There are many ways financial advisors can generate leads, but without question, inbound marketing is the most productive. In fact, in today’s digital world, not only is virtual marketing important but inbound marketing is a must. But it can be a confusing concept for advisors, especially those who have been in the field for a long time. So, we’ve come up with eight simple inbound marketing tips for financial advisors to get you started.
What is inbound marketing?
Inbound marketing is a digital strategy to attract clients and generate leads. Investors are no longer waiting for cold calls or trusting marketing fliers they receive in the mail. Investors are getting smarter and turning to the Internet to find, research and even interview an advisor before hiring someone. Inbound marketing ensures investors can find you. An inbound marketing strategy includes creating an effective website, attracting interest to the site, building trust with visitors and offering something that will prompt them to submit their contact information.
Here are our eight simple inbound marketing tips for financial advisors that will ensure you do it right:
Tip #1: Keep All Messaging on Your Home Page Simple and Direct.
Surveys show visitors will only spend about 10 seconds on your home page, so it’s crucial that in this short amount of time, your website produces a good first impression. What your visitors see will either keep them interested and direct them to a second page or will turn them off and encourage them to look somewhere else for answers. The longer an investor stays on your website, the higher the probability they will submit their contact information. With that said, you must make sure that all messaging on your home page is simple to understand and direct. What will your client want to know right away about your firm? That answer needs to be front and center. A promise of further information should be simple to find and easy to read. The further into your website a lead goes, the better chance he or she will become an actual client.
Tip #2: Provide Easy, User-Friendly Navigation.
Website navigation must be intuitive so it is easy for investors to find the information they are seeking. If the information on your home page has prompted a visitor to learn more about your team, do they know how to find that data? Is there an easy-to-find link to the services you provide? Contact information? Informative blog articles they can use to further research your firm? Surveys show investors will leave financial advisor sites if they have to spend a lot of time searching for information. We’ve found that one topic per page, which is accessible from a top navigation, works best.
Tip #3: Keep Important Messages at the Top of the Page.
Similar to a newspaper, important, compelling messages should be “top of the fold,” or visible right away. The top of each page is a crucial piece of real estate. It doesn’t make sense to add new news all the way at the bottom of the page. Visitors who have searched your site before should be able to see right away if there is new or updated information. This information needs to keep investors on the page and your website. The more investors know about your firm the higher the probability they will initiate contact and submit their information.
Tip #4: Use Compelling Images.
Page 1 of your website is a fairly small area. Do you have a lot you need to convey in that tight space? Well, use a compelling image to share some of that story on its own. As the saying goes, a photo’s worth a thousand words. If you provide face-to-face meetings in a safe environment, show that in an image. You can choose between real photographs or illustrations, but for the most part, studies show that investors prefer actual photos that display professionals, staff, facilities and technology. It may be their only opportunity to develop a visual image of you and your firm. Images should also be relevant. If your primary client is a widower in her 60s, then your visual images should resonate with widowers in their 60s.
Tip #5: Provide Original Content on a Regular Basis.
Providing content is important. Your website must have the right content to convince visitors to contact you. The content must be clear and concise due to time limitations and the attention span of visitors. We recommend practicing the highest level of transparency you are comfortable with so you stand out when investors compare your content to others.
Tip #6: Provide Lots of Free Offers.
The content on your website may not be enough to convince visitors to contact you, so your back-up strategy should be compelling, free offers. Our surveys show that offers for free eBooks work best. Try to avoid offers that require investors to submit data (financial plans, portfolios, risk tolerance), as that tends to scare some investors off.
Tip #7: Limit Distractions.
Make sure you minimize the number of distractions on your website, so investors focus on the content and offers that will cause them to give up their anonymity. Examples of distractions can include calculators and white papers. Do you want investors using calculators or learning more about your firm?
Tip #8: Provide a Safe Environment.
Investors must feel safe before they submit their contact data to financial firms they find on the Internet. The best way to do this is to document what happens next when you have the investor’s contact information. A strict privacy policy is a major plus.
Inbound marketing is the future of marketing for financial advisors. While it may sound overwhelming, we hope these inbound marketing tips for financial advisors eases some of your concerns. There are also firms that will provide inbound marketing services for you.
