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As financial professionals scramble to close business before year end, taking a moment to appreciate client growth as well as the holiday season may seem like an energy waste.
The opposite is true.
Advisors and wealth management professionals would be well-served to take a step back, breathe, and design an agile path forward for continued growth in the year ahead. Let’s call this a marketing plan for the H.O.L.I.D.A.Y.S. and beyond.
H is for HTML
New and experienced financial advisors should view a web presence as table stakes. A website that speaks to a desired client persona and search engines will improve visibility and establish subject matter expertise.
O is for organic
Don’t think food, think search engine optimization (SEO). While a website is table stakes, optimizing (another O) for organic search drives results. Financial professionals and their web hosts should align on the keywords, meta descriptions, title tags, and content to bolster organic search.
L is for LinkedIn
This social network is a major driver of organic results. Financial professionals should leverage LinkedIn for brand development, intentional networking, persona-focused introductions, and relevant market-specific content sharing.
I is for inbound
Cold calling and outreach are critical parts of financial services marketing; however, inbound marketing should be in the mix, too. Financial advisors should make it easy for consumers to get the information they seek without immediate pop-up prompts for newsletter sign-ups. It may seem counter-intuitive but giving people frictionless access to content can increase the likelihood that they become return visitors and eventual subscribers.
D is for direct mail
Yes, snail mail is still a thing, especially around the holidays. Clients are people. People appreciate, well, being appreciated. Sending cards to mark special occasions is an easy win. To take this a step further, financial advisors can add QR codes to cards that, when scanned, can bring recipients to an up-to-date calendar simplifying the appointment-setting process all-around.
A is for audience segmentation
Organizing an email list by categories like market, alumni, former employer, and so forth provides a respite from endless holiday eating and family hobnobbing. Though initially time-consuming, segmenting your audience makes it easier for financial professionals to send pertinent messaging that’s tailored to specific groups.
Y is for your why
Forgive the cheat here. Financial advisors with a clear understanding of their “why” are better able to apply it to a compelling brand narrative, thus, empowering marketing support systems to deliver goal-oriented outcomes.
S is for subject matter expertise
Thought leadership sets financial professionals apart while expanding demographic and geographic reach. Whether it’s a company blog, an industry trade magazine, a market-specific publication, or speaking engagement, financial advisors and wealth management professionals should share knowledge as a strategic builder.
H.O.L.I.D.A.Y.S as a 365-day approach
Whether it’s in preparation for a final year-end client push or more of a long-term marketing strategy for next year and beyond, financial advisors should implement some or all these tips to extend their reach, improve engagement, and promote industry knowledge.
Tara Meehan is a fractional CMO and owner of Meehan Marketing
Read more articles by Tara Meehan