As a Financial Advisor, you know that partnering with a Digital Marketing Agency goes hand in hand with ensuring a positive return on investment. Even so, some feel overwhelmed by choosing a digital partner. Shake any doubts and step into the profitable age of inbound marketing with these tips to help you choose the right Digital Marketing Agency for your RIA.
Looking to grow your AUM in 2020? Contact Paladin Digital Marketing to see how we can help.
Look For An Expert
Digital Marketing can reap greater rewards for a firm than any other effort, but it involves specific tools and skills. Even if you currently have an agency for other needs, the technical requirements of Digital Marketing together with the potential for huge benefits make this an area where you will want an expert on your side.
A skilled Digital Marketing Agency can deliver measurable results that help your firm reach new levels of success. If you can find a Digital Marketing Agency that also has expertise in the financial services field, this is ideal. When they are also well-versed in your industry, you get added benefits like your team navigating topics unique to finance such as compliance, protocol, and trends.
One such provider that focuses solely on the needs of Financial Advisors is Paladin Digital Marketing, an agency that has succeeded in providing strategies for firms and individual online-advisors alike.
Get A Recommendation
When it is time to enlist a Digital Marketing Agency, your colleagues can shed some light. A recommendation from someone you trust is one of the best ways to gain insight and confidence. The next best thing to asking someone is to search for references elsewhere via online case studies, testimonials, and customer reviews.
Sometimes these can be found on the agency’s website as a ‘case study’. Check out an agency’s Portfolio and Client List too. You can scan these for names you may recognize to contact about their experiences. Viewing the Client List can also give you an idea if there are firms on the roster with size and budget similar to yours.
Scour Their Website
There are several things you can learn about a Digital Agency from simply browsing their website. This is where logistics like location, operating hours, and services can be found. You may also discover helpful details about the agency’s philosophy, news, or staff experience.
Viewing the agency’s site also helps you form an impression about how they look online. Today, consumers make their decisions with help from the Internet, so as you browse the agency’s website take note of how modern and easy to navigate it feels. An agency whose site seems dated or cumbersome will tell you something about their aesthetics and abilities.
Browse Their Blog
Reading the blog posts of a Digital Marketing Agency lets you see the type of content they share and whether they keep up with emerging trends. A blog that is topical, helpful, and regularly updated indicates that the agency’s team is passionate about the industry and dedicated to staying current.
A blog also shows that the agency is interested in providing education to their clients and prospects, which means they are likely well-versed in the areas that go hand-in-hand with maintaining a blog. These areas include lead generation, browser retention, and converting visitors to clients--all strategies you want your agency to do well for your firm too.
Search Social Media
Find out what others are saying about an agency by scanning social media on sites such as LinkedIn, Twitter, or Facebook. Consider what the agency shares such as educational content or special events.
Read to find out if they interact with followers or other brands and how timely they are with responses and new posts. Their social media can also give you a peek into what their customer service looks like as you discover how they solve the issues posted on their pages.
Check Their Toolbox
Understanding digital marketing with its ever-changing tools and regulations is critical to a firm’s impact online. As such, your online efforts must be developed, built, and hosted with technical know-how.
Find out if a Digital Marketing Agency is staying current in this high-tech medium by asking: “What’s hot in digital marketing right now?” If they are committed to utilizing the latest tools, then they will be excited to share this news. The reason digital strategies are so successful is because of the ability to build and adapt campaigns based on current data. Simply put, it is vital that data collection, analysis, and application makes the digital marketing more targeted and profitable.
So it goes without saying that you want a Digital Marketing Agency that knows how to do this piece, and how to do it well. Check how they utilize powerful data collection by looking over a sample of their reports. Graphs and charts are impressive, but above all look to see that the reports are clear and useful.
Count Each Tool
One of many other important tools for your Digital Agency to have in their toolbelt is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). Knowledge and expertise in this important area will get your firm to rank higher in search lists so you can reach more viable prospects.
When you know about the best Digital Marketing tools you can effectively compare agency offerings.
Here are some of the special services a Digital Marketing Agency can provide:
- Web Development and Design
- Content Creation
- Email Marketing
- Social Media Campaigns
- Search Engine Optimization (SEO)
- Data Architecture
- Analytic Reporting
Talk Terms
Sooner or later you will want to discuss price because when you can set expectations, it always works to eliminate any potential for disappointment. The price depends on what you need and a good digital agency will evaluate your current efforts, competitors, and industry space to devise an effective plan with a fair quote.
A Digital Marketing Agency can work with any reasonable budget and help define expectations so you feel confident that your money is being invested right back into your firm’s success.
Meet The Team
Your Digital Marketing Agency can be viewed as a beneficial long-term relationship and as such your agency will be ready to get in the trenches with you to work toward goals. As you get to work closely and communicate regularly with your digital marketing team, meeting the agency experts is an important step.
Ask the agency what it will look like to work together. This may involve introducing your Account Manager and key contacts or presenting a schedule for reporting. There are so many reasons to enlist the help of a Digital Marketing Agency, and as you move forward, your agency will naturally become part of the process for ensuring your firm succeeds.
Choose Wisely
Just as you would not produce and design your own website or design your own brochure, digital marketing requires a high level of expertise to reach today’s investors.
Whether you need to boost your brand image, increase web traffic, or build your client list--partnering with a Digital Marketing Agency will put your firm on the path towards more profits and rewards.
