Have you ever heard the phrase “Content is King?” The answer is probably yes. The reason for this is because, in today's day and age of digital marketing and social media, content is the most important part of any financial advisor’s digital marketing plan.
What is Content Marketing?
Content marketing is meant to provide visitors to your website or blog a benefit for visiting. For example, if they come to your website from a search term that promises them a white paper on retirement and estate planning, once they receive that information, they have become part of your lead system and you can then reach out to them to nurture relationships and schedule interviews.
Main Types of Content Marketing
Blogs
If you don't already have a blog now is the time to start one. If you have a blog and it's been neglected, now is the time to bring it back to life. Blog posts can vary on topic, length, and frequency. But, the most important part of a blog is sharing it across multiple networks including social media to gain better traction and ultimately drive more visitors to your website.
Videos
Utilizing video can come in many forms as well. While you may see some professional film-like quality videos on certain Instagram or big brand websites, the truth is anyone can make a video as long as they own a smartphone.
However, keep in mind that when making videos it is still appropriate to edit and polish as much as possible before releasing them to the general public. If your videos look too amateurish, they can come off as making your brand look weak, which is not the first impression you are looking for. Quite the contrary, you want your videos to display the professionalism of your firm.
Whitepapers
A white paper is a longer form of content than a blog, but less content than an eBook. White papers are good for addressing specific topics that you are knowledgeable about, while also leaving the reader with questions that they need to follow up on by contacting you.
The key is to provide enough information to create value, but not so much information that they don't need to contact you to get the rest of the story. This is especially important for financial advisors because, in today's “DIY” society, a big part of your audience may assume they can just go it alone when it comes to planning for their financial futures and investing their assets.
eBooks
An eBook is a longer-form content that often goes into far greater detail about a subject than your other types of content. It is highly recommended that access to this content is behind a gate (registration) to produce sales leads and contacts for your drip email system. Remember, if you put a lot of time and effort into creating this content most people aren't going to mind providing their contact information to get it. This is especially true if your eBooks address financial pain points and provide solutions.
Infographics
Infographics are a great way to make a visual representation of a complicated or multi-faceted topic that can be hard to explain using words alone. By creating a visual with digestible amounts of information, people are better able to understand the subject matter.
Additionally, infographics are easy to share online and have a high likelihood of ending up with friends, family, and associates, thereby promoting your brand even more. For this reason, it is considered a best practice to include your logo and or name of your financial advisor firm somewhere clearly on the infographic itself as to avoid your graphic being used without your consent. You may also want to add some About Us information.
Email/Newsletter
By signing up to receive information via email from your financial advisor firm, your clients and prospective clients should expect to be receiving quality content on a regular basis rather than sales pitch after sales pitch. Some email marketing subscribers may consider it a “bait and switch” if they are lured in by quality content, sign up for more, and ultimately end-up receiving promotional content that benefits you and not them.
Podcasts
Similar to video, podcasts can be created with virtually anyone who has a smartphone. However, the same rules apply when it comes to producing professional podcasts that project a professional image for your firm. Consequently, it is a good idea to invest in a quality microphone and some editing software or use the services of a marketing agency.
If you do partner with a digital marketing firm, they can help you with both the production and distribution of your podcast through the major networks. From there, you can share the podcasts on all of your digital marketing channels.
Webinars
As most of the world learned during the pandemic's worst lockdown restrictions, a lot of things that we used to do in person have now become virtual events. This means webinars and other types of online gatherings have become more prolific than ever replacing traditional workshops and seminars.
If you have never created a webinar, be sure to make your webinar problem/solution focused rather than sales focused. People don't want to sit down for 30-60 minutes to listen to a sales pitch. They will leave in the first five minutes and they will not attend future webinars from the same source.
Plan Ahead for Content
With the exception of breaking news that affects your clients or potential clients’ financial status (i.e., tax laws, stimulus packages, etc.) you should have a quality content calendar mapped out for at least three-months in advance.
This helps for multiple reasons, the first of which is planning for seasonal content that comes around during certain months or times of the year. And it also prevents you from having long periods of no new content. You want to be a consistent source of new and problem solving ideas. This adds to your credibility.
This is another area where partnering with a digital marketing agency can benefit your overall digital marketing efforts. Partner with professionals who focus on creating and distributing quality content. This takes the stress off of you and allows you to do what you do best — help your clients plan their financial futures and invest their assets.
