Individuals working in the financial services industry often face stiff competition. There are dozens of companies within each city seeking to gain a share of clientele who need help with their investments and finances. Financial advisors who seek to gain a foothold through digital marketing financial services see the best results.
As a financial advisor, you may not be too familiar with digital marketing. After all, you have much to take care of, including staying abreast of new trends and attending to your clientele.
But without a robust financial services digital marketing strategy, you’re automatically giving up potential clients to other companies. After all, a significant portion of their income comes from commissions. If they fail to bring in clients, their income declines swiftly. No one likes to lose business, especially financial advisors.
With that in mind, please enjoy these 10 digital marketing ideas for financial advisors.
Top 10 Digital Marketing Ideas for Financial Advisors
Digital marketing isn’t hard to master, but it will take time away from your regular duties. Therefore, you’ll want to pursue marketing activities with the most potential of bringing in new and existing clients without needing to become a full-time marketer yourself.
It’s crucial to realize that you don’t have to use every facet of digital marketing for the financial service ideas that we list. Start with a few, and explore how they work. Usually, it takes a few tries to understand each method.
As you learn, monitor your results. The marketing ideas that bring in the most clients are typically the ones you want to stick with.
As your business grows, you can expand your team to include someone who handles digital marketing for financial advisors or outsource your needs to a marketing agency or freelance advertiser.
1. Start a Website
Very few companies operate without websites nowadays. You’re at a significant disadvantage if you continue offering your financial advisory services without the significant digital footprint a website provides.
A website clearly outlines your services and location. Most financial advisors include a client portal where customers can view their investment performance or financial products. Websites are also great for hosting content, like videos and blogs.
Creating a website isn’t hard to do. You can start with a simple plan through hosting sites like WordPress, Squarespace, or Wix, and if you don’t have the time to build a website, outsourcing it to a marketing firm or experienced website builder is a solid choice.
2. Beef Up Your Content Marketing
Content marketing is the king of digital advertising for most companies. A good content marketing strategy will attract clients seeking to learn about specific topics in the financial services sector.
You’ll quickly build credibility if you publish ongoing content, which is extremely important to clients seeking help with their personal budgets or investments.
Content marketing typically includes blogging or videos. Blogging involves writing about specific topics, while videos are effective for those who prefer talking over writing.
Keep in mind that blogging or creating videos is a lengthy process. You’ll need to establish a regular posting schedule, and it usually takes a few months of posting to begin to see traffic, but it will come.
Content marketing is free if you choose to do it yourself. Those who don’t have the time to write or create videos regularly can outsource both activities to professional content creators.
3. Sign Up for Google Local Service Ads
Google Local Service Ads is a new program in which financial advisors in the U.S. or Canada can participate.
Signing up for the program is free. You provide your business details to Google, and they’ll review them to confirm you’re a legitimate company with an active business license.
Once approved for an account, you can set your desired monthly advertising budget and keywords. Anyone looking for a financial advisor in your city will see your business at the top of the search results.
Google Local Service Ads is an effective way to funnel clients in your locality. You only pay for the ad if it results in an actual business lead, like a scheduled appointment or phone call. There is no cost to you if clients don’t take action on your ad.
Often, companies that employ financial advisor digital marketing tools like Google Local Service Ads see an immediate positive impact on their business.
4. Finesse Your Email Writing Skills
Email has long stood as a stalwart for attracting new clients and retaining old ones, and for a good reason. Sending an email is a discreet way to reach clients and build your authority, and you can send all types of emails, including informational or promotional ones.
Informational emails share news or ideas. You can send an informative email to discuss investment strategies or share budgeting tips.
Promotional emails are attempts to drum up new customers or encourage existing ones to try different services. In digital marketing, financial advisors often use both types of emails.
Altogether, email remains one of the pillars of digital marketing for financial advisors.
5. Take Your Company to Social Media
According to Statista, individuals spend an average of 147 minutes daily on their social media accounts. With so much time spent here, you can’t afford to avoid the platforms if you intend to build a client base.
As you create your company’s social media account, you’ll need to pick the platform that best aligns with your content strategy.
Facebook is an excellent medium for sharing pictures, news, and blogs. They also have a robust ad platform that you can use to target customers in your area based on their various demographics.
YouTube is also fantastic for financial advisor digital marketing. As you create videos discussing specific financial topics, you can slowly build a following.
Other platforms include Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest. Whichever you choose, make sure that you keep in regular contact with your followers through a routine posting schedule.
6. Engage in Search Engine Marketing
Search engine marketing involves optimizing your website for specific keywords targeted to your location, like “financial advisor in Chicago” or “San Francisco financial advisor.” When building your website, you’ll want to ensure you include your location, so you don’t attract clients based in places where you won’t be able to help them.
You can also use pay-per-click (PPC) ads to attract clients. PPC ads appear at the top of Google’s search results when consumers seek specific keywords. If a consumer clicks on your ad and follows through to your website, you’ll incur a charge to your advertising budget.
However, if you’re eligible for Google Local Service Ads, they will likely bring in more genuine leads than a PPC ad.
7. SEO Your Way to Clients
Search Engine Optimization should be a part of every financial services digital marketing strategy you try. SEO involves picking specific keywords to attract clients to your website. Ideally, the keywords you select will bump up your website in Google’s ratings, resulting in more traffic and attention.
Use keywords to attract potential clients whenever you add a page to your website, write a blog, create a video, or post something on social media. The more you implement keywords and natural phrases associated with the financial services industry, the more traffic you’ll gain.
8. Write an E-Book
E-books are a terrific way to build your authority in the financial services space. You can think of e-books as an expanded, long-form blog. Most e-books stretch between 5K and 30K words in length.
You can choose to publish your e-book for sale on a site like Amazon or offer it on your website. Some companies offer their customers free e-books as thanks for signing up for their mailing list or scheduling a consultation.
When writing an e-book, you’ll want to select a topic that resonates with the customers you’re seeking. For example, you could cover the basics of retirement planning or saving for their child’s college tuition.
Overall, e-books are great tools for digital marketing financial advisors.
9. Client Testimonials
You’ll want to incorporate client testimonials as you build your client base. Client testimonials help you attract more customers. Most people are naturally attracted when they see a business continuously retaining happy clients.
While you develop your customer relationships, ask them if they’d be willing to provide a written or video client testimonial. You can also request customers to leave a review on Google.
Once your business accumulates more than five positive reviews, you’ll likely experience increased customer traffic. Client testimonials are some of the most potent sources of digital marketing for financial services, and they don’t require much work on your part!
10. Text Message Marketing
While text message marketing blends digital marketing and traditional advertising, it’s a great way to maintain contact with your customers. You can use text message marketing for both informational and promotional purposes.
Text messages are great for scheduling and confirming client appointments. You can also use them to promote discounts on your services, such as a one-time sale for people who need help establishing a budget.
To start text message marketing, you’ll need to build a customer base that agrees to receive text messages from you. Building a calling list can take time, but it’s one of the most effective digital marketing for financial services tools available. You’ll be able to directly reach your clients rather than trying to get their attention through content or social media.
Digital Marketing Financial Services: It’s Easier than It Looks
While building your digital marketing financial services strategy may take time, you’ll see a return on your efforts if you stick with them. Start with one or two easy methods, like setting up your website and establishing Google Local Service Ads.
As you grow, incorporate more marketing activities to build your credibility as a financial advisor. With time, you’ll see an uptick in your business and attract more clients.
