills, experience level, bandwidth and interest. Avoid overburdening any one person.
Now assign owners to each tactical item and set timelines for completion. Provide context on how the work ties to overarching goals and your financial advisor marketing strategy.
Encourage team members to proactively flag any roadblocks that may impact their ability to deliver on assigned items. Be ready to reassign or provide additional support as needed.
With a detailed responsibilities matrix linked to your plan, you’ve built in the infrastructure for consistent progress and results. No more excuses – execute!
Step 4: Set a timeline and schedule key activities.
After assigning clear ownership, the next crucial step is mapping out a realistic timeline to maintain momentum on your financial advisor marketing plan. Having a defined schedule focused on key activities will be instrumental for successful execution.
I’d recommend starting by plotting your major marketing initiatives and campaigns on a 12-month calendar. Then schedule specific tactical items for each effort on a weekly basis.
Be sure to factor in any seasonal considerations that should impact timing. For example, it’s wise to schedule tax planning campaigns and content to deploy leading up to annual filing deadlines.
Also build in regular check-in meetings every two weeks or so to monitor progress across your team. These standing aligning meetings will help ensure everyone is on track.
For content creation and distribution, make sure to schedule things out well in advance based on the level of effort involved. Allow 2 weeks for producing an ebook, 4 weeks for planning a seminar, etc.
At the end of the day, your time is your most valuable and limited resource. Optimizing your calendar to focus energy on high-impact activities will drive results.
Treat your marketing timeline as a living document, continually assessing and adjusting based on learnings and new opportunities. Remain nimble and responsive.
Measure Your Financial Advisor Marketing Plan Results
We’ve mapped out a rock-solid marketing plan – great! But we all know plans on paper don’t guarantee real-world results. You must closely monitor key metrics to ensure your financial advisor marketing strategies are paying off.
Track key metrics like website visits and leads
Start by tracking website traffic and engagement. Is overall monthly traffic increasing? Are website visitors spending more time on pages? These signs indicate your content and SEO efforts are working.
Measure prospect and lead volume from each initiative. If a campaign generates clicks but no actual conversions, something needs refinement. Identify your digital channels driving the highest quality leads.
Pay close attention to lead-to-client conversion rates. An uptick in leads without more clients could signal ineffective sales skills. A bottleneck here necessitates training.
Regularly survey client satisfaction and Net Promoter Scores. This quantifies referral potential and uncovers service issues before they churn clients.
Marketing success isn’t defined by vanity metrics like social media followers or email list size. Laser focus on the metrics that actually impact revenue and growth.
Analyze results and optimize marketing efforts over time
Monitoring metrics provides visibility, but analysis uncovers true insights. Regularly digging into your data identifies optimization opportunities to continually refine financial advisor marketing strategies and boost ROI.
For each marketing initiative, compare results against goals and past performance. If a tactic falls short of targets two quarters straight, it may be time to reassess.
Drill into metrics to pinpoint what specifically needs improvement. For example, email click rates dropping could indicate subject lines or content needs refreshing.
Survey prospects who convert versus those who don’t to identify gaps in messaging or positioning. Let their feedback guide refinements.
A/B test new versions of content, offers and creatives against existing ones to empirically determine what resonates most with your audience.
Marketing is never “set it and forget it.” Treat your plan as a dynamic framework to regularly evolve approaches based on data-driven insights over time.
Hire a Marketing Agency or Consultant to Execute Your Marketing Plan
Source: Broadridge Financial Solutions
We’ve covered a lot of financial advisor marketing strategies and tactics – but executing them takes serious time and expertise. At some point, it makes sense to hand over the reins to seasoned pros.
Hiring a digital marketing agency or a marketing consultant gets you access to specialized skills you likely lack in-house. Let them handle the heavy lifting. A quality marketing agency will instantly bring decades of combined experience across all facets of modern financial advisor marketing. No reinventing the wheel.
