Successful inbound marketing for financial advisors involves many things, but blogging is a key component. Consistent blogging establishes your image on the Internet and shows clients that you are a trustworthy expert in your field, which, in today’s increasingly digital world, is a must.
Consider this:
- The more you blog, the better chance you have to rank for a specific keyword on Google.
- The better you rank, the higher your link will appear in a Google search.
- The higher you appear in a Google search, the better chance you have of a potential client finding you online.
- When a potential client answers their questions with your blog post, there’s a good chance they’ll continue to search your website and consider hiring you to manage their money. There’s also a strong possibility that a reader will bookmark your site and go directly to your webpage when another question arises.
So how do you get started? How often should you blog? How long should your articles be and what factors should each post include? Let’s look at the research.
How Often Should I Blog?
If you want real results, the more blog posts, the better. Google loves fresh, original content, which means the more that appears on your site, the higher your firm will rank in search engines. According to HubSpot, firms that publish more than 16 blog posts per month received about 4.5 times more leads (not just traffic) than those publishing one to four monthly posts.
Firms that published more than 16 blog posts per month also saw 3.5 times the traffic of those blogging less than five times a month. That’s a huge difference!
We understand that you’re busy, but regular blogging is a crucial part of good marketing for financial advisors. If you don't have the time to create original content, consider hiring a blogging service to generate it for you, but make sure the writers who produce your copy have a good understanding of the financial industry and what your clients are searching for. Remember, unfortunately, non-original content does not improve your SEO results.
Creating fresh, relevant content for your website or blog can be a challenge. Say goodbye to writer's block! Download our Free eBook: 5 Ways to Source Content for Your Financial Advisor Blog & Website
How Long Should Blog Posts Be?
Google continuously changes the “rules,” but today, a blog post should be in the 1,000- to 2,000-word range. Google used to suggest short, 300-word articles that we could all skim in a flash. But things have changed. New research shows that longer blog articles now tend to outperform short ones.
But there’s a catch: Blog posts must also be well-written. Google recognizes whether people are reading/clicking on an article and gives those with more traffic higher consideration.
Again, if you don’t have the time, hiring an outside company to write blog posts for you is a smart move when marketing for financial advisors. You don’t want to waste precious time struggling through new blog posts when you could be responding to clients. Posting content consistently can be especially hard and time-consuming if writing is not your strong suit.
What Should a Good Blog Post Include?
When writing new content, make sure you personalize it. You want readers to not only learn from your articles but also associate you with the positive interaction.
How do you do this?
- Include a call-to-action. Somewhere in your posts, make sure you encourage the reader to take some action, whether it be downloading a helpful ebook, sharing their information for more insightful help or sign up for an upcoming event that your firm offers that can be of further assistance to the reader. Your call-to-action can be anything that moves the reader closer to becoming a client or further establishes you as an expert in your field.
- Include relevant keywords. Keywords are the terms people will type into Google or another search engine to begin the search process. For example, someone might type in “financial advisor” or “financial planner” when initially looking for financial help. Unfortunately, some keywords are used often, so it may be hard to rank when the competition is fierce. You should eventually conduct a keyword analysis as part of a broader marketing strategy, but in the meantime, carefully choose a few keywords that are closely aligned with your field of expertise. Make sure these words appear often in your post, especially in the headline and the first paragraph. Just make sure the title and use of keywords sound natural. Don’t overuse them or sprinkle them into text when it doesn’t make sense. Google’s smart search robots can recognize this and will penalize your post if it’s determined that this is happening.
- Include an image! Pictures help attract a reader. While a blog post may be interesting and informative, everyone knows that a big block of text isn’t what initially draws a reader in and makes them follow your blog from start to finish. Use an image that promotes the idea of the article and helps attract readers.
- Break your blog post into digest-able bites. When writing long, it’s smart to break up the text with subheads and bulleted list. This gives the reader’s eye a break and gives the illusion that the piece is shorter than it actually is. Consider using infographics, charts or illustrations.
- Give your post an attractive title. Keep it active. Offer tips. Keep it direct. Refrain from using industry jargon and acronyms.
- Include internal links. Every blog post should include at least one internal link. You may want to refer readers to a similar blog post you wrote earlier, to an “About Us” page on your website or to a Q&A section.
These tips will help get you started on a successful blog campaign and improve marketing for financial advisors. Remember, blogging can be an easy way to add new clients and establish yourself as an expert in the financial-advisor world.
