Digital Marketing for Financial advisors is more than just internet visibility for your firm, it's about taking control of your online presence. If you are not proactive in regard to your financial advisory firm’s online presence, your firm may be portrayed in a negative light. The worst-case scenario is a diminutive or incomplete online footprint that is overshadowed by negative reviews, some of which may contain erroneous information.
It is up to you to seize control of your financial advisory firm’s online presence, shine the spotlight on your value proposition, and make it easy for potential clients to find you.
Learn how in the next five minutes.
Watch for Online Reviews
Insufficient reviews or an abundance of negative reviews have the potential to compromise your financial advisory firm’s online presence. The information presented in these reviews and even a lack of reviews ultimately shapes those investors’ perceptions of your firm.
Search the web for reviews of your financial advisory firm. If you do not find any reviews or uncover more negative reviews than positive ones, there is work to be done. Negative reviews should be addressed with a response that addresses the issue. It pays to be contrite on the Internet.
You can add to your positive reviews by providing exemplary services and making it clear your firm would appreciate client feedback on the web. Above all, it is important to avoid getting into web-based arguments with dissatisfied clients in the online review directories. A war of words in response to a negative review will discourage prospective clients from contacting your firm to schedule an initial consultation.
Is Your Financial Advisor Website Indexed?
Your financial advisory firm’s website is essential to creating a positive initial online impression. There is little sense in investing your time, money, and effort into creating a top-notch website if it does not convert visitors into qualified leads for your services. Though few know it, WordPress and other platforms are built with a setting that can be turned on by mistake (or purposely) that removes the website from Google searches.
It is imperative your website is not on the tag dubbed “no index”. If this tag is activated, it communicates to Google that you do not desire your site to be part of the search index. Ensure your site is properly indexed and it will be visible when people conduct searches on Google and the other search engines.
Connect With Target Clients Through Social Media
Do not fall into the trap of assuming a financial advisory firm does not belong on social media. Social media has transformed from a digital hangout for college students to an important marketing platform. The vast majority of people make frequent use of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
If you are not comfortable using social media, consider hiring a digital marketing agency to manage your financial advisory firm’s social media presence for you. Add new updates, links, and other information to your social media pages on a weekly basis, engage in an online dialogue with current and prospective clients on these important platforms and you will steadily increase your social media presence.
Schedule Adding New Online Content
It is in your best interest to refresh and improve your online content as time progresses. If your web content gets stale, you will on new prospects and your search engine optimization (SEO) will suffer, making it difficult for online sleuths to find your website, blog, social media, etc. A steady stream of fresh web content boosts your SEO while also helping prospective clients better understand your firm’s value offering.
Flex your intellectual muscle on financial matters ranging from the merits of your services to industry news and web surfers will view your firm as legitimate. Ideally, you will add new content to your online footprint at least a couple of times per month. Include keywords, key phrases, and localized information throughout your online content at a keyword saturation rate between 0.5% and 1.5% and those looking for your services will find your content when conducting online searches.
Establish a Presence in the Online Directories
Your financial advisory firm should be listed in all of the web-based directory listings. Though this will take some time, it is well worth it as comprehensive listings make it that much easier for potential clients to find your online presence.
Examples of such online directories include Yelp, Yahoo! Local, Google Places, and BingPlaces. Be sure to fill out the entirety of your online listing with all pertinent details including your services, photos of your building, logo, videos, and even a target client description (case studies are popular).
Consider a program such as Moz Local that verifies your financial advisory firm’s location information, ensuring it is accurate and fully confirmed. This information is then extended throughout the entire ecosystem of local search. This approach decentralizes search, shifting the power away from Google, and making it that much easier for other search engines to find your firm’s website and other components of your online footprint.
Build Your Brand on the Web With Video, Pictures, and More
Text will only take you so far in terms of establishing an online presence. Prospective clients are certainly willing to read text yet they are likely to reduce their time on site unless that text is presented in an artful manner. Brighten up your paragraphs of text by adding graphics, videos, and photos to your website, social media pages, blog, etc.
Do not forget to create a YouTube channel for your financial advisory firm. Add a new video to your channel at least once every couple of months and embed those videos on your website and social media. Videos are important as they capture the attention of those who dislike reading. Furthermore, videos also help your website rank that much higher in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
Develop Strategic Partnerships
You can boost your financial advisory firm’s online presence by partnering with other bloggers, webmasters, and business owners. Reach out to relevant blog writers and propose a mutually beneficial guest blogging arrangement in which you post blogs, complete with backlinks to your respective websites, social media, and one another’s blog. Continue to establish strategic partnerships with other groups ranging from media outlets to associations and you will find your website receives more online traffic as time progresses.