Agency teams think holistically to ensure all your marketing efforts work in harmony, not disparate silos. This integration speeds results.
Entrust day-to-day platform management and optimizations to an agency so you can focus on higher-level marketing strategy and client service. Be selective in your partner – assess expertise across your specific niche, personality fit, and proven results backing claims.
While an investment, the elevated results a seasoned agency delivers pays for itself many times over.
Conclusion
With a documented marketing plan, financial advisors have a blueprint to cut through noise and consistently attract ideal new clients.
No shortcut replaces putting in the work upfront to get crystal clear on your target audience, select appropriate channels and campaigns, and develop high-quality content that resonates. But with the right plan guiding your efforts, the results will come.
Remember, marketing success doesn’t happen overnight. By diligently sticking to your schedule, tracking data, and optimizing efforts over time, you build momentum. Stay nimble, yet consistent in the execution of your plan.
Of course, the marketing landscape evolves rapidly. Exciting new technologies and platforms will emerge that may warrant integration into your mix. Don’t stay static – strive to continually test innovative new approaches while refining what already works.
The clients, referrals and growth you seek won’t come to you. But now you have proven financial advisor marketing strategies and best practices to proactively make it happen.
FAQs
Why is having a marketing plan important for financial advisors?
Marketing is crucial for financial advisors to grow their business, reach their target audience, and stand out from competitors. A solid marketing plan helps expand the business and achieve growth goals by building a strong brand recognition and engaging with prospective clients.
What are the key components of a financial advisor marketing plan?
A comprehensive financial advisor marketing plan includes defining the target market, identifying a unique value proposition, setting marketing goals, outlining marketing strategies (such as content marketing, social media marketing, and email marketing), and measuring the success of marketing efforts.
How can financial advisors effectively use social media in their marketing plan?
Financial advisors can strategically use social media by sharing engaging content that addresses the financial concerns of their target market. This approach builds brand recognition and trust, showcases their unique value proposition, and connects with potential clients on platforms they frequent daily.
What role does content marketing play in a financial advisor marketing strategy?
Content marketing in a financial advisor marketing strategy establishes credibility and trust by providing valuable information to prospective clients. It’s essential for SEO, driving traffic to a financial advisor’s site, and nurturing client relationships.
Why is SEO (Search Engine Optimization) important for financial advisor marketing efforts?
SEO is crucial for financial advisor marketing as it enhances online visibility to potential clients, improves search engine rankings, and drives targeted traffic to their website, leading to increased client acquisition and business growth.
How often should financial advisors review and adjust their marketing plan?
Financial advisors should evaluate and adjust their marketing plan quarterly. This allows adaptation to market changes, alignment with financial industry trends, and ensures the marketing strategy continually targets the ideal client persona effectively.
How do I brand myself as a financial advisor?
To brand yourself as a financial advisor, develop a unique value proposition that differentiates you in the financial industry, engage with your target market through consistent content marketing, and leverage social media to build a professional online presence.
What are some cost-effective marketing strategies for financial advisors?
Cost-effective marketing strategies for financial advisors include leveraging social media platforms for brand visibility, engaging in content marketing to showcase expertise, and using email marketing to maintain client relationships and nurture leads.
How can financial advisors measure the success of their marketing plan?
Financial advisors can measure the success of their marketing plan by tracking key performance indicators such as new client acquisition, client retention rates, website traffic growth, and overall return on marketing investment (ROMI).
How can financial advisors identify their target audience?
Financial advisors can identify their target audience by answering questions about their ideal clients, such as their demographics, financial goals, and needs. This helps create a clearly defined niche and tailor marketing efforts to attract the right clients.
How can financial advisors optimize their website for search engines?
Financial advisors can optimize their website by focusing on on-page SEO factors, such as using relevant keywords, creating high-quality content, and optimizing title tags and meta descriptions. Additionally, they can use structured data and FAQ schema to improve their search engine visibility.