While recent shifts in the economy and political events have caused effects on the market, volatility is nothing new to experienced financial advisors. And now more than ever, clients are looking to the experts for how to navigate their portfolios in uncertain economic times. But how can financial advisors continue to generate leads to grow their client base? Here are five ways financial advisors are getting more leads in 2025.
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1. Create A Unique Financial Advisor Value Proposition
Not all financial advisory firms are created equal. And while the products and services may be the same offered by your competitors, how you deliver results and work with your clients can be what sets your financial advisory firm apart.
Planning and executing a unique financial advisor value proposition can help generate leads by giving prospective clients a reason to choose your financial advisory firm, based on what you can offer them. A successful financial advisor value proposition combines a consistent branding strategy with high-quality content, as well as strong SEO practices to generate visibility and in turn, financial advisor leads for you and/or your firm.
These leads can come from contact forms on your financial advisor website, direct messages on social media, and even direct emails to your listed email address. This is a good reminder to make sure all those communication channels are accurate and consistent and are monitored and responded to frequently.
2. Niche Marketing
While the products and services you offer may be similar to the competition, you can position your financial advisory firm’s niche as a means of generating leads. If you already have a niche – then you’re already on your way. However, if you don’t yet have a niche – there’s no better time to find one than right now.
The good news? You may already have one and just not realize it. For instance, look at your existing client base and their needs. Perhaps you have a large group of retired local schoolteachers?
If so, they likely have similar needs that you have been working with them on for some time. If this is the case, that itself could become a niche. Whether it’s a specific employee group or a service you’re particularly passionate about – finding a niche doesn’t need to be difficult. After all, a niche may be a specialty of sorts, but it doesn’t need to be exclusive.
Once you have defined a niche, you can use that information to appeal to that audience, as well as determine which digital marketing channels would best reach that target audience.
3. Gated Content Marketing
Content marketing is at the core of every successful financial advisor digital marketing strategy. This includes any and all content created and distributed across all channels and platforms. While the general goal of content digital marketing is getting your financial advisor content in front of as many people as possible, some of your financial advisor content holds more value when it comes to lead generation.
This is where gating your financial advisor content comes into the picture and can be a valuable tool for generating leads for your financial advisory firm. It’s a common practice to place long-form content produced by your financial advisory firm, such as whitepapers, eBooks, planning guides, checklists, on-demand webinars or seminars and the like behind a “gate” a.k.a. a sign-up form for further communication.
This form should not only collect a prospect's name and contact information but also give your financial advisory firm explicit consent to send further communications, such as emails. This is a solid strategy for growing a database that — with the right tools — can move prospects through a strategic customer/prospect journey.
4. Referrals
When someone is looking for advice, where do they often turn? Friends and family used to be the standard for customer referrals. And while that can still be a source of leads for your financial advisory firm, getting more leads in 2025 means thinking digitally as well. Thanks to the internet, consumers aren’t limited to those in their immediate circle for referrals for financial advisory services.
This makes referrals a powerful lead generation tool for financial advisors when implemented correctly. Depending on your existing referral program and compliance restrictions, any financial advisory firm’s referral program can vary from one firm to the next.
However, what all referral programs share is that it is a form of social proof that appeals to potential clients who want to work with a financial advisory firm that has been recommended by their peers.
5. Reviews & Testimonials
Online reviews are a vital part of any digital business. However, this has been difficult for financial advisors to navigate in the past, given the regulatory environment surrounding individual results from financial advising services as well as the ability to use these reviews in financial advisor marketing content. However, thanks to the SEC’s amendment to a long-standing marketing rule, financial advisors can now use testimonials and reviews in their financial services marketing.
Aside from that, reviews and testimonials can also be lead generation tools on their own, depending on where and how they are presented. For example, Google Reviews are a great way to spread the word about your financial advisory firm’s experience, directly from your clients. Also, since Google Reviews are part of your financial advisory firm’s Google Business Profile, having recent reviews can help with SEO and getting – and staying – indexed by Google.
This can result in more visits to your financial advisor website, and thus potentially more leads. However, because reviews are personal accounts from clients, it can be difficult to see any negative feedback come through.
As a best practice, it’s beneficial to have a plan for how (and if) to respond to reviews online. If a review warrants a response, it’s vital to be mindful of the regulations that apply to such communication.
Generating leads is a necessary part of running any successful business. With the right plan, generating leads can result in the long-term growth and overall success of your financial advisory firm.
