Let’s divide your potential clients into four quadrants. There are investors who are seeking financial advisors (1) and there are investors who are seeking information (2). Then there are investors you know (3) and there are investors you don’t know (4). The focus of this article is the development of a productive digital marketing strategy for investors you know (3) and who are seeking information (2).
Your goal is to build credibility and trust with people you already know, even if they are just a name and email address in your contact management system. The point is you have their contact information, which makes them known to you, and you have a way to communicate with them.
This is a very different marketing strategy than reaching investors you don’t know on the Internet.
The foundation of a productive email marketing system is to fulfill the desire of investors to control the content they receive from financial advisors, institutions, and media.
Everyone is in information overload so your email marketing strategy has to deliver significant value to be effective.
Start by defining your target audience(s).
This is a complex marketing topic because you have to determine who you want to target for new clients and who you do not want for new clients. This could be based on:
- Ages (Millennials versus Baby Boomers)
- Professions
- Work Status (Early, Mid, Late)
- Retirement Status (Transition, Early, Mid, Late)
- Business Owners
- Recent Widows or Widowers
- Recent Divorcees
- Inheritance
- And Many Others…….
Next, you have to identify topics that are of interest to your target audiences. This is your key for producing fresh content that has some relevance to their situations, interests, and needs.
What are the principal goals for your email marketing strategy?
The number one goal is to keep your name in front of the investors on your list so they contact you when they are ready to start interviewing financial advisors.
The number two goal is to provide content that builds your credibility and trustworthiness in the eyes of investors. It is not promotional. It is high-quality information that helps them solve problems and make better financial decisions.
The number three goal is to establish you as an expert in your field. The best advice is good advice. The most expensive advice is bad advice.
Done right, email marketing can create a serious competitive advantage when investors interview financial advisors.
What is the best way to capture investor contact information?
The best strategy is to offer them something of value in return for their contact information. This “something” could be an eBook, attending a webinar, or a free checklist.
The ideal offer will provide a solution to a frequent financial pain point. This is the compelling reason that will cause investors to give up their anonymity for information that benefits them.
It is also important to make investors feel safe when they submit their contact information. Your only use for the investor’s contact information is to fulfill the investor’s request. Their contact information will not be provided to any other firm or professional.
Why should you send investors a questionnaire?
What is the main hurdle? We know investors are more responsive when the information benefits them. This means the information you will be sharing is tailored to their specific circumstances and has some exclusivity. Perhaps this is what separates your content from the generic information that appears in the financial media.
You need input to determine what content makes the most sense for particular investors. One type of content benefits people in their working years. Another type of content benefits people in their retirement years.
Responses to a questionnaire help you categorize investors so they receive the right content. The wrong content will cause them to unsubscribe.
The responses may also help you fine-tune your delivery system.
Why create custom content that resonates with various categories of investors?
You can provide this type of value for your current clients by creating seminars, eBooks, workshops, video series, and other content that is custom-tailored and only accessible to the names on your list. Sharing quality content such as exclusive tips or stats can demonstrate your value and expertise as an advisor while simultaneously strengthening your relationships with future clients.
Why create the aura of exclusivity?
One key for retaining names on email marketing lists is to create a sense of exclusivity. This is not a marketing gimmick. Exclusivity means you will provide information that they can’t find anywhere else.
All too often investors are overwhelmed with generic financial information that has nothing to do with their current situations. They will learn to ignore this information over time.
The greater the sense of exclusivity, the higher the probability the names on your email marketing list will want to share your information with friends, family, and associates.
Why monitor data and feedback and make changes as needed?
The most important piece of data is the number of investors who contact you to learn more about the topic in the email or schedule an initial interview - the next step in your sales funnel.
It is reasonable to assume something is seriously wrong if your email marketing is not producing the results you are seeking.
Other data will give you additional insight into what is working and what is not. For example, what is your drip email open rate? This is another way to determine how the titles for your content are resonating with your audience(s).
It is also important to track changes over time so you establish trend lines that help you determine what is working and why or why not.
What are the top 3 mistakes financial advisors make when they implement an email marketing strategy?
First, they do not do the homework that is necessary to identify their ideal types of clients. Some real thought should be put into segmenting investors into categories that are based on their current circumstances, needs, and goals.
Second, they do not do their homework to determine what content should be produced for which investors. If there are three types of personas then the advisors will need three types of content.
Third, too much of the content is overly promotional, which feeds one of the major concerns investors have about financial advisors. They believe the purpose of the content is to sell financial products, which may cause them to ignore the emails or unsubscribe.
Conclusion
Sound like a lot of work to do right? You may want to hire an experienced digital marketing agency that provides specialized, digital marketing services to financial advisors.
