Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
People want to buy from companies they trust, no matter what they’re purchasing. When it comes to engaging the services of a financial advisor, trust becomes even more important, as your clients are entrusting you with what is most important to them – their family’s security and financial future. So any marketing you do as a financial advisor needs to focus on building trust.
My series, The Financial Advisor’s Guide to Email Marketing, helps advisors understand how email marketing works so they can properly use financial email marketing strategies to connect with prospects and gain more clients.
So far, we have covered the basic building blocks you need to get started with email marketing.
Now it’s time to dive into a tried-and-true method of building trust with email marketing – sending a monthly email newsletter.
What makes an email newsletter effective?
There’s something about showing up consistently in your client’s inbox month after month that signals that you are a steady, reliable, and trustworthy professional. Before they’ve even opened your message, seeing your name reminds them that you’re there, available, and ready to help.
Not only is the newsletter positioning you as a reliable go-to resource, but it more specifically positions you as an expert in your field. Yes, your clients want to work with someone they consider a trustworthy professional, but they also want to know you’re sharp, well-informed, and actively staying abreast of trends, patterns, what’s going on in the market, and how it relates to their financial goals.
The best way to demonstrate your trustworthiness and expertise at scale is with an email newsletter. With the rise of social media and other forms of digital marketing, many businesses abandoned their email newsletters. But year after year, email consistently performs better than every other digital marketing channel. If you aren’t currently sending a newsletter for your financial advisory practice, it’s time to start.
What should be included in a monthly e-newsletter?
Newsletter introduction
When you send an email newsletter for your financial advisory firm, it’s an opportunity to connect with your readers. Yes, you’re sending updates and helpful content, but you’re in a personal business and should always start with a personal note.
This doesn’t mean you should use the space to give them a play-by-play rundown of what’s been going on in your life and business over the past month. But reference something you’ve been thinking about or working on or a short, relatable story.
The newsletter should primarily be about the reader and what will be most useful to them, but the introduction is where you get to remind them who you are, what you stand for, and that you care. Write it in a friendly and conversational tone that highlights your personality, as if you’re writing to one specific ideal client.
Use the introduction to set up the content you’re sharing, encourage them to reply with feedback and questions, and suggest they forward the newsletter to a friend.
Newsletter content
You might be wondering what kind of content to send. It doesn’t have to be a long publication packed with content to be valuable. You can and should keep it simple.
The newsletter is about the reader. Yes, you will update them on what’s going on with you and your company, but multiple in-depth articles about internal company business will bore readers. However, that doesn’t mean you should skip the personal touch. Introduce new employees and share updates, such as when someone earns a new certification, gets a promotion, or welcomes a new child or grandchild.
For the primary focus of the newsletter, send your latest blog posts about topics that clients and prospects are likely to find helpful. Include a few paragraphs in the newsletter itself and then ask them to click a link or button to keep reading on your website.
Happenings and upcoming events
Sharing happenings and upcoming events boosts your credibility and keeps readers informed about opportunities to learn from and engage with you.
If you’ve been featured in the media or spoken at industry conferences, let your readers know. Include logos and links to places you were featured, such as radio and podcast interviews or magazine and newspaper articles in which you were quoted.
If you’re hosting or speaking at any upcoming seminars or workshops or participating in any community events, include a section where you can invite your readers to join you. Even if the topic isn’t relevant to them, they can forward it to a friend.
Chances are you are already speaking, teaching, appearing in the media, or remaining actively involved in your community. This is a chance to showcase your efforts and elevate your profile.
Market or economic update
When sending your newsletter, obviously market trends and the economic news will be on the minds of your readers, so you’ll want to include an update. Don’t take the time or use the space to provide an in-depth market analysis but be sure to share a brief overview, which you can pull from a third-party resource.
Call to action
Your email newsletter isn’t just about sharing news; it’s about encouraging your readers to take action. The purpose of an email newsletter is marketing for your financial advisory business. Whether you want your readers to pick up the phone and call you, forward your email, sign up for a seminar, or click a link to schedule an appointment, include a clear call to action that spells out the next step you want them to take.
Conclusion
An email newsletter showcases your expertise and builds trust among your clients and prospects and as such is a very effective means to build your business. However, before you launch your monthly email newsletter, read my next article to learn about email marketing etiquette as well as some common email marketing pitfalls and mistakes that can cost you.
Download a free copy of the Email Marketing Checklist & Template here.
Sometimes email marketing can seem like an overwhelming task to undertake on your own. This is exactly what we do for our clients! We help craft opt-ins to build their email lists and create captivating email marketing campaigns to engage with their audience in the most effective way possible. Let us help you get a handle on the whole process by scheduling an introductory meeting today.
Crystal Lee Butler, MBA is a creative marketer and results-oriented business consultant with over a decade of experience collaborating with independent advisers. At Crystal Marketing Solutions, she delivers exceptional insights for financial professionals enabling them to create a consistent marketing presence so they can focus on the things that matter most to them.
Read more articles by Crystal Lee Butler
Advisor Perspectives welcomes guest contributions. The views presented here do not necessarily represent those of Advisor Perspectives.
