Let’s just take the gloves off: digital marketing for financial advisors is really far behind the times.
The misinformation regarding digital marketing in the financial advisor space is staggering, and it’s no wonder this space needs a digital facelift. Demoded attitudes such as the opinion that an older clientele doesn’t need digital communication, or that a mere presence on Facebook constitutes a digital marketing strategy, have all lead to an industry that covers very little of the digital ether and consistently fails its clients on their digital journey.
The truth is that good digital marketing doesn’t happen with one email or one lead campaign or even one channel—it’s an iterative cycle of improving your performance and challenging yourself to deliver a better client experience than the one before. Becoming a digital advisor is a long journey, but here are three steps to help you get there:
Generate Digital Leads
While there are many forms of analogue media that have build incredible advisories and financial firms, they cannot be the lone stronghold of a modern marketing plan. I am not suggesting the abandonment of avenues like TV and radio if they’re performing, but I am saying that you need to bolster and expand them with digital mediums. A modern advisory needs to be found on a Google search performed after listening to a radio spot, and an advisor website needs to reflect messaging on traditional mediums.
…but also, you just really need to try paid digital mediums beyond just Facebook ads. The Google Ad Network is killer for financial advisors with video and web content, and LinkedIn has seen some surprising traction with the high net-worth crowd.
Protect Your AUM by staying in digital contact with your clients
Look, I didn’t just crank out a paragraph on lead gen to turn around and say lead generation isn’t important, but it does blow my mind that leads seem to be all the financial advisor space thinks about when a core part of a financial advisor’s bottom line is retaining assets under management clients.
People need financial advisors to manage their assets because people can be really illogical with their money (see: the bedroom I turned into a shoe closet in my 3-bedroom condo), and much of the client/advisor relationship involves an advisor quelling the irrational and erratic behavior of a client. Advisors need to stay in front of their clients to assure them that they have their money under control and they especially need to be digitally available to their AUM clients when the market is volatile, or clients will take their money elsewhere.
Make decisions using data
The digital journey in 2019 isn’t even remotely linear, and people can come in contact with you through a variety of sources. Just like the stock market ebbs and flows, so too do marketing channels. What worked yesterday won’t always work today, so measure everything and review its performance often. Get yourself a really powerful marketing automation software where you can store and build marketing assets to help you centralize and measure your marketing endeavors. You’re also going to have to get used to using unfamiliar tracking methods, such as link shorteners and call tracking numbers.
You will be surprised by the marketing activities that work, but it’s important for you to be aware of how your activities are performing so you can know what to do (or not do) next time.
The financial advisor space is a competitive one, and its best performers have always been those who prioritize impeccable customer service. Strong digital communication is the new customer service, so get in front of the pack by dominating your digital presence.
Are you a financial services marketer who lives in Chicago or New York? If so, make sure you register for one of Pardot’s upcoming happy hour events!
Pardot for Financial Services Happy Hour in Chicago
Tuesday, April 9th, 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Register here
Pardot for Financial Services Happy Hour in New York
Thursday, April 11th, 5:30pm to 7:30pm
Register here