Q&A: How Financial Advisors Can Build Better Marketing Programs

There’s a perception that all financial advisors offer the exact same service (or, for that matter, all asset managers, plumbers, architects, etc.). Changing perception for your practice requires building a reputation, a brand, a marketing program.

Toward that end, our firm hosted a webinar earlier this year with our friends Corey Keating and Ryan Stark, who both offer consulting and outsourced marketing services for advisors. It was a lively event that generated a spirted Q&A, and I think the video responses to several of the questions will be of interest to advisors who weren’t able to attend the live event (most are under 2 minutes).

You can also access the full webinar replay.

Should I be using all three big social platforms: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn?

“You don’t have to be everywhere. But where you are, you need to be. Nobody likes a ghost town.”

How often should I send a newsletter?

“If you’re not doing it, start with something you can do because biting off more than you can chew will result in nothing.”

Are digital advertising campaigns a good way to raise awareness about my practice?

“When you’re doing ads, the first thing I would say is: You’re showing up in someone’s face without their permission, so that’s where I’m extra human in trying to make it as consumable as possible.”

Which is preferable, video or written content?

“I’d honestly split it, because I think written goes further, but I think video is important because people get to resonate with you and see your personality.”

How can I get more user engagement with my content?

“What is your definition of engagement? Because rather than me getting a like and a comment, I would love to get a message from somebody who says, ‘I love what you just said. What are the next steps?’ Or, ‘How can you help me with this problem?’”

“We really have to remember as advisors to break down in layman’s terms and make our content extremely clear. We are way too complicated, and we go over everybody’s head and end up speaking to a colleague by accident because we’re not breaking down what people really want to know. The problems that people have are not advisor problems.”

What’s the right balance to strike between using the time I spend on marketing to communicate with current clients versus attract new ones?

“I find if you’re not communicating with current relationships, most likely you’re not marketing at all. That is a huge miss.”

“New money doesn’t have to mean a new person. …A lot of people are putting their efforts outside on strangers, which is harder and much more difficult – and you’re skipping the step of talking to the people who have already decided to work with you.”

Practice Management Resources for Financial Advisors

Blueprint Investment Partners strives to be a practice management resource for you. We believe in adding value that can help you deepen client relationships, expand your business, and separate yourself from the competition. Our webinar on advisor marketing is just one example.