The short answer to this question is a resounding: Yes!
Digital marketing for financial advisors has evolved to include a multimedia approach to reaching specific audiences and creating that initial contact. A major piece of this communication for financial advisors is using video to appeal to your audience.
While static text is a useful tool, to reach more members of your target audience and ultimately convert more visitors into leads, you will need to create as much quality marketing content as possible. Remember your website is competing with a lot of other financial advisors on the Internet. Incorporating video into your digital marketing plan is a great way to create a positive first impression and create a competitive advantage.
Read on for reasons to get started with financial advisor video and tips for how to be successful.
Why Video?
Imagine sitting in your car stuck in traffic, or standing in line at the local coffee house. How are you occupying your time? For most people, the answer probably involves a mobile device. There’s no question that our smartphones, tablets, and even smartwatches have become ways to pass periods of time when we are waiting to be served. It is incredibly convenient to fill the time with videos..
Chances are, you have seen a video – whether as an ad on a social media platform, in an email, or on someone’s website. Because this is becoming such a common practice as a financial advisor, it makes sense for you to begin creating video content to stay relevant and competitive in the digital marketing space.
Let Your Audience Get to Know You
While the world has become increasingly digital, this evolution in technology isn’t a replacement for human beings’ need for personal connections. And while it’s not always possible or necessary to meet someone face-to-face in order to do business, video is a great way for potential clients to get to know you. This is especially important for financial advisors that are in the business of managing other peoples’ money.
Become a Trusted Source of Information
With the current 24/7 news cycle and the availability of “news” virtually everywhere online, your website and social media visitors are likely craving a reliable source to not only filter the news for what is important but to also interpret what they see and hear based on what impacts them personally.
The more you act as a filter the more valuable you are to your prospects, clients, visitors, and followers.
For example, during the coronavirus pandemic, the U.S. government quickly passed economic legislation that left many Americans confused as to how these acts personally affected them. While you can’t address everyone's specific needs in any one mass-audience video, you can address some common questions and concerns your clients have. This establishes you as a trusted source of information and commentary, which can go a long way toward earning trust from potential clients and maintaining trust with current clients.
Do not under-estimate the need to produce quality content. Only then will investors start relying on your advice and recommendations.
SEO
Not to be forgotten, SEO (Search Engine Optimization) should be an integral part of any digital marketing strategy. Video marketing is no different. SEO can be improved by giving your videos SEO-forward titles and keywords, you are encouraging Google and other search engines to show your videos in relevant searches. Additionally, videos can encourage the time visitors spend on your website, which is another factor Google takes into consideration when displaying search results.
Multichannel Exposure
Videos can be utilized on multiple platforms, making their ROI multiply when you consider all the places videos can be used: social media (paid and organic), website, blog, paid search, organic search, and email. From posting a video on your social media newsfeed organically to creating a paid search campaign, your videos can produce more visibility and traffic than the typical article that requires excess time to read and digest.
Tips for Successful Videos
Now that you have plenty of reasons why you should create quality video content, here are some tips for how you can get started creating financial advisor videos.
Amount of Time
For the most part, keep the videos short - 30-60 seconds. Think about the above scenario when someone is waiting in line for a coffee and taps on one of your videos to kill some time. If the video is more than a minute long, you likely won’t have their attention for long and ultimately won’t get to the main point of your video. In fact, there is a good chance they will not watch the video unless it is short and impactful.
If the topic is more complex, turn it into a series of short videos versus one excessively long video. By doing this, you will be creating more videos in your library (which looks favorable to Google) and also fully explaining a topic in digestible bits for your audience.
Have the Right Equipment
It doesn’t take a studio of sophisticated equipment to create quality videos, however, it does take more than just a smartphone. Depending on how professional you want to get, most financial advisors can get by with a smartphone, tripod, external light source, and video editing software.
Be Prepared
It’s essential to strike the right balance between coming off as casual and professional while also not sounding like you’re reading a script. The best way to pull this off is to become familiar with the content and how long you’re going to speak on each topic. By creating an outline or script, you can ensure you won’t leave anything out and conversely, avoid rambling on and losing the attention of your audience.
Stay Compliant
As with anything in the financial services industry, video marketing must follow the rules and stay compliant with industry regulations. When in doubt, reach out to your compliance professional for clarification before posting any videos to be sure you have not violated any industry rules.
Don’t Forget Captions
In the past, closed captions have previously been only associated with hearing-impaired individuals or foreign language films. However, with so many people using their mobile devices while on the go or in public spaces, it’s not always possible, to have the volume on. It’s viewed as inconsiderate to play sound from a personal device in a public space, so the options are either headphones, earbuds, captions, or some combination of your alternatives. If your videos don’t include captions, you could be missing out on a lot of views.
Consider Hiring a Professional
While we’ve established that it is possible for you as a financial advisor to shoot and distribute your own marketing videos, you can also choose to partner with a digital marketing firm that specializes in creating videos for financial advisors, the choice is yours!
